The current ground rules for European statistics date from 2009 and, although partly revised in 2015, they reflect the way official statistics were produced in the early 2000s.

More specifically, the intention of the revision is to seize opportunities provided by digital transformation – new data sources, emerging technologies and the growing data ecosystem – to meet growing demand for more up-to-date, granular and responsive official statistics to support EU policies and public debate. Granular means having more indicators describing the diversity of situations at the local level, distinguishing rural areas.