Second ECB conference on statistics

The purpose of these biennial conferences is to bring together statisticians, policy-makers, researchers and other users of euro area statistics to exchange views on current topics and on challenges and priorities for the future.

The aim of this year's conference is to elaborate on the statistical requirements for central bank monetary and economic policy-making. It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of official economic and financial statistics for the ECB's stability-oriented monetary policy. As statistics provide the basis for economic analysis and policy-making, the availability of accurate and timely statistical information is a prerequisite to effectively and correctly assessing the monetary and economic situation and future prospects.

The provisional programme of the conference is attached to this press release. All papers will be made available on the ECB's website closer to the date of the conference and summaries of the discussions will be put on the website after the conference. At a later stage, the ECB also plans to publish the proceedings of this conference, containing the research papers, discussants' comments and summaries of the discussions.

Attendance at the conference is by invitation only. A total of 25 places will be reserved for press representatives. Journalists who wish to follow the conference should inform the ECB's Press and Information Division by e-mail: info@ecb.int. Access will be granted on a "first come first served" basis to one representative per media only.