All data disseminated by Eurostat has been compiled on the basis of EU legislation. The online EU legislation database EUR-Lex offers a comprehensive list of all current EU regulations relating to the field of statistics.
In addition Eurostat also offers an archive of EU statistics legislation. This enables access to EU regulations that are no longer effective, but nevertheless formed the basis of many statistical figures that are still accessible today.
The legal framework for the compilation and dissemination of European statistics is set by the EU Statistical Law. The EU Statistical Law is divided into chapters and not only regulates the production and dissemination of European statistics, but also covers aspects such as statistical governance and statistical confidentiality. The EU Statistical Law can also be downloaded from EUR-Lex in all official EU languages: Regulation (EG) Nr. 223 / 2009.