The motivation of INEXDA

In 2009, the finance ministers and central bank governors of the G20 endorsed the first phase of the Data Gaps Initiative (DGI-1) to promote actions to close data gaps that had come to light in the wake of the global financial crisis that emerged in 2008. During the process of DGI-1, data users and data compilers increasingly expressed the need for improving data sharing, particularly of granular data, in order to foster the understanding of global developments, for example with regard to risks and imbalances. Consequently, the second phase of this initiative (DGI-2) contains a new recommendation (II.20) promoting the exchange of (granular) data as well as metadata.

To help meet data users’ and data compilers’ demand for (granular) data sharing within the legal framework of the individual jurisdictions and to facilitate the implementation of Recommendation II.20 of DGI-2, a group of central banks established the International Network for Exchanging Experience on Statistical Handling of Granular Data (INEXDA).

Chair

Stefan Bender

Head of Research Data and Service Center (RDSC) at Deutsche Bundesbank.

The Chair is elected every two years among all INEXDA members.

How INEXDA works

INEXDA meetings among members take place at least once per year. Guests are very welcome.

IIn addition, work is done in dedicated working groups specialized in certain aspects of granular data sharing.

A brief history of INEXDA

On 6 January 2017, the Banca d’Italia, Banco de Portugal, Bank of England, Banque de France and Deutsche Bundesbank founded INEXDA during a meeting at the Banco de Portugal, with the participation of BIS as a guest.

From 2017 to nowadays, INEXDA membership has been expanding and the updated list of members can be found on the members page : https://www.inexda.org/members

Overview of participants and important outcomes of INEXDA meetings

INEXDA’s objectives

INEXDA’s overall aim is to facilitating the international use of granular data of central banks, international organisations, or national statistical institutes for analytical, research and comparative purposes within the limits set by the applicable confidentiality regimes.

Provide a basis for exchanging experiences on the statistical handling of granular data that are accessible to external users. Examples of ‘statistical handling’ include the accessibility of data and metadata, techniques for the statistical analysis of granular data, procedures for data confidentiality and security of data, and procedures for output control.

Provide a framework for investigating possibilities to harmonise procedures for accessing granular data and metadata structures, to develop comparable structures for existing data and to further foster the efficiency of statistical work with granular data.

INEXDA’s objectives are outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which must be signed by each member and is available on the websites of each member institution.

The higher level of data disaggregation in the case of granular data is also associated with an increased need for data protection. European and national legal provisions regulate both the user group and the access channels to microdata and oblige data providers and data recipients to maintain data confidentiality at all times. Therefore, the overriding principle of the work of INEXDA is compliant with the respective statutory secrecy and data protection requirements, and thus maintaining the confidentiality of the information submitted by the reporting agent.