Currently, the Programme MEDSTAT is in its fourth phase, launched in January 2016. This phase, with a duration of 40 months, includes more than 100 planned activities and supports the EU's cooperation with the countries of the European Neighborhood Policy - South in the field of statistics.
MEDSTAT IV provides technical and financial support for organizing a wide range of events such as Work groups meetings, seminars, trainings, study visits and technical assistance missions conducted by experts.
The Programme MEDSTAT IV (2016-2019) is dedicated to improving the quality and coverage of data as well as aims to promote democratic development by improving the availability, visibility and accessibility to reliable, credible and timely statistics in the countries of the European Neighborhood Policy – South.
MEDSTAT IV (2016-2019) covers nine countries of the European Neighborhood Policy – South, namely: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Libya, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria (cooperation with Syria remains suspended) and Tunisia.
The visit was opened by Mr. Sergey Tsvetarski, President of the National Statistical Institute, who welcomed all attendants. The theme of the three-day study visit is: „Administrative records as main resource for Business registers and statistics“.
Lecturers of the study were, as follows: Ms. Svetoslava Filipovich, Ms. Karmen Iskrova, Mr. Anastas Troianski, Ms. Emilia Milosheva, Mr. Martin Rendov, Ms. Elena Bakalova and Ms. Margarita Tzvetkova. The NSI’s experts from „Business statistics“ Directorate and „Macroeconomic statistics“ Directorate presented to the participants from the ENP-South countries the Bulgarian experience in the field of the sources of administrative data used by NSI, Business statistics production, Statistical Business register, the organization of the Labour market surveys. The representatives of the Statistical offices and other institutions from the nine countries were also aware of the compilation of aggregated national accounts data based on business statistics. The topics covered were met with great interest and triggered lively discussions.
It is expected that the study visit will contribute to the harmonization of statistics in the ENP-South countries in accordance with the EU standards, as well as to the establishment of bilateral relations in the field of statistics between Bulgarian experts and experts from the participating Statistical offices, which is a prerequisite for the development of the NSI cooperation with the countries of the region.
