Conclusions and guiding principles
The following guiding principles were presented in the Conference of European Statistical Stakeholders CESS 2016 in Budapest [57]
Statistics is a key for people empowerment
High-quality (official) statistics strengthen democracy by allowing citizen access to key information that enhances accountability. Access to solid statistics is a fundamental “right" that permits choices and decisions based on information. Without statistics, there cannot be a well-grounded, modern and participatory democracy. Statisticians should be aware of the power of data which lies in their transformation capacity of information and as such contributing to a key aspect of knowledge.
Open data are fundamental for open societies
Official statistics are the cornerstone of public open data. They are the basis of open government. In the EU Open Data Portal, Eurostat statistical database accounts for the bulk of data offered. Enhancing access to statistics in open formats enables the free use of data, its interoperability and consumption in integrated modalities. Open statistics as a result allow to make sense of complex phenomena and help in their interpretation without borders and limits. As such open statistics are a key source of free dialogue in our societies. Statisticians should ensure open and transparent access to data and metadata and measure their actual use for information and knowledge.
