Statistics Estonia

Economic and Environmental Statistics Department

Tatari 51
10134 Tallinn

Estonia

See sub-concepts below.

Only quantities of imported pesticides which were sold in Estonia were included in the final calculations. In this way the double counting (e.g. over coverage) was avoided. Enterprises provide data on sold preparations in physical quantities and not in active substances. The total sold quantities of pesticide in active substances were calculated by Statistics Estonia.

The quantity of sold active substance in pesticide is calculated according to the following formula:
the quantity of sold active substance = the quantity of sold pesticide x content of active substance in the respective preparation.

The data set comprises the annual sales of active substances contained in plant protection products placed on the national market for one calendar year according to the Regulation (EC) No 1185/2009 as amended by Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/269 of 16 February 2017 as regards the list of active substances.

The data are expressed in kilograms of active substances.

The classification of the active substances in plant protection products is annexed (Annex III) to Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/269 of 16 February 2017 amending Regulation (EC) No 1185/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning statistics on pesticides.

The active substances are classified according to chemical and functional similarity. Aggregation levels in descending order comprise: major groups, categories of products, chemical classes and active substances.

The specific target population, whose data were used, consisted finally only importers of plant protection products. In order to distinguish pesticide importers from resellers, we have question on report form " Have you bought pesticides from abroad?". Answer "Yes" indicate that enterprise is importer of pesticides and must to continue filling of report. Answer "No" indicate that enterprise is reseller of pesticides and these enterprises do not have to provide data.

This data collection comprises pesticide sales data based on the term 'placing on the market' as defined in Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market. The scope of the Regulation covers plant protection products and their active substances as can be seen from the key terms of the act immediately below:

Plant protection products: products consisting of or containing active substances, safeners or synergists, and intended for one of the following uses:

• protecting plants or plant products against all harmful organisms or preventing the action of such organisms, unless the main purpose of these products is considered to be for reasons of hygiene rather than for the protection of plants or plant products;
• influencing the life processes of plants, such as substances influencing their growth, other than as a nutrient;
• preserving plant products, in so far as such substances or products are not subject to special Community provisions on preservatives;
• destroying undesired plants or parts of plants, except algae unless the products are applied on soil or water to protect plants;
• checking or preventing undesired growth of plants, except algae.

Active substances: substances or micro-organisms, including viruses, having general or specific action against harmful organisms or on plants, parts of plants or plant products.

Quantity: implies kilograms of the active substances sold.

Regulation (EC) No 1185/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishes a common framework for the systematic production of Community statistics on the placing on the market and agricultural use of those pesticides which are plant protection products as defined in Article 2 (a)(i). The statistics shall apply to the annual amounts of pesticides active substances placed on the market in accordance with Annex I and the quantity of active substances shall be aggregated according to the list in Annex III (as amended).

Enterprise. Total population of the survey involves all importers and suppliers of plant protection products from the register “Importers and suppliers (including storing and marketing places) of plant protection products”.

Total population of the survey involves all importers and suppliers of plant protection products from the register “Importers and suppliers (including storing and marketing places) of plant protection products”.

See sub-concepts below.

Estonia.

Not applicable

2011-2019

Not applicable.

1. Data collection (January-March 2020);
2. Data entry and data editing (checks and corrections) (April-May 2020);
3. Data processing in VAIS (VAIS- Survey data processing information system) (calculating quantities of active substances in pesticides) (May 2020);
4. The sales figures for the active substances are compared with the figures for the previous year (May-June 2020);
5. Determination of  confidential data (May-June 2020)
6. Dissemination of the data (June 2020).

The data set is based on a census survey (total survey). The frame population involves ca 132 units from which 16 units belongs to the target population. The frame population of the survey involves all importers and suppliers of pesticides and target population involves only importers of pesticides.

not applicable

The data set is based on a census survey (total survey). The frame population involves ca 132 units from which 16 units belongs to the target population. The frame population of the survey involves all importers and suppliers of pesticides and target population involves only importers of pesticides.

Data are collected annually.

Data are collected by total statistical survey. Data are collected by a web-based statistical report „Sales of pesticides” through the eSTAT web application and by paper-based postal survey. Survey questionnaires (report forms) are described and tested for web-based application eSTAT according to previously agreed rules. The described and tested questionnaires should be generated in PDF and designed in a previously agreed format for the purpose of publishing them on the web. The questionnaires have been designed for completion in eSTAT by the respondents themselves and they include instructions and controls. The questionnaires and information about data submission are available on Statistics Estonia’s website at https://www.stat.ee/en/submit-data/about-data-submission .

In the process of checking the collected data, are used the arithmetic and quality checks, the data are compared with the data of previous periods. If there are significant discrepancies in comparision with previous years sales figures, or if data are not available for a reporting entity that had data in the previous year, we will contact the reporting entities additionally.

Checking in performed in order to ensure that reports from all importers of plant protection products were received.

The indicators to be published are calculated on the basis of the collected data. The quantity of sold active substance in pesticide is calculated according to the following formula:
The quantity of sold active substance = the quantity of sold pesticide x content of active substance in the respective preparation. All data is in kilograms (if unit was reported in litres, then it was convert on to one to kg). Data were not  imputated or weighted. 

Data are published at the level of the active substance. The active substances are summed up according to the type of plant protection product (herbicide, insecticide, etc.)

Not applied.

See sub-concepts below.

Quality is assured via the data analyses and consultations with eneterprises. Possible quality deficiencies might be: human factor - some enterprises provide, consciously or unconsciously, erroneous/approximate data; secondly, there might be hidden flows in pesticides sales if pesticides were sold directly to the farmers in Estonia by salesmen from neighbor countries. Obviously, this represents very small part of the total pesticides sales, but not reflected in sales statistics as well. These salesmen (from neighbor countries) are not registered in our national register “Importers and suppliers (including storing and marketing places) of plant protection products” and hence they were not covered by survey.

The data quality is considered good. The pesticide sales data were analyzed in order to avoid double counting in sales quantities. Data were analyzed on enterprise level. The discrepancies were discussed with enterprises and the mistakes were repaired.

Strengths: the technical quality of the statistics is quite high, because the statistics covers all sales enterprises in register and the response rate was high.

High.

National users of pesticide sales data are: Agricultural Board, Agricultural Research Centre, Ministry of Agriculture but also other ministries, research and education institutions, the media, other organizations and companies, also private persons who have an interest in pesticide sales statistics. Some of them have specifically indicated interest in these data. Some enterprises have shown an interest in the individual data (quantities of pesticides sold by enterprise level), but unfortunately we can not give them as these are confidential. We have got no negative or positive specific feedback regarding the data from them yet.

Users can use pesticide sales data in order to estimate probable pesticides use or compare these data with agricultural pesticide use data. Estonian Tax and Customs Board have been interested in pesticide sales data in order to provide general overview including marketing and other trends.

We do not have user satisfaction survey specifically on this dataset, but since 1996 Statistics Estonia conducts general reputation surveys and user surveys. All results are available on the website https://www.stat.ee/en/statistics-estonia/about-us/user-surveys.

We have also met bilaterally with our main users.

The data are complete and correspond to data composition requirements prescribed by the Regulation (EC) No 1185/2009 of European Commission concerning statistics on pesticides. Pesticide sales statistics is total survey. The surveyed population of importers and suppliers of plant protection products includes all the importers and suppliers from the register “Importers and suppliers (including storing and marketing places) of plant protection products”. This register is available on the website of Agricultural Board at https://portaal.agri.ee/avalik/#/taimekaitse/tkv-turustuskohad

Data completeness 100%. In 2019 were sold 121 active substances.

See sub-concepts below.

The type of survey and the data collection methods ensure sufficient coverage and timeliness.

Aspects of quality are handled under the point 4.2 Quality assessment.

The results were reasonably on line with the sales data of previous years and also significant errors were not seen in the single reports of enterprises. The errors in measurement units and in product names were handled by statistician case by case.

Quality assurance procedures included also in addition to above mentioned (under point 4.2):

• Checking the completeness in order to ensure that reports from all importers of plant protection products were received;
• Wherever possible, identifying errors (missing quantities or quantities reported in non-standard units).

Importers and suppliers of plant protection products which were entered into register “Importers and suppliers (including storing and marketing places) of plant protection products” were surveyed completely. So, the sampling was not used for compilation of pesticide sales statistics.

Not relevant.

We consider the non sampling error to be low. But we have to mention that there could be minor flows in pesticides sales if pesticides were sold directly to the farmers in Estonia by salesmen from neighbor countries. These salesmen (from neighbor countries) are not registered in the register “Importers and suppliers (including storing and marketing places) of plant protection products” and hence they were not covered by survey.

All importers and suppliers (including storing and marketing places) of plant protection products which were entered into register “Importers and suppliers (including storing and marketing places) of plant protection products” are included in the survey frame. This register is available on the website of Agricultural Board at https://portaal.agri.ee/avalik/#/taimekaitse/tkv-turustuskohad. The specific target population, whose data were used, consisted finally only importers of plant protection products. In order to distinguish pesticide importers from resellers, we have question on report form „Have you bought pesticides from abroad?". Answer "Yes" indicates that enterprise is an importer of pesticides and must to continue filling of report. Answer "No" indicates that enterprise is reseller of pesticides and these enterprises do not have to provide data. Only quantities of imported pesticides which were sold firsthand in Estonia were included in the final calculations. In this way the double counting (e.g. over coverage) was avoided.

87,88% of enterprises from register “Importers and suppliers (including storing and marketing places) of plant protection products” did not belong finally to the target population (116 units of  132 did not belong to the target population as they were selling pesticides they have bought from Estonia). Only quantities of imported pesticides which were sold in Estonia, were included in the final calculations. In this way the double counting (e.g. over coverage) was avoided.

Not applied.

Some enterprises expressed quantity of pesticides sold in different unit than requested in report (quantities not quantifiable in kilograms or liters). Therefore we had to make some recalculations. When data were provided on paper forms, some data were not readable due to bad handwriting style. These questions were discussed and clarified bilaterally with enterprises.

Almost zero, as all questions were clarified.

Almost zero, as all questions were clarified.

Almost zero, as all questions were clarified.

We have not identified any remaining processing errors.

Imputation was not applied.

None.

Not relevant.

General revision policy adopted for the organisation and the data disseminated.

The data revision policy and notification of corrections are described in the dissemination policy of Statistics Estonia https://www.stat.ee/en/statistics-estonia/about-us/strategy/principles-dissemination-official-statistics. The published data may be revised if the methodology is modified, if errors are discovered, if new or better data become available.

Pesticide sales data have not been revised.

Pesticide sales data have not been revised.

Dissemination of the data (June 2020)

 The data are released 163 days upon the end of the reference year (T+163).

6 months. There is no distinction to first and final results, data are disseminated as final.

6 months was between the last day of the reference period and the day of publication of final results. There is no distinction to first and final results, data are disseminated as final.

No time lag. The data have been published at the time announced in the release calendar https://www.stat.ee/en/calendar.

No time lag.

not applicable

See sub-concepts below.

Data are collected on NUTS 1 level in Estonia. Comparison with other countries data has not been evaluated.

Comparison with other countries data has not been evaluated.

The pesticide sales statistics have been produced since 2001. The Agricultural Board collected pesticide sales figures from 2001 to 2010. Since 2011, Statistics Estonia collect pesticide sales data. The data are comparable across the whole time series.

9 years.

Pesticides sales data has been historically compared with agricultural and non agricultural use and the coherence was considered to be relatively high. In 2020, pesticide sales data was not compared with agricultural use data, because pesticide agricultural use data is collect 6 month after pesticide sales data is published.

Not relevant.

Not relevant.

Data are consistent.

Data are made available for all users in dissemination database of Statistics Estonia. The users of the public database are not required to register themselves. The use of the public database is free of charge. Database is published in Estonian and English.

Users may make copies of the statistical publications for their own use but must not use them for business purposes. When data are used publicly, a reference must be made to Statistics Estonia.

None.

None.

The data of pesticide sales are disseminated via the Statistics Estonia website on the 11. June in https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/keskkond__pollumajanduskeskkond/KK2085

Table name is SALES OF PESTICIDES BY ACTIVE SUBSTANCE. The pesticide sales data have disseminated for the first time in 2012 for the reference year 2011.

Pesticide sales data are published on our website at the Major Group and Active Substance level. Sales of pesticides are estimated in kilograms of active substances.

The users of the public database are not required to register themselves. The use of the public database is free of charge. Database is published in Estonian and English.

The public database allows:

• Fast and easy access to statistics 24 hours a day every day;

• To receive besides fresh data also data for previous periods;

• To choose only the required data from tables;

• To view the selected data on the computer screen and save them in one’s own computer in different formats (Excel, PC-AXIS, HTML, etc.).

Not available.

Micro-data have not been disseminated.

Data permitting the identification of data subjects may be transmitted without the consent of the data subjects for the purposes of scientific research pursuant to the procedure in Personal Data Protection Act and Official Statistics Act (§ 38. Dissemination of confidential data for scientific purposes). For receiving the data, the research institution has to submit a written application to Statistics Estonia. The applicant is informed about the satisfying or rejection of the application within two weeks from receiving the application.

See also the procedure for dissemination of confidential data for scientific purposes "https://www.stat.ee/en/find-statistics/request-statistics/use-confidential-data-scientific-purposes".

None.

The data are supplemented with the description of the methodology and relevant definitions which are available on the Statistics Estonia website at https://www.stat.ee/en/find-statistics/methodology-and-quality/esms-metadata/10503.

The quality report has been submitted to Eurostat in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1185/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

Not available

No information.

The cost of a statistical work in Statistical Office was estimated at 11,9 thousand euros. It took in average 3 hour for respondents to fill pesticide sales report and one months for Analyst to control, protcessing and analyzing data.

The dissemination of data collected for the purpose of producing official statistics is guided by the requirements provided for in § 34 and § 35 of the Official Statistics Act. See it here: https://www.riigiteataja.ee/en/eli/ee/506012015002/consolide/current

The dissemination of data collected for the purpose of producing official statistics is guided by the requirements provided for in § 34 and § 35 of the Official Statistics Act.  https://www.riigiteataja.ee/en/eli/ee/506012015002/consolide/current

The treatment of confidential data is regulated by the Procedure for Protection of Data Collected and Processed by Statistics Estonia: "https://www.stat.ee/en/statistics-estonia/about-statistics-estonia/legal-acts". Data protection is guaranteed upon the dissemination of statistics. Data are disseminated or transmitted without characteristics enabling the identification of data subject, consolidated data of at least three data subjects (whereby the role of a person’s data in consolidated data shall not exceed 90%). Data subject is a natural of legal person whose data have been collected.

In the transmission table to Eurostat, confidential data are marked accordingly with confidentiality flag.

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