Participation in the conference "EU Enlargement - the role of comparable and reliable official statistics"

On 11th and 12th September 2025, a delegation from the State Statistical Office led by the Director General, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dejan Stankov, attended a high-level conference “EU Enlargement – The role of comparable and reliable official statistics” in Burgas, Republic of Bulgaria. Participants in the Conference were the Director General of the statistical office of the EU – Eurostat, Ms. Mariana Kotzeva, the Directors General of the statistical offices of Slovenia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Greece, enlargement countries and representatives of UNFPA.
The discussions focused on some of the most pressing topics for the future of European integration, including:

• The challenges and opportunities of EU enlargement.
• Strengthening the communication of official statistics.
• Leveraging new data sources for evidence-based policymaking.
• The role of peer review in ensuring quality, independence, and trust.

Reliable and comparable statistics are not just numbers - they are the foundation of informed decisions, mutual trust, and progress on the EU path.

The Conference was an excellent forum for exchange of ideas in the frame of international cooperation to strengthen the European Statistical System and support the enlargement process.