Decentralised Access to Confidential Microdata in Europe

In times of an increasing demand of microdata for scientific research, there is a need to discuss new and innovative ways which ease the access for researchers in the European Union. Most of the Member States already offer access to their national data; the access via a safe centre to the Community Statistics still has to be expanded. To improve the data infrastructure there are several aims in the EU. The goal of the ESSnet-Project “DECENTRALISED ACCESS TO EU-MICRODATA SETS ” was to give a recommendation to set up a network of national safe centres to ease the access to the European Community Statistics based on the legal, technical and administrative feasibility. The paper will describe the framework, the objectives and the results of the project.