Collection of quarterly non-financial statistics for government by EU countries
Regulation (EC) No 1221/2002 on quarterly non-financial accounts for general government
It defines the main categories of public non-financial accounts, as set out in ESA 95, whose details European Union (EU) countries’ statistical offices must communicate to the European Commission (Eurostat) every 3 months.
KEY POINTS
The quarterly data cover both general government expenditure and revenue.
According to Eurostat, general government consists of 4 sub-sectors:
central government;
state government;
local government; and
social security funds.
Expenditure:
intermediate consumption;
gross capital formation;
gross fixed capital formation*;
compensation of employees*;
other taxes on production;
subsidies;
property income;
interest;
taxes on income and wealth;
social and other transfers supplied to households;
investment grants and other capital transfers.
Revenue:
market output (all products disposed of on the market or intended for disposal on the market) and other payments for government output);
taxes: on production and imports, on income and wealth, capital taxes;
other subsidies on production;
property income;
actual and imputed social contributions (where ‘imputed’ contributions are social contributions paid by employers on behalf of their employees);
other current transfers;
investment grants and other capital transfers.
The first quarterly data transmitted under the legislation covered the first quarter of 2002. Transition rules had previously applied from the start of 1999.
EU countries must:
deliver the data at the latest 3 months after the end of the quarter concerned;
inform Eurostat of the sources and methods used to compile the data.
The Commission must:
inform the European Statistical System Committee and the Committee on Monetary, Financial and Balance of Payments Statistics of the national sources and methods;
produce a report by 31 December 2005 at the latest assessing the reliability of the national quarterly data.
It has applied since 29 July 2002.
The European system of national and regional accounts, known as ESA 95 (now replaced by ESA 2010), collects comparable, up-to-date and reliable information on the structure and developments of national and regional economies in the EU.
KEY TERMS
Intermediate consumption: a concept which measures the value of the goods and services consumed as inputs into production processes.
Gross capital formation: the total value of the gross fixed capital formation, changes in inventories and acquisitions minus disposals of valuables.
Gross fixed capital formation: acquisitions of new and existing fixed assets such as property, plant or equipment, spending on land improvements and construction of buildings.
Compensation of employees: the total gross (pre-tax) wages and employers’ social contributions paid by employers to employees for work done.
Social transfers: social assistance from public and civic bodies to people living in, or in danger of falling into, poverty.
DOCUMENTS
Regulation (EC) No 1221/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 June 2002 on quarterly non-financial accounts for general government (OJ L 179, 9.7.2002, pp. 1-5)
Successive amendments to Regulation (EC) No 1221/2002 have been incorporated in the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
European Statistical Advisory Committee
Decision No 234/2008/EC establishing the European Statistical Advisory Committee
It sets up the European Statistical Advisory Committee, a consultative body which contributes to the development and implementation of EU statistical information policy.
It repeals Council Decision 91/116/EEC.It has applied since 15 June 2008.
KEY POINTS
The committee contributes to close cooperation in the statistics programme-planning process to improve the governance of the European Statistical System and to enhance the quality of European statistics.
The committee serves as a channel for advice from users, respondents and producers of statistical information on the objectives of the EU’s statistical information policy.
Mission
The European Commission must consult the committee in the course of the preparation of the EU’s statistical programme.
It delivers opinions on the programme addressing in particular:
the programme’s relevance to the requirements of European integration and development;
the programme’s relevance in relation to the EU’s activities in terms of economic, social and technical developments;
the balance as regards priorities and resources between different areas in the programme;
the adequacy of resources needed to implement the programme;
the production costs borne by providers of statistical information.
The committee advises the Commission on the development and use of EU statistical information.
Relations with other bodies and institutions
At the request of the European Parliament, the Council or the Commission, the committee delivers opinions on:
EU statistical information policy;
the priorities of the European statistical programme;
the evaluation of existing statistics;
data quality and dissemination policy.
It accomplishes its task by cooperating with the European Statistical System Committee.
Composition
The committee is comprised of 24 members appointed for a term of 5 years, renewable once.
Members are chosen in a balanced manner by:
the Commission, which appoints 12 members after consulting the European Parliament and Council, using a list provided by EU countries. The Commission endeavours to ensure that the selection of the 12 members represent, in equal measure, users, respondents and other interested parties in EU statistics;
the institutions and bodies to which they belong, which appoint 11 members (1 representative per organisation: European Parliament, Council, European Economic and Social Committee, Committee of the Regions, European Central Bank, European Statistical System Committee [2 representatives], BusinessEurope, European Trade Union Confederation, European Association of Craft Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, European Data Protection Supervisor. The Director-General of Eurostat is an ex officio* member, without a voting right).
The committee elects its chairperson for a term of 5 years, renewable once.
The committee’s secretariat is provided by the Commission.
BACKGROUND
The European Statistical Advisory Board replaces the European Advisory Committee on Statistical Information in the Economic and Social Spheres.
DOCUMENTS
Decision No 234/2008/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March establishing the European Statistical Advisory Committee and repealing Council Decision 91/116/EEC (OJ L 73, 15.3.2008, pp. 13-16)
EU statistics of goods transport by inland waterways
Regulation (EU) 2018/974 on statistics of goods transport by inland waterways
It sets out the rules for the production of comparable EU-wide statistics on inland waterways freight transport.
It seeks to provide a picture of the volume and performance of freight transport on the EU inland waterway network.
It codifies and repeals Regulation (EC) No 1365/2006 which had been substantially amended several times.
KEY POINTS
Scope
EU countries must each compile and transmit to the European Commission (Eurostat) data relating to inland waterways transport.
The regulation does not apply to the carriage of goods by vessels of less than 50 deadweight tonnes or to vessels:
used mainly for transporting passengers;
used for ferrying purposes;
used solely for non-commercial purposes by port authorities and public authorities;
used solely for bunkering or storage;
not used to carry goods such as fishery vessels, dredgers, floating workshops, houseboats and pleasure craft.
EU countries in which the total volume of goods transported annually by inland waterways — national, international or transit — exceeds 1 million tonnes must provide data stipulated in the tables in Annexes I to IV to the regulation.
EU countries which do not have international or transit inland waterways transport, but in which the total volume of goods transported annually by inland waterways as national transport exceeds 1 million tonnes, shall supply only the data required by Annex V to the regulation.
The effect of this regulation is limited to those countries in which this mode of transport exists.
Pilot studies
By 8 December 2018, the European Commission, in cooperation with EU countries, is to develop the appropriate methodology for compiling statistics on passenger transport by inland waterways, including by cross-border transport services.
In 2019, the Commission will launch voluntary pilot studies to be carried out by EU countries that provide data within the scope of this regulation on the availability of statistical data relating to passenger transport by inland waterways. The studies shall assess the feasibility of those new data collections, the costs of the related data collections and the statistical quality implied.
By 8 December 2020, the Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the results of the pilot studies.
Data collection and transmission
Data are reported on the basis of the territoriality principle whereby each country reports the loading, unloading and movements of goods that take place on its national territory.
The tables in Annexes I to V to the regulation lay down the rules and formats for data collection.
EU countries must transmit to Eurostat the data they have gathered no later than 5 months after the end of the relevant period of observation.
The Commission is to adopt implementing acts laying down the arrangements for transmitting data to Eurostat.
Dissemination of data
Eurostat disseminates the data at a frequency similar to that laid down for the transmission of data (quarterly or annually).
Quality of data
The Commission is to adopt implementing acts laying down the methodological requirements and criteria designed to ensure the quality of the data produced.
EU countries must ensure the quality of data transmitted and supply the Commission (Eurostat) with a report containing such information and data as it may request in order to verify the quality of the data transmitted.
Reports on implementation
The Commission (Eurostat) shall report for the first time by 31 December 2020, and thereafter every 5 years, to the European Parliament and the Council on the regulation’s implementation and on future developments.
Committee procedure
The Commission is advised and assisted by the European Statistical System Committee established by Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 (How the European Statistical System works).
It has applied since 5 August 2018. Regulation (EU) 2018/974 codifies and replaces Regulation (EC) No 1365/2006 and its subsequent amendments.
DOCUMENTS
Regulation (EU) 2018/974 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2018 on statistics of goods transport by inland waterways (codification) (OJ L 179, 16.7.2018, pp. 14-29)
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics and repealing Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1101/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the transmission of data subject to statistical confidentiality to the Statistical Office of the European Communities, Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 on Community Statistics, and Council Decision 89/382/EEC, Euratom establishing a Committee on the Statistical Programmes of the European Communities (OJ L 87, 31.3.2009, pp. 164-173)
Successive amendments to Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 have been incorporated in the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
Regulation (EC) No 1365/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 September 2006 on statistics of goods transport by inland waterways and repealing Council Directive 80/1119/EEC (OJ L 264, 25.9.2006, pp. 1-11)