Participants from institutional, economic, social and academic spheres, as well as Eustat professionals and the media, have the chance to get together to share memories and anecdotes about the early stages of the main source of official data in the Basque Country and discuss the challenges faced by this public body in the future in order to remain at the statistics forefront.

EUSTAT, the Basque Statistics Office, first opened its doors twenty years ago in November 1986. A Commemorative Event had therefore been organised by those in charge of the public body to bring together all those people who have played a part in the history of EUSTAT.

EUSTAT is an essential component in discovering the socio-economic reality of Basque society and reaches this anniversary having achieved recognition as a thorough and reliable organisation thanks to the following elements, forming the cornerstones of its statistics output:

From its earliest stages, the overriding mission of this autonomous body has been to provide a public service. With this in mind, its aim has been to comprehend, research and interpret the statistics needs of its users, adapting itself to the circumstances of each moment.

And so, over such a short timespan, EUSTAT has established itself as the main source of statistical data in the Basque Country to be consulted before taking strategic decisions within the reach of the Community, whether in the private or public sphere. In this sense, we could say that the work of this autonomous body has actively contributed towards the development of the country.

MILESTONES

The Statistics Law of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, passed in April 1986, was a pioneering one and thus a reference point for the whole State.

Eustat activity stems from this legal regulation, as well as from the regular passing of the Basque Statistics Plan. It has so far been updated on five occasions.

The current Plan 2005-2008 establishes 181 statistical operations to be carried out by Eustat in the areas of economy, population, territory and the environment, society, statistical development and dissemination.

The field of action covers over 20 different subject areas: demography and social habits; health; work; social protection; housing; innovation and development; industry; prices; culture and the information society to mention a few.

20 years of work has seen Eustat distribute 300,000 issues of its own publications; issue 3,000 press releases to the media; respond to 10,000 requests for tailor-made information; reply to 50,000 telephone queries; and almost 4 million visits per year to its website.

FUTURE

The challenges set out by the Basque Statistics Office directorship for the future are firstly, to anticipate information needs which will allow the design and assessment of future public policy in areas such as immigration, sustainable development, social integration, the knowledge society and the environment.

Secondly, to continue advancing as an organisation along the path to total quality and excellence and the complete fulfilment of the European Statistics Code of Practice.

And finally, the Basque Statistics Office has the important mission of assuming all the items laid down by the Law for Male and Female Equality passed by the Basque Parliament on February 18 2005.

CONFERENCE. SOCIO-ECONOMIC REPORT 2006

Within the framework of this Anniversary, Eustat will hold a Conference on November 29 to present the Socio-economic Report on the A.C. of the Basque Country for 2006.