Conference on Modern Statistics for Modern Society ; 6 - 7 December 2007, Luxembourg

The Eurostat 2007 Conference "Modern Statistics for Modern Society" was held in Luxemburg on 6 - 7 December 2007. It focused on the need for modernising official statistics as a result of the increasing challenges from a more and more numerate society. The aim of the Conference was threefold: - to discuss the role of official statistics in conducting public policies as well as scientific research, and the dialogue between users and producers necessary for official statistics to assume this role; - to cast light on the interplay between official and non-official statistics in a rather specific and very dynamic information market; - to discuss the impact of permanent societal changes on the statistical apparatus for describing the very changes. For this Conference, key speakers, including the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Mr Jean-Claude Juncker, and European Commissioner, Mr Joaquín Almunia, presented their views on future developments and challenges. The Conference succeeded in attracting not only professional statisticians and economists but also policy makers, researchers and business people.