Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Unit G6: Trade in services; Globalisation
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
5 rue Alphonse Weicker
2920 Luxembourg LUXEMBOURG
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
17 April 2023
2.2. Metadata last posted
17 April 2023
2.3. Metadata last update
17 April 2023
3.1. Data description
The data has been collected through a survey of enterprises with at least 50 persons employed.
The data category covers a group of variables which provide relevant statistical evidence and information about factors driving international sourcing e.g. the impact on the competitiveness, motivations and perceived barriers together with possible employment consequences in the Member State.
There have been four collection rounds:
In 2007 the data has been collected on a voluntary basis for 13 countries: Germany, Czechia, Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Finland, Slovenia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Norway.
In 2011 the data has been collected on a voluntary basis for 15 countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Finland, Slovakia, Sweden and Norway.
In 2018 the data has been collected on a voluntary basis for 16 countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden and Norway.
In 2021 the data has been collected on a voluntary basis for 17 countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and Norway. French data will be published by the end of 2022.
The data focuses on the relocation of core and support business functions of enterprises in the business economy sector, from domestic to abroad and vice versa, as a result of decisions taken by the domestic enterprises.
In summary, the collected indicators are :
Number of enterprises
Number of jobs created and jobs lost as a result of international sourcing activity
Number of persons employed
The dimensions used to describe the International sourcing in the 2021 collection round are:
Economic activity
Sourcing status
Business function
Sourcing activities
Type of business partners
Country destination of international sourcing
Movement of business functions abroad
Job creation/job loss identification
Motivation factors and their level of importance
Barriers for international sourcing
In the 2021 collection round two new dimensions were include:
GVC arrangements related to enterprises purchasing and supplying goods and services abroad
COVID-19 impact on international sourcing, turnover and trade
3.2. Classification system
In the 2007 collection round, the economic activity classification used is the NACE Rev 1.1. In the 2011, 2018 and 2021 this was replaced by NACE Rev 2. Definitions, units etc. come from official sources e.g. balance of payments manual as far as possible. Specific definitions needed forthe latest data collection are defined in the Global value chains Task Force, whose members have been the participating countries, chaired by Eurostat.
The country codes used are from the geographical classification ISO3166
3.3. Coverage - sector
2007: NACE Rev.1.1. Sections C to K excluding Section J
2011: NACE Rev.2. Sections B to N excluding Section K (non-financial business economy)
2018: NACE Rev.2. Sections B to N excluding Section K (non-financial business economy)
2021: NACE Rev.2. Sections B to N (business economy)
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
1. Sourcing activities
Sourcing: The total or partial movement of business functions (core or support business functions) currently performed in-house of a resident enterprise to either non-affiliated (external suppliers) or affiliated enterprises located either domestically or abroad.
International sourcing: The total or partial movement of business functions (core or support business functions) currently performed in-house or currently domestically sourced by the resident enterprise to either non-affiliated (external suppliers) or affiliated enterprises located abroad.
Sourcing does not include: Expansion domestically or abroad; for example a set-up of a new production line domestically or abroad without a movement of business functions domestically or abroad (core or support business functions) nor reduction of activity and/or jobs in the concerned enterprise.
Insourcing and outsourcing: The survey distinguishes between international sourcing to a foreign affiliate or daughter company within the same multinational enterprise group — so-called insourcing — and sourcing to external providers, called outsourcing.
2. Business functions
Core business function: Production of final goods or services intended for the market/for third parties carried out by the enterprise and yielding income. Core business function equals in most cases the primary activity of the enterprise. It may also include other (secondary) activities if the enterprise considers these to comprise part of their core functions.
Support business function: Support business functions (ancillary activities) are carried out in order to permit or facilitate production of goods or services intended for the market/for third parties by the enterprise. The outputs of the support business functions are not themselves intended directly for the market/for third parties.
The business functions are divided into:
Production of goods and materials for the market (Manufacturing; processing; assembly; refining; printing and binding; casting of metals; building of ships; Mining; extraction of gas and oil; stone quarrying; power generation (except trade of electricity); Development of building projects; civil engineering; specialised construction tasks, including demolition.
Transport, logistics and storage
Transportation and logistics (Road, water, rail and air transport activities; passenger and cargo transport; postal services)
Warehousing and storage (Warehousing; storage; packaging)
Marketing, sales, and after-sales service
Marketing and after-sales services (Advertising and media representation; market research and public opinion polling; call centers)
Sales (Retail and wholesale; trade of gas and electricity; sales agents and real-estate trading)
Information and communication technology services
Information and communication technology services (Software publishing, and computer consultancy activities; programming and broadcasting tasks; telecommunications tasks; data processing and hosting; web portals and related information service tasks; installation of mainframe computers; maintenance and repair of computers and communications systems)
Software programming (Computer programming, consultancy and related tasks)
Management and administration
Management (Financial services e.g. banking, insurance, financial leasing, fund management; activities of head offices; HRM activities)
Administration (Financial markets administration; legal tasks; bookkeeping, accounting and auditing; office administration and business support services; public administration services)Engineering and related technical services (Examples: Support tasks for raw material extraction; sound recording and video production; architectural and engineering tasks, and technical analysis)
Research and development (Examples: Research and experimental development in the area of natural sciences and engineering, and social sciences and humanities)
Other business functions
Facility management (Accommodation e.g. hotels and camps; food and beverage services e.g. cafes and restaurants; landscape services; libraries; museums; sports centres)
Maintenance and repair services (Maintenance and repair of non-ICT electronic equipment, transportation vehicles, and personal and household goods)
Other services (Water, waste collection and, sewerage; remediation services; professional services e.g. photography and translation; travel agency activities; rental and operational leasing activities; security; education; human health activities and residential care; social services; creative and arts activities; gambling and betting; sports activities excluding facility management)
3. Global Value Chains (GVC): GVCs comprise the full range of cross-border activities required to bring a product or service from conception through the different production and delivery phases to final consumers.
4. GVC trade: It refers to an international trade that takes place in a GVC. Most commonly, this includes trade in intermediate goods and services.
5. Covid-19 events: These events resulted directly from the Covid-19 outbreak, hampering or enabling an enterprise's business activity. Examples are government lockdowns, shutting down sales points, and positive events such as increased sales of protection masks.
6. Units
Enterprise: The statistical unit of this survey is the enterprise. The enterprise is the smallest combination of legal units that is an organizational unit producing goods or services, which benefits from a certain degree of autonomy in decision making, especially for the allocation of its current resources. An enterprise carries out one or more activities at one or more locations. An enterprise may be a sole legal unit but can also be part of an enterprise group. The head of an enterprise group can either be located in the same country as the enterprises or in another country.
Enterprise group: An enterprise group is a set of enterprises controlled by the group head. The group head is a parent legal unit which is not controlled either directly or indirectly by any other legal unit. An enterprise group comprises of the group head and subsidiaries. The subsidiary enterprises of a subsidiary enterprise are considered to be subsidiaries of the parent enterprise. An enterprise group is an association of enterprises bound together by legal and/or financial links. A group of enterprises can have more than one decision-making centre, especially for policy on production, sales and profits. It may centralize certain aspects of financial management and taxation. It constitutes an economic entity which is empowered to make choices, particularly concerning the units which it comprises. (Council Regulation (EEC) N° 696/93 on Statistical Units)
Group head: A parent legal unit which is not controlled either directly or indirectly by any other legal unit. Control refers to the dominant influence of a parent unit over the medium and long-term strategies of one ore more subsidiaries; ie. the parent unit must be able to influence (directly or indirectly) the decision in the ordinary or extraordinary meetings of all the subsidiaries. (Business Register Recommendations Manual)
Global group head: A group head which is not controlled either directly or indirectly by any other legal unit (not a local group head, which has a foreign parent).
Ultimate controlling institutional unit: Ultimate controlling institutional unit of a foreign affiliate is the institutional unit, proceeding up a foreign affiliate's chain of control, which is not controlled by another institutional unit. Control means the ability to determine the general policy of an enterprise by choosing appropriate directors, if necessary. Enterprise A is deemed to be controlled by an institutional unit B when B controls -directly or indirectly- more than half of the shareholders' voting power or more than half of the shares. (Recommendations Manual on the Production of Foreign Affiliates Statistics)
Subsidiary: A single institutional unit secures control over a corporation by owning more than half the voting shares or otherwise controlling more than half the shareholders' voting power. Corporation C is said to be subsidiary of corporation B when: either corporation B controls more than half of the shareholders' voting power in corporation C or corporation B is a shareholder in C with the right to appoint or remove a majority of the directors of C. In order to control more than half the shareholders' voting power, an institutional unit needs not own any of the voting shares itself. A corporation C could be a subsidiary of another corporation B in which a third corporation A owns a majority of the voting shares. (European System of Accounts (ESA) 1995, [2.26])
Jobs lost: The enterprises are asked to estimate the total number (gross) of domestic jobs lost in the responding enterprises as a result of international sourcing. Domestic job losses in the responding enterprise that have taken place due to reasons other than international sourcing (e.g. domestic lay-offs, poor business cycle etc.) are not included here. Even if jobs (business functions) have been moved abroad, the persons previously performing these functions may still be employed in the company carrying out other tasks (may also be new tasks related to jobs created because of international sourcing). In these cases, the jobs should still be counted as jobs lost. Therefore, generally speaking, the "jobs lost" concept has nothing to do with the observed change in the Number of employees and self-employed persons of the enterprise; an enterprise may, e.g. record "jobs lost" due to international sourcing and still record an increase in its "Number of employees and self-employed persons".
Jobs created: The enterprises are asked to estimate the total number (gross) of domestic jobs created in the responding enterprises as a result of international sourcing. Domestic jobs created in the responding enterprise due to reasons other than international sourcing (e.g. expansion abroad) are not included here. A common reason for job creation is the increased availability of funds due to international sourcing. These funds, in turn, can lead to job creation in another business function (e.g. outsourcing some IT personnel led to some cost savings, which enabled the enterprise to hire more sales staff). The respondent estimates this variable in a direct link with international sourcing, as job creation is difficult to back up with hard data.
3.5. Statistical unit
The statistical unit for international sourcing is the enterprise. In practice, many countries report data on the legal unit, which in most cases coincides with the enterprise.
3.6. Statistical population
In the 2007 data colleciton, the international sourcing statistics cover NACE Rev.1.1 (Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community) sections C to I and K, which broadly speaking covers Non-financial market activities. Spain covered only sections G, H, I and K. Accordingly, Spanish data is neither included in the EU Non-financial market aggregate (C to I and K) nor in the EU special aggregate over sections C, E, F, G, H, I, and K, but is included in the EU separate aggregates for sections G, H, I and K. The data refers to enterprises with more than 100 persons employed only.
In the 2011 and 2018 data collection, the international sourcing statistics cover NACE Rev 2 sections B-N excluding K which, just as in the 2007 data collection, broadly speaking covers Non-financial market activities.
In the 2021 data collection, the international sourcing and GVC statistics cover NACE Rev 2 sections B-N, which broadly speaking covers the business economy. All of the participating countries which did not carry out a census survey have reported data grossed to the enterprise population level, except for Austrian data, which is not grossed, but rather is the actual data received from enterprises on the sample level. Because of this restricted comparability with other countries' data it is recommended to use percentage shares instead of absolute values in case of the Austrian data.
3.7. Reference area
In the 2007 data collection round, data has been collected on a voluntary basis for 13 countries: Germany, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Finland, Slovenia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Norway.
In the 2011 data collection round, data has been collected on a voluntary basis for 15 countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Finland, Slovakia, Sweden and Norway.
In the 2018 data collection round, data has been collected on a voluntary basis for 16 countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden and Norway.
In the 2021 data collection round, data has been collected on a voluntary basis for 17 countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and Norway. French data will be published by the end of 2022.
3.8. Coverage - Time
There have been four data collections in total.
The first data collection covers the period 2001-2006. The reference year displayed is 2007.
The second data collection covers the period 2009-2011. The reference year displayed is 2011. For enterprise characteristics that can change within the reference period the situation at the end of the reference period is meant.
The third data collection covers two periods from 2014-2017 (either 2014-2016 or 2015-2017). The reference year displayed is 2018.
The fourth data collection round (2021) covers the reference period 2018-2020 for international sourcing statistics and only the year 2020 for GVC arrangements and the COVID-19 impact statistics. The reference year displayed is 2021.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Units (enterprises)
Percentages (number of enterprises in %)
The basic reference period is the year.
Data referred to observe international sourcing in the period 2001-2006 and future plans was collected in 2007. The number of enterprises refers therefore to the situation in reference year 2007. For the number of jobs lost and created refers to the period 2001-2006.
Data referred to observe international sourcing in the period 2009-2011 did no longer contain future plans and was collected in 2011. The number of enterprises refers therefore to the situation in reference year 2011. For the number of jobs lost refers to the period 2009-2011.
The third data collection (2018) observed two periods, left for the participating country to choose - either 2014-2016 or 2015-2017. The number of enterprises refers to the situation in the latest year of the covered period (either 2016 or 2017). Number of jobs relocated abroad or created are reported for the entire period.
The fourth data collection round (2021) covers the reference period 2018-2020 for international sourcing statistics and only the year 2020 for GVC arrangements and the COVID-19 impact statistics.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Data are collected under gentlemen's agreement within the context of the development of Structural Business Statistics. The data is covered by the rules on confidential data in force in the EU. The Parliament and Council Regulation No 295/2008 concerning Structural Business statistics provides a legal basis for the data collection.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Eurostat makes available all non-confidential data on its dissemination website.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Confidentiality - if data are of truly confidential nature according to the above mentioned regulation, they have to be flagged confidential, and they will not be published by Eurostat.
8.1. Release calendar
No advanced schedule of dissemination.
8.2. Release calendar access
Not available.
8.3. Release policy - user access
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice Eurostat disseminates European statistics on Eurostat's website (see Principle 15 - 'Accessibility and clarity') respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably. The detailed arrangements are governed by the Eurostat protocol on impartial access to Eurostat data for users.
Varied period. Future plans are for a triennial dissemination.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
News item released on 5 October 2022.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Globalisation patterns in EU trade and investment.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Online database 'Global value chains and international sourcing statistics - experimental statistics' is available without restrictions.
No methodological manual is available. The data was collected by means of a statistical survey.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Not applicable
11.1. Quality assurance
This information is not available
11.2. Quality management - assessment
This information is not available
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The international sourcing project was undertaken to respond to identified needs from policy-makers and academics.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
No user satisfaction survey was undertaken
12.3. Completeness
The participation in the project was on a voluntary basis and therefore data is not available for all Member States.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
This information is not available.
13.2. Sampling error
This information is not available.
13.3. Non-sampling error
This information is not available.
14.1. Timeliness
Not applicable.
14.2. Punctuality
This information is not available.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
This information is not available.
15.2. Comparability - over time
The comparibility of all three surveys is limited due to the different number of reference years covered. The first survey covers six years (2001-2006) whereas the second and the third survey cover three years (2009-2011 and either 2014-2016 or 2015-2017). Additionally, the enterprises in the sample in the first and second surveys were only those that employ more than 100 people, whilst the third survey sampled enterprises employing more than 50 people.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
The data is relatively consist with the Structural Business Statistics.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Eurostat has performed internal consistency checks (consistency between series, aggregations etc.) before disseminating the data.
This information is not available.
17.1. Data revision - policy
As these data constitute experimental statistics, there is no specific revision policy for them.
The revision practices applied for these experimental statistics are described under sub-concept 17.2 (data revision - practice).
17.2. Data revision - practice
Once experimental statistics data are disseminated for a time period, they are never corrected or otherwise revised for that time period.
18.1. Source data
International sourcing data are collected by the National Statistical Institutes (NSI) among enterprises.
The data are collected through statistical surveys. A common questionnaire to be used by all participating countries was developed. Many countries introduced additional questions and/or made changes to the existing questions, order of the questions or dropped some questions from the common questionnaire.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Ad-hoc surveys in 2007, 2012, 2018 and 2021. Future plans are for a triennial data collection.
18.3. Data collection
The information has been collected by means of a statistical survey. The enterprises concerned (more than 50 persons employed) are completely enumerated in most countries that participated in the project.
In most countries, the survey was done electronically and on a voluntary basis. The definitions were a part of the questionnaire. Cover letters were used to inform about the background of the survey and motivate enterprises to fill in the questionnaire. The fact the survey was voluntary affected the response rates, which in turn affected the quality of the results. As the International sourcing is a development project ad hoc survey and not part of the regular SBS survey, one should be careful when using and interpreting the results.
18.4. Data validation
At Eurostat level data is validated before publishing. A number of logical checks between different breakdowns are performed.
18.5. Data compilation
European Union aggregates (averages) are calculated according to the countries for which data are available. In the 2007 data collection Spain covered only sections G, I, K and K. Accordingly, Spanish data is neither included in the EU Non-financial market aggregate (C to I and K) nor in the EU special aggregate over sections C, E, F, G, H, I, and K, but is included in the EU separate aggregates for sections G, H, I and K. In the 2011, 2018 and 2021 data collection no such exceptions occured.
18.6. Adjustment
The European averages are calculated on a non-weighted basis (irrespective of the country - each enterprise is equally worth).
The data has been collected through a survey of enterprises with at least 50 persons employed.
The data category covers a group of variables which provide relevant statistical evidence and information about factors driving international sourcing e.g. the impact on the competitiveness, motivations and perceived barriers together with possible employment consequences in the Member State.
There have been four collection rounds:
In 2007 the data has been collected on a voluntary basis for 13 countries: Germany, Czechia, Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Finland, Slovenia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Norway.
In 2011 the data has been collected on a voluntary basis for 15 countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Finland, Slovakia, Sweden and Norway.
In 2018 the data has been collected on a voluntary basis for 16 countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden and Norway.
In 2021 the data has been collected on a voluntary basis for 17 countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and Norway. French data will be published by the end of 2022.
The data focuses on the relocation of core and support business functions of enterprises in the business economy sector, from domestic to abroad and vice versa, as a result of decisions taken by the domestic enterprises.
In summary, the collected indicators are :
Number of enterprises
Number of jobs created and jobs lost as a result of international sourcing activity
Number of persons employed
The dimensions used to describe the International sourcing in the 2021 collection round are:
Economic activity
Sourcing status
Business function
Sourcing activities
Type of business partners
Country destination of international sourcing
Movement of business functions abroad
Job creation/job loss identification
Motivation factors and their level of importance
Barriers for international sourcing
In the 2021 collection round two new dimensions were include:
GVC arrangements related to enterprises purchasing and supplying goods and services abroad
COVID-19 impact on international sourcing, turnover and trade
17 April 2023
1. Sourcing activities
Sourcing: The total or partial movement of business functions (core or support business functions) currently performed in-house of a resident enterprise to either non-affiliated (external suppliers) or affiliated enterprises located either domestically or abroad.
International sourcing: The total or partial movement of business functions (core or support business functions) currently performed in-house or currently domestically sourced by the resident enterprise to either non-affiliated (external suppliers) or affiliated enterprises located abroad.
Sourcing does not include: Expansion domestically or abroad; for example a set-up of a new production line domestically or abroad without a movement of business functions domestically or abroad (core or support business functions) nor reduction of activity and/or jobs in the concerned enterprise.
Insourcing and outsourcing: The survey distinguishes between international sourcing to a foreign affiliate or daughter company within the same multinational enterprise group — so-called insourcing — and sourcing to external providers, called outsourcing.
2. Business functions
Core business function: Production of final goods or services intended for the market/for third parties carried out by the enterprise and yielding income. Core business function equals in most cases the primary activity of the enterprise. It may also include other (secondary) activities if the enterprise considers these to comprise part of their core functions.
Support business function: Support business functions (ancillary activities) are carried out in order to permit or facilitate production of goods or services intended for the market/for third parties by the enterprise. The outputs of the support business functions are not themselves intended directly for the market/for third parties.
The business functions are divided into:
Production of goods and materials for the market (Manufacturing; processing; assembly; refining; printing and binding; casting of metals; building of ships; Mining; extraction of gas and oil; stone quarrying; power generation (except trade of electricity); Development of building projects; civil engineering; specialised construction tasks, including demolition.
Transport, logistics and storage
Transportation and logistics (Road, water, rail and air transport activities; passenger and cargo transport; postal services)
Warehousing and storage (Warehousing; storage; packaging)
Marketing, sales, and after-sales service
Marketing and after-sales services (Advertising and media representation; market research and public opinion polling; call centers)
Sales (Retail and wholesale; trade of gas and electricity; sales agents and real-estate trading)
Information and communication technology services
Information and communication technology services (Software publishing, and computer consultancy activities; programming and broadcasting tasks; telecommunications tasks; data processing and hosting; web portals and related information service tasks; installation of mainframe computers; maintenance and repair of computers and communications systems)
Software programming (Computer programming, consultancy and related tasks)
Management and administration
Management (Financial services e.g. banking, insurance, financial leasing, fund management; activities of head offices; HRM activities)
Administration (Financial markets administration; legal tasks; bookkeeping, accounting and auditing; office administration and business support services; public administration services)Engineering and related technical services (Examples: Support tasks for raw material extraction; sound recording and video production; architectural and engineering tasks, and technical analysis)
Research and development (Examples: Research and experimental development in the area of natural sciences and engineering, and social sciences and humanities)
Other business functions
Facility management (Accommodation e.g. hotels and camps; food and beverage services e.g. cafes and restaurants; landscape services; libraries; museums; sports centres)
Maintenance and repair services (Maintenance and repair of non-ICT electronic equipment, transportation vehicles, and personal and household goods)
Other services (Water, waste collection and, sewerage; remediation services; professional services e.g. photography and translation; travel agency activities; rental and operational leasing activities; security; education; human health activities and residential care; social services; creative and arts activities; gambling and betting; sports activities excluding facility management)
3. Global Value Chains (GVC): GVCs comprise the full range of cross-border activities required to bring a product or service from conception through the different production and delivery phases to final consumers.
4. GVC trade: It refers to an international trade that takes place in a GVC. Most commonly, this includes trade in intermediate goods and services.
5. Covid-19 events: These events resulted directly from the Covid-19 outbreak, hampering or enabling an enterprise's business activity. Examples are government lockdowns, shutting down sales points, and positive events such as increased sales of protection masks.
6. Units
Enterprise: The statistical unit of this survey is the enterprise. The enterprise is the smallest combination of legal units that is an organizational unit producing goods or services, which benefits from a certain degree of autonomy in decision making, especially for the allocation of its current resources. An enterprise carries out one or more activities at one or more locations. An enterprise may be a sole legal unit but can also be part of an enterprise group. The head of an enterprise group can either be located in the same country as the enterprises or in another country.
Enterprise group: An enterprise group is a set of enterprises controlled by the group head. The group head is a parent legal unit which is not controlled either directly or indirectly by any other legal unit. An enterprise group comprises of the group head and subsidiaries. The subsidiary enterprises of a subsidiary enterprise are considered to be subsidiaries of the parent enterprise. An enterprise group is an association of enterprises bound together by legal and/or financial links. A group of enterprises can have more than one decision-making centre, especially for policy on production, sales and profits. It may centralize certain aspects of financial management and taxation. It constitutes an economic entity which is empowered to make choices, particularly concerning the units which it comprises. (Council Regulation (EEC) N° 696/93 on Statistical Units)
Group head: A parent legal unit which is not controlled either directly or indirectly by any other legal unit. Control refers to the dominant influence of a parent unit over the medium and long-term strategies of one ore more subsidiaries; ie. the parent unit must be able to influence (directly or indirectly) the decision in the ordinary or extraordinary meetings of all the subsidiaries. (Business Register Recommendations Manual)
Global group head: A group head which is not controlled either directly or indirectly by any other legal unit (not a local group head, which has a foreign parent).
Ultimate controlling institutional unit: Ultimate controlling institutional unit of a foreign affiliate is the institutional unit, proceeding up a foreign affiliate's chain of control, which is not controlled by another institutional unit. Control means the ability to determine the general policy of an enterprise by choosing appropriate directors, if necessary. Enterprise A is deemed to be controlled by an institutional unit B when B controls -directly or indirectly- more than half of the shareholders' voting power or more than half of the shares. (Recommendations Manual on the Production of Foreign Affiliates Statistics)
Subsidiary: A single institutional unit secures control over a corporation by owning more than half the voting shares or otherwise controlling more than half the shareholders' voting power. Corporation C is said to be subsidiary of corporation B when: either corporation B controls more than half of the shareholders' voting power in corporation C or corporation B is a shareholder in C with the right to appoint or remove a majority of the directors of C. In order to control more than half the shareholders' voting power, an institutional unit needs not own any of the voting shares itself. A corporation C could be a subsidiary of another corporation B in which a third corporation A owns a majority of the voting shares. (European System of Accounts (ESA) 1995, [2.26])
Jobs lost: The enterprises are asked to estimate the total number (gross) of domestic jobs lost in the responding enterprises as a result of international sourcing. Domestic job losses in the responding enterprise that have taken place due to reasons other than international sourcing (e.g. domestic lay-offs, poor business cycle etc.) are not included here. Even if jobs (business functions) have been moved abroad, the persons previously performing these functions may still be employed in the company carrying out other tasks (may also be new tasks related to jobs created because of international sourcing). In these cases, the jobs should still be counted as jobs lost. Therefore, generally speaking, the "jobs lost" concept has nothing to do with the observed change in the Number of employees and self-employed persons of the enterprise; an enterprise may, e.g. record "jobs lost" due to international sourcing and still record an increase in its "Number of employees and self-employed persons".
Jobs created: The enterprises are asked to estimate the total number (gross) of domestic jobs created in the responding enterprises as a result of international sourcing. Domestic jobs created in the responding enterprise due to reasons other than international sourcing (e.g. expansion abroad) are not included here. A common reason for job creation is the increased availability of funds due to international sourcing. These funds, in turn, can lead to job creation in another business function (e.g. outsourcing some IT personnel led to some cost savings, which enabled the enterprise to hire more sales staff). The respondent estimates this variable in a direct link with international sourcing, as job creation is difficult to back up with hard data.
The statistical unit for international sourcing is the enterprise. In practice, many countries report data on the legal unit, which in most cases coincides with the enterprise.
In the 2007 data colleciton, the international sourcing statistics cover NACE Rev.1.1 (Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community) sections C to I and K, which broadly speaking covers Non-financial market activities. Spain covered only sections G, H, I and K. Accordingly, Spanish data is neither included in the EU Non-financial market aggregate (C to I and K) nor in the EU special aggregate over sections C, E, F, G, H, I, and K, but is included in the EU separate aggregates for sections G, H, I and K. The data refers to enterprises with more than 100 persons employed only.
In the 2011 and 2018 data collection, the international sourcing statistics cover NACE Rev 2 sections B-N excluding K which, just as in the 2007 data collection, broadly speaking covers Non-financial market activities.
In the 2021 data collection, the international sourcing and GVC statistics cover NACE Rev 2 sections B-N, which broadly speaking covers the business economy. All of the participating countries which did not carry out a census survey have reported data grossed to the enterprise population level, except for Austrian data, which is not grossed, but rather is the actual data received from enterprises on the sample level. Because of this restricted comparability with other countries' data it is recommended to use percentage shares instead of absolute values in case of the Austrian data.
In the 2007 data collection round, data has been collected on a voluntary basis for 13 countries: Germany, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Finland, Slovenia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Norway.
In the 2011 data collection round, data has been collected on a voluntary basis for 15 countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Finland, Slovakia, Sweden and Norway.
In the 2018 data collection round, data has been collected on a voluntary basis for 16 countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden and Norway.
In the 2021 data collection round, data has been collected on a voluntary basis for 17 countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and Norway. French data will be published by the end of 2022.
The basic reference period is the year.
Data referred to observe international sourcing in the period 2001-2006 and future plans was collected in 2007. The number of enterprises refers therefore to the situation in reference year 2007. For the number of jobs lost and created refers to the period 2001-2006.
Data referred to observe international sourcing in the period 2009-2011 did no longer contain future plans and was collected in 2011. The number of enterprises refers therefore to the situation in reference year 2011. For the number of jobs lost refers to the period 2009-2011.
The third data collection (2018) observed two periods, left for the participating country to choose - either 2014-2016 or 2015-2017. The number of enterprises refers to the situation in the latest year of the covered period (either 2016 or 2017). Number of jobs relocated abroad or created are reported for the entire period.
The fourth data collection round (2021) covers the reference period 2018-2020 for international sourcing statistics and only the year 2020 for GVC arrangements and the COVID-19 impact statistics.
This information is not available.
Units (enterprises)
Percentages (number of enterprises in %)
European Union aggregates (averages) are calculated according to the countries for which data are available. In the 2007 data collection Spain covered only sections G, I, K and K. Accordingly, Spanish data is neither included in the EU Non-financial market aggregate (C to I and K) nor in the EU special aggregate over sections C, E, F, G, H, I, and K, but is included in the EU separate aggregates for sections G, H, I and K. In the 2011, 2018 and 2021 data collection no such exceptions occured.
International sourcing data are collected by the National Statistical Institutes (NSI) among enterprises.
The data are collected through statistical surveys. A common questionnaire to be used by all participating countries was developed. Many countries introduced additional questions and/or made changes to the existing questions, order of the questions or dropped some questions from the common questionnaire.
Varied period. Future plans are for a triennial dissemination.
Not applicable.
This information is not available.
The comparibility of all three surveys is limited due to the different number of reference years covered. The first survey covers six years (2001-2006) whereas the second and the third survey cover three years (2009-2011 and either 2014-2016 or 2015-2017). Additionally, the enterprises in the sample in the first and second surveys were only those that employ more than 100 people, whilst the third survey sampled enterprises employing more than 50 people.
