Latvijas Banka observes the requirements for confidentiality of statistical information that are stipulated in the Law on Latvijas Banka and Council Regulation (EC) No 2533/98 of 23 November 1998 concerning the collection of statistical information by the European Central Bank (hereinafter, the Regulation).
I Concept of confidentiality
The term 'confidential statistical information' is defined in Article 1.12 of the Regulation. Pursuant to the Regulation, 'confidential statistical information' is statistical information which allows reporting agents or any other legal or natural person, entity or branch to be identified, either directly from their name or address or from an officially allocated identification code, or indirectly through deduction, thereby disclosing individual information. To determine whether a reporting agent or any other legal or natural person, entity or branch is identifiable, account shall be taken of all the means that might reasonably be used by a third party to identify the said reporting agent or the other legal or natural person, entity or branch.
II Provisions for the use and publication of statistical data
In respect of the dissemination of statistical information, Paragraph 1 of Section 71 of the Law on Latvijas Banka stipulates that Latvijas Banka shall disseminate statistical information in a way which precludes direct or indirect identification of the reporting agent or any other person. Paragraph 2 of Section 71 provides for Latvijas Banka's rights to provide statistical information which allows for direct or indirect identification of a reporting agent or any other person to certain institutions, where due account of the requirements of EU legal acts, including those of the ECB and the Single Resolution Board, is taken. Those institutions are named in the Law. In accordance with Paragraph 3 of Section 71, Latvijas Banka is entitled to provide statistical information which allows for indirect identification of a reporting agent or any other person to international organisations if such statistical information is necessary for the performance of their tasks and a justified request has been received.
The Regulation provides for the procedure for the protection and use of the confidential statistical information collected by the European System of Central Banks (Article 8), as well as the rules for the exchange of confidential statistical information with the participants of the European Statistical System, e.g., Eurostat and the Republic of Latvia Central Statistical Bureau (Article 8a).