Glossary:European system of integrated social protection statistics (ESSPROS)
The European System of integrated Social PROtection Statistics (ESSPROS) was developed in the late ‘70s by Eurostat, jointly with representatives of the Member States of the European Union, in response to the need for a specific instrument of statistical observation of social protection in the Member States. The objectives of ESSPROS are to provide a comprehensive and coherent description of social protection in the Member States:
- covering social benefits and their financing;
- geared to international comparability;
- harmonising with other statistics, particularly the national accounts, in its main concepts.
The risks or needs of social protection refer to the ESSPROS functions that are comprehensive, but do not include education unless it is a support to indigent families with children. The current structure of ESSPROS include the Core System and two modules. Whereas the Core system collects data on social protection receipts and expenditures, the modules contain supplementary statistical information on particular aspects of social protection:
- the number of pension beneficiaries;
- net social protection benefits, i.e. the influence of fiscal systems on social protection by the taxes and social contributions paid on benefits by beneficiaries.
Each module has its own methodology and is based on a particular Commission regulation.