The survey responds to the European Regulation on structural business statistics (EC N°251/2009) of 11 March 2009, requesting environmental protection expenditure broken down by environmental domain, activity and size of enterprise. 

The committees that have given Insee the right and legitimacy to collect its data are:

• The CNIS, which examines each new project, whether it is a survey, a directory or the exploitation of administrative files ... These projects are presented by all the institutions that contribute by their work to producing public statistics. The discussion focuses in particular on the purpose of the project, its place in the information system and the conditions anticipated for its dissemination. Each operation must be examined to ensure it is in the general interest and does not duplicate existing sources of information, in other words to ensure that it is suitable. It provides an opinion on suitability.

• The quality label committee, within the CNIS, ensures that it meets the criteria of statistical quality. The committee checks that the survey meets the statistical quality criteria in so far as concerns the collection and sampling method (survey design, data correction method, handling of non-responses guaranteeing the reliability of results..), relevance of the questions and adaptation of the distribution to the objectives announced. It also checks that the survey does not place an excessive burden on the respondents, that consultations have been held with the partners concerned and that any wishes expressed by the CNIS during the debate on suitability were taken into account. It gives a quality label of general interest and statistical quality.

Survey of general interest and statistical quality, with compulsory nature