Eurostat Visits the State Statistical Office

From October 19 to 21, 2026, the State Statistical Office hosted Eurostat’s second annual mission for 2026. The delegation was led by Véronique van der Zande, the official responsible for our country, and Ana Maria Mancho Rojo, the deputy official responsible.

During the visit, Eurostat representatives reviewed the current activities, achievements, and progress made by the State Statistical Office in implementing European statistical standards, as well as the priorities and challenges regarding the further development of official statistics.

As part of the mission, working meetings were held with the management and representatives from various departments of the State Statistical Office. These sessions covered activities across different statistical domains, results achieved, and future plans to enhance statistical processes and data quality.

Representatives from the National Bank and the Ministry of Finance—institutions that are part of the National Statistical System—also participated in some of the meetings. Discussions focused on the exchange of information, inter-institutional coordination, and strengthening cooperation to meet European statistical requirements. Particular attention was paid to the obligations arising from the European Union accession process, alignment with European statistical standards, and the further strengthening of cooperation between the State Statistical Office and Eurostat. The conclusions from the mission represent an important contribution to the preparation of the European Commission’s annual report on the progress of the Republic of North Macedonia regarding Chapter 18 – Statistics.

The second annual mission confirmed the significant progress achieved by the State Statistical Office between February and September 2026. Activities that were in their initial stages in February have since been implemented, while identified challenges have been overcome or transformed into consolidated and functional solutions. It is particularly noteworthy that this progress was achieved amidst limited human and financial resources, a fact that further underscores the State Statistical Office’s commitment, institutional accountability, and autonomy in its processes. The results achieved reflect the institution’s capacity to utilize available resources effectively and ensure continuity in the implementation of reforms, despite existing constraints.