Survey and auxiliary characteristics

(1) Federal statistics are produced on the basis of survey and auxiliary characteristics. Survey characteristics comprise data on personal and material circumstances intended for statistical use. Auxiliary characteristics are data serving the technical conduct of federal statistics. They may be used for other purposes only insofar as subsection (2) or another statute permits.
(2) The name of the municipality, the block side, and the geographic grid cell may be used for the regional allocation of survey characteristics. The remaining parts of the address may be used for allocation to block sides and geographic grid cells for a period of up to four years after completion of the respective survey. Special rules in a statutory provision ordering a federal statistic remain unaffected.
(3) A block side is, within a municipal area, the side with the same street designation of the area enclosed by street junctions or comparable boundaries. A geographic grid cell is an area unit that is square in relation to a given map projection and is at least one hectare in size.