Since the early 1960s, the European Commission, through DG ECFIN, has been managing a programme of harmonised business and consumer surveys in the EU Member States and the candidate countries. Due to their continuous harmonisation and wide scope, the EU harmonised surveys are an essential tool to monitor the economic situation in the Member States, the euro area and the EU.

This report provides detailed information on the Commission's survey programme.

• Part A provides a thorough description of the harmonised surveys and of the method used by the Commission to process survey results, and shows how the results are used by DG ECFIN for economic analysis and forecasting.

• Part B outlines the new international guidelines on the conduct of business and consumer surveys developed jointly by the European Commission and the OECD in close cooperation with national surveying institutes.

• Part C presents several studies addressing methodological issues of interest to the EU harmonised surveys in particular, and to business and consumer surveys in general.