A cover note from the Council of the European Union, dated 13 July 2026, transmits the Commission Delegated Regulation specifying the number and titles of variables for the information and communication technologies domain for the reference year 2027. The regulation, supplementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1700, sets out mandatory and optional data points that national statistical authorities in EU Member States must collect on internet access, use, e-commerce, eID usage, and AI tool adoption.
The Annex to the delegated regulation lists variables across six topics: technical items (15 mandatory, 2 optional), person and household characteristics (7 mandatory collected, 1 mandatory derived, 1 optional collected, 1 optional derived), labour market participation (5 mandatory collected, 3 optional collected), educational attainment (1 mandatory collected, 1 mandatory derived), income (1 mandatory collected), and information society participation (121 mandatory collected, 19 optional collected). Key variables include household internet access (IACC), most recent internet use (IU), and detailed questions on online activities such as e-mail, social media, and use of AI tools. Data collection is scheduled for the reference year 2027.
Policy orientations and trade-offs The regulation balances the need for harmonised EU-wide ICT statistics with Member State flexibility. Mandatory variables ensure comparability across countries, while optional variables allow national authorities to adapt data collection to local priorities or resource constraints. The extensive list of 121 mandatory variables for information society participation reflects the EU's focus on monitoring digital transformation, including the uptake of AI tools and e-government services. However, the optional status of some variables (e.g., detailed e-commerce categories) may lead to gaps in cross-country data, potentially limiting the EU's ability to benchmark progress on the Digital Decade targets.
Impact on stakeholders National statistical authorities face increased workload to collect and process the expanded set of variables, particularly the 121 mandatory information society participation items. Businesses and ICT service providers may benefit from more granular data on consumer behaviour, but could face additional survey burden if selected for enterprise surveys linked to household data. EU policymakers gain richer evidence for digital policy design, while citizens' privacy is protected by anonymisation requirements under existing EU data protection rules. The optional variables give Member States discretion, which may reduce comparability but also lower compliance costs for countries with limited statistical capacity.
Institutional follow-up The delegated regulation will enter into force after the expiry of the scrutiny period by the European Parliament and the Council, unless objections are raised. National statistical institutes must prepare for data collection in 2027, with Eurostat expected to issue further methodological guidance. The regulation is part of the broader European Statistical System's work to align ICT statistics with the Digital Decade policy programme and the EU's digital strategy.