And let me point out that the Bundesbank’s inflation study in 1998 would not have been possible without the generous support and the helpful comments given to us by members of the staff at the Federal Statistical Office. Our joint sponsorship of this conference, which is so brilliantly organised and chaired by Wolfgang Brachinger, is another example of good and close cooperation.
II I do know, however, that central bank research papers which take a critical look at statistical methods are not always welcomed with open arms by statistical offices. For instance, it is often argued that studies oriented towards the ideal world of a cost-of-living index are hardly relevant to official statistics since price statistics are founded on the principle of pure price comparisons.