Frequency and reference time
Article 5
1. Each year, Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) with data on their population and on their vital events for the previous year referred to in Article 3(1) and in points (a) and (b) of Article 3(2). 2. Each year Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) with data on the total population at national level referred to in Article 4. 3. For the purposes of this Regulation, the reference time shall mean either the reference date referred to in paragraph 4 or the reference period referred to in paragraph 5, as appropriate. 4. The reference date for population data shall be the end of the reference period (midnight of 31 December). The first reference date shall be in 2013 and the last reference date shall be in 2027. 5. The reference period for vital events data shall be the calendar year in which the events occurred. The first reference period shall be 2013 and the last reference period shall be 2027.