Eustat holds the VI International Conference on Statistical Confidentiality in Bilbao

On the 2nd, 3rd and 4th of December 2009 EUSTAT held the VI International Conference on Confidentiality in the diffusion of Statistical Data in Bilbao, organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Statistical Office of the European Union (EUROSTAT)

More than 100 delegates belonging to 24 countries, 4 international organisations and 13 universities and research centres throughout the world participated in the conference.

The aim of the conference, which is held every two years, was to put forward, debate and exchange experiences on the latest statistical studies and techniques in relation to data protection in the diffusion of statistics, via data tables or files. All of this with the aim of facilitating the use of the great potential of information that statistical sources permit, being extremely rigorous in terms of statistical secrecy of individual data that is stipulated in the laws of different countries.

Confidentiality is present in the phases of treatment and exploitation of information, and in a very special form in the diffusion of data.

The contents of the International Conference in Bilbao were centred on this area. Amongst other subjects, the main guides of Good European Practice in the treatment of confidentiality and its implementation in different countries were analysed. The latest techniques for protecting confidentiality in the diffusion of Population Censuses were also addressed, as well as experiences, such as in Germany, of remote data access from special centres for researchers. Lastly, the latest computer developments for the preparation of confidential statistical data were discussed.

In the conference, EUSTAT presented a new method for protecting microdata files that is being applied in the Environmental Survey carried out on families.

Programme (Pdf, 470 Kb)