A vital aspect of setting priorities in statistics is that of relevance to the intended audience, which ultimately is the citizen. In Europe, we have a lengthy history of consultation of users, starting with a committee that became unwieldy after successive enlargements to a more streamlined model used today. This is focused on two committees that were set up in the aftermath of the adoption of the European Statistics Code of Practice, which itself is an instrument for empowering the citizen. Statistical programmes are also the subject of scrutiny of parliament and other organisations representing the citizen. The paper will also examine ways of communicating statistics to the citizen.

Keywords: Statistical principles; Ethics

Biography: Walter Radermacher is the Director General of Eurostat and has masterminded the transition from the CEIES user consultation committee set up in 1991 to new statistics advisory service following from the 2007 EU law.