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.
Annual Business Statistics and Business Registers Department
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
Bulgaria, Sofia, 1038, 2 P.Volov Str.
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
12 May 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
31 July 2024
2.3. Metadata last update
12 May 2025
3.1. Data description
The EuroGroups register (EGR) is the statistical business register of Eurostat and the EU Member States and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries for multinational enterprise groups. The purpose of the EGR is to offer to statistical users a tool for coordinating frame population, to derive consistent statistical output with an improved quality in measuring global activities of European enterprises part of multinational enterprise groups.
The EGR produces data in yearly cycles and covers microdata on the groups and their enterprises and legal units. The EGR aims to register all multinational enterprise groups that have enterprises in EU Member States or EFTA countries, including European and non-European groups.
The Member States, EFTA countries and Eurostat exchange data on multinational enterprise groups and on the units belonging to those groups for the purposes of the European framework for statistical business registers to ensure the quality of the multinational enterprise group’s information in the Union.
The EGR brings together microdata on multinational enterprise groups from the EU and the EFTA countries' national statistical institutes, in line with the requirements of the Regulation (EU) No 2152/2019, and from a commercial data source for data outside the EU and EFTA.
3.2. Classification system
Classification systems and main code lists used in the EGR are as follows:
Statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community (NACE Rev. 2);
The coverage of the data transmitted to the EGR is defined in the Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 on European business statistics.
For the purposes of the European framework for statistical business registers, the following economic activities are considered:
any activity comprising the offer of goods and services on a given market;
non-market services contributing to the GDP;
direct and indirect holdings of active legal units.
Holding assets and/or liabilities are also considered an economic activity.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Global group head
The global group head (GGH) of an enterprise group is the parent legal unit that is not controlled either directly or indirectly by any other legal unit. The subsidiary legal units of a subsidiary legal unit are considered to be subsidiaries of the parent legal unit.
Global decision centre
The global decision centre (GDC) of an enterprise group is the unit where the enterprise group level’s strategic decisions are taken. A group may have several decision-making centres or several units dedicated to a particular internal function, for example accounting or human resources. However, the decisions about the group are made only in the GDC. The GDC may be the GGH or another legal unit under the GGH.
Ultimate Controlling Institutional unit
The ultimate controlling institutional unit (UCI) of a foreign affiliate means the institutional unit higher up a foreign affiliate’s chain of control that is not controlled by another institutional unit.
Activity of unit
An economic activity takes place when resources such as capital goods, labour, manufacturing techniques or intermediary products are combined to produce specific goods or services. Thus, an economic activity is characterised by an input of resources, a production process and an output of products (goods or services).
Number of employees
Those persons who work for an employer and who have a contract of employment and receive compensation in the form of wages, salaries, fees, gratuities, piecework pay or remuneration in kind. The number of employees includes part-time workers, seasonal workers, persons on strike or on short-term leave, but excludes those persons on long-term leave. The number of employees does not include voluntary workers.
Number of employees and self -employed persons
The total number of persons who work in the observation unit (inclusive of working proprietors, partners working regularly in the unit and unpaid family workers), as well as persons who work outside the unit who belong to it and are paid by it (e.g. sales representatives). Includes persons absent for a short period (e.g. sick or paid leave), and also those on strike, but not those absent for an indefinite period. Includes part-time workers, seasonal workers, apprentices, and home workers on the payroll.
Net turnover
Net turnover of all income arising during the reference period
Total assets
Not aplicable
Principal activity
Economic activities are determined by reference to a specific level of the activity classification called NACE. The main economic activity is determined according to a relative share of net sales revenue.
If a statistical unit carries out more than one activity, all the activities which are not ancillary activities are ranked according to the gross value added at factor cost which they generate. A distinction is made between principal activity and secondary activities.
3.5. Statistical unit
The statistical units maintained in the EGR are defined in accordance with the Regulation (EEC) No 696/93 on the statistical units for the observation and analysis of the production system in the Community.
The EGR frame contains the following units: Legal units, Enterprises and Multinational enterprise groups.
Legal units include:
legal persons whose existence is recognized by law independently of the individuals or institutions which may own them or are members of them,
natural persons who are engaged in an economic activity in their own right.
The legal unit always forms, either by itself or sometimes in combination with other legal units, the legal basis for the statistical unit known as the 'enterprise'.
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.
Multinational enterprise group
A multinational enterprise group is an enterprise group that has at least two enterprises or legal units located in different countries. In business statistics also term ‘global enterprise group’ is used.
3.6. Statistical population
The data transmitted to the EGR during the cycle is made of the following datasets.
The data set with information on all incorporated resident legal units for the EGR Identification Service.
ISRLE file includes 899 777 population of resident legal units is sent to EGR for identification.
The data set with information on foreign legal units for the EGR Identification Service.
ISNORLE file including 2555 population of foreign legal unit recorded in national statistical business register is sent to EGR for identification.
The data set with information on legal units.
LEU file including 7879 resident legal unit belonging to a global enterprise group is sent to EGR for processing.
The data set with information on relationships of ownership and control.
REL file including 8052 relationships between legal units is sent to EGR for processing:
two resident legal units;
one resident and one foreign legal unit;
two foreign legal units from non EU+EFTA countries.
Relationships in the REL are:
control relationships (>50%);
minority relationships (<50%).
The data set with information on enterprises.
ENT file including 7594 enterprises made of legal unit sent in LEU files is sent to EGR for processing.
The Data set with information on links between enterprises and legal units.
LEL file including 7594 links between enterprise (ENT) and legal units (LEU) is sent to EGR for processing.
The Data set with information on enterprise groups of which country is the GDC country for the EuroGroups Register.
GEG file including 621 groups data is sent to the EGR for processing.
The groups’ variables are updated after receiving the preliminary frame.
3.7. Reference area
The reference area for EGR cycle is the territory of the country.
3.8. Coverage - Time
The EGR frames are available from reference year 2008 onwards. NSI transmits data for the EGR production cycle since 2014 year.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
The economic variables on employment are recorded in absolute figures.
The net turnover for enterprises is recorded in BGN currency.
The net turnover and net total asset is recorded in millions in BGN currency.
The reference period for data sent to the EGR reflects the picture of 31 December of the given reference year.
Data transmitted to EGR during the EGR 2023 cycle includes data for the 2023 reference year. The identification, economic variables (number of employees, turnover and economic activity) refer to the 2023 reference year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
The content of the national data sent to EGR is defined according the Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 on European business statistics.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 of 30 July 2020 is laying down the technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
The legal framework setting up the procedures for EGR data exchanges and access to confidential data for the purpose of the European framework for statistical business registers are defined in the Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 on European business statistics (Art.10).
The national legislative measures or other formal procedures which prevent unauthorised disclosure of data that identify a person or economic entity either directly or indirectly include:
The Law on Statistics ensures the protection of statistical confidentiality and the use of individual data of enterprises for statistical purposes only:
Law on Statistics (Chapter Six, Art. 25).
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
EGR data are stored by the Commission (Eurostat) and by the national statistical authorities (NSAs) in the EU Member States and EFTA countries in a secure area with restricted and controlled access.
The transmission of the EGR data is done in an encrypted form and by electronic means via the Commission (Eurostat) single entry point for exchange of confidential data eDamis.
Rules applied for treating the data set to ensure statistical confidentiality and prevent unauthorised disclosure are defined according to the policy rules (see section 7.1).
The individual data of enterprises are used only for statistical purposes.
8.1. Release calendar
Not applicable.
8.2. Release calendar access
Not applicable.
8.3. Release policy - user access
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Not applicable.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Not applicable.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Not applicable.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
The micro-data exchange of confidential data on multinational enterprise groups and on the statistical units belonging to those groups takes place, exclusively for statistical purposes, between EU Member States and EFTA countries and the European Commission (Eurostat).
Where such exchange of confidential data is carried out to ensure the quality of the multinational enterprise groups information in the Union and the exchange is explicitly authorised by the competent NSA which provides the data, national central banks may be party to the exchange of confidential data, exclusively for statistical purposes.
NSI exchanges information on multinational enterprise groups with:
Other Member States for delineating the structure of multinational groups;
The quality of data for EGR cycle is monitored according the quality assurance procedure described in concept 11.
11.1. Quality assurance
Eurostat Data Quality Programme monitors the quality and compliance of the data transmitted by the countries to EGR using the instruments of the EBS quality framework.
At national level, the quality of the data sent to EGR is assured as follows:
automatic validation procedures to check coherence between statistical units and their variables;
data format and logical content of data;
crosschecks with other sources and data from previous years.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Internal – other statistical domains use EGR for derivation of populations for surveys;
External – EGR team provides non-confidential data to external users upon request.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Statistics authorities complete a questionnaire for SBR user survey.
12.3. Completeness
The completeness of EGR data is annually assessed by Eurostat.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Assess the overall accuracy of the data transmitted to the EGR by type of unit.
The accuracy of the data transmitted to the EGR is:
Units
Assessment
Legal units
Very good
Relationships between legal units
Good
Enterprises characteristics
Very good
Enterprises perimeters
Very good
Multinational enterprise group (with Global decision centre in my country)
Good
This accuracy assessment is based on:
For Legal units, the assessment is based on our administrative source, which provide us with the full scope of the nation legal unit population;
The quality of the relationships between the legal units is good, because most of the foreign legal units come without foreign identification number, or we could not identify them in EGR IS;
The enterprise characteristics and perimeter is based on the yearly inquiry and covers the full scope of enterprises in the country;
The scope of the multinational enterprise groups is good, because there are some MNEs that have a global group head natural person, which we do not include in EGR, because there is no way to identify or send the relationship between the legal unit and the natural person.
The main issues regarding accuracy of the data and issue importance are as follows:
Units
Issue
Assessment
Legal units
No issues
Very good
Relationships between legal units
Missing FIC of foreign units
Good
Enterprises characteristics
Missing optional characteristics for ENT
Very good
Enterprise perimeter
No issues
Very good
ultinational enterprise group (with Global decision centre in my country)
Reducing the natural persons as a global group head
Good
The actions taken to reduce bias (if any) and to improve accuracy of the data are as follows:
For the relationships between the legal units, we are working on obtaining the FIC (Foreign identification code) for all foreign units automatically and verify them. Also we are looking into different sources of information regarding the foreign legal units;
We are working on obtaining more characteristics for Enterprises and Enterprise Groups, so that we can improve the data for them. Our main focus is the optional characteristics, listed in the Regulation 2021/2152;
The natural persons as a Global Group Head is something we have been trying to avoid, since there is no way to identify or send data on to EGR. So far we have been removing such relationships from the data send to EGR, but in the future we hope to have a way to identify such relationships and units in EGR IS.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
The EGR process refers to a reference year T and is run yearly over a period of 11 months, between May T+1 and March T+2.
14.2. Punctuality
The data transmitted to EGR is timely and accurate.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
We do not compare between geographic areas.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Since 2014, data on multinational groups in the business register can be compared with those from the EGR frame for the same year.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Coherence of data sent to Eurostat with other data sources and statistical domains:
For some characteristics of the EGR data, we use information from the FATS data.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Data sent to EGR should be internally consistent. There is a set of standard quality checks that are routinely perform at national level before transmitting the data to Eurostat:
We do not change the structure of multinational groups with EGR final frame.
Not available.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Not applicable.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Not applicable.
18.1. Source data
The main source of EGR data is the national statistical business register.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
National data sent to EGR annually.
18.3. Data collection
Data sent to EGR are collected from:
National Statistical business register
18.4. Data validation
Data validation procedures include:
automatic validation procedures to check coherence between statistical units and their variables;
data format and logical content of data;
crosschecks with other sources and data from previous years;
18.5. Data compilation
We have an algorithm and rules for constructing and reconstructing the structures of multinational groups and the relationships between members within them.
18.6. Adjustment
Not applicable.
No further comment.
The EuroGroups register (EGR) is the statistical business register of Eurostat and the EU Member States and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries for multinational enterprise groups. The purpose of the EGR is to offer to statistical users a tool for coordinating frame population, to derive consistent statistical output with an improved quality in measuring global activities of European enterprises part of multinational enterprise groups.
The EGR produces data in yearly cycles and covers microdata on the groups and their enterprises and legal units. The EGR aims to register all multinational enterprise groups that have enterprises in EU Member States or EFTA countries, including European and non-European groups.
The Member States, EFTA countries and Eurostat exchange data on multinational enterprise groups and on the units belonging to those groups for the purposes of the European framework for statistical business registers to ensure the quality of the multinational enterprise group’s information in the Union.
The EGR brings together microdata on multinational enterprise groups from the EU and the EFTA countries' national statistical institutes, in line with the requirements of the Regulation (EU) No 2152/2019, and from a commercial data source for data outside the EU and EFTA.
12 May 2025
Global group head
The global group head (GGH) of an enterprise group is the parent legal unit that is not controlled either directly or indirectly by any other legal unit. The subsidiary legal units of a subsidiary legal unit are considered to be subsidiaries of the parent legal unit.
Global decision centre
The global decision centre (GDC) of an enterprise group is the unit where the enterprise group level’s strategic decisions are taken. A group may have several decision-making centres or several units dedicated to a particular internal function, for example accounting or human resources. However, the decisions about the group are made only in the GDC. The GDC may be the GGH or another legal unit under the GGH.
Ultimate Controlling Institutional unit
The ultimate controlling institutional unit (UCI) of a foreign affiliate means the institutional unit higher up a foreign affiliate’s chain of control that is not controlled by another institutional unit.
Activity of unit
An economic activity takes place when resources such as capital goods, labour, manufacturing techniques or intermediary products are combined to produce specific goods or services. Thus, an economic activity is characterised by an input of resources, a production process and an output of products (goods or services).
Number of employees
Those persons who work for an employer and who have a contract of employment and receive compensation in the form of wages, salaries, fees, gratuities, piecework pay or remuneration in kind. The number of employees includes part-time workers, seasonal workers, persons on strike or on short-term leave, but excludes those persons on long-term leave. The number of employees does not include voluntary workers.
Number of employees and self -employed persons
The total number of persons who work in the observation unit (inclusive of working proprietors, partners working regularly in the unit and unpaid family workers), as well as persons who work outside the unit who belong to it and are paid by it (e.g. sales representatives). Includes persons absent for a short period (e.g. sick or paid leave), and also those on strike, but not those absent for an indefinite period. Includes part-time workers, seasonal workers, apprentices, and home workers on the payroll.
Net turnover
Net turnover of all income arising during the reference period
Total assets
Not aplicable
Principal activity
Economic activities are determined by reference to a specific level of the activity classification called NACE. The main economic activity is determined according to a relative share of net sales revenue.
If a statistical unit carries out more than one activity, all the activities which are not ancillary activities are ranked according to the gross value added at factor cost which they generate. A distinction is made between principal activity and secondary activities.
The statistical units maintained in the EGR are defined in accordance with the Regulation (EEC) No 696/93 on the statistical units for the observation and analysis of the production system in the Community.
The EGR frame contains the following units: Legal units, Enterprises and Multinational enterprise groups.
Legal units include:
legal persons whose existence is recognized by law independently of the individuals or institutions which may own them or are members of them,
natural persons who are engaged in an economic activity in their own right.
The legal unit always forms, either by itself or sometimes in combination with other legal units, the legal basis for the statistical unit known as the 'enterprise'.
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.
Multinational enterprise group
A multinational enterprise group is an enterprise group that has at least two enterprises or legal units located in different countries. In business statistics also term ‘global enterprise group’ is used.
The data transmitted to the EGR during the cycle is made of the following datasets.
The data set with information on all incorporated resident legal units for the EGR Identification Service.
ISRLE file includes 899 777 population of resident legal units is sent to EGR for identification.
The data set with information on foreign legal units for the EGR Identification Service.
ISNORLE file including 2555 population of foreign legal unit recorded in national statistical business register is sent to EGR for identification.
The data set with information on legal units.
LEU file including 7879 resident legal unit belonging to a global enterprise group is sent to EGR for processing.
The data set with information on relationships of ownership and control.
REL file including 8052 relationships between legal units is sent to EGR for processing:
two resident legal units;
one resident and one foreign legal unit;
two foreign legal units from non EU+EFTA countries.
Relationships in the REL are:
control relationships (>50%);
minority relationships (<50%).
The data set with information on enterprises.
ENT file including 7594 enterprises made of legal unit sent in LEU files is sent to EGR for processing.
The Data set with information on links between enterprises and legal units.
LEL file including 7594 links between enterprise (ENT) and legal units (LEU) is sent to EGR for processing.
The Data set with information on enterprise groups of which country is the GDC country for the EuroGroups Register.
GEG file including 621 groups data is sent to the EGR for processing.
The groups’ variables are updated after receiving the preliminary frame.
The reference area for EGR cycle is the territory of the country.
The reference period for data sent to the EGR reflects the picture of 31 December of the given reference year.
Data transmitted to EGR during the EGR 2023 cycle includes data for the 2023 reference year. The identification, economic variables (number of employees, turnover and economic activity) refer to the 2023 reference year.
Assess the overall accuracy of the data transmitted to the EGR by type of unit.
The accuracy of the data transmitted to the EGR is:
Units
Assessment
Legal units
Very good
Relationships between legal units
Good
Enterprises characteristics
Very good
Enterprises perimeters
Very good
Multinational enterprise group (with Global decision centre in my country)
Good
This accuracy assessment is based on:
For Legal units, the assessment is based on our administrative source, which provide us with the full scope of the nation legal unit population;
The quality of the relationships between the legal units is good, because most of the foreign legal units come without foreign identification number, or we could not identify them in EGR IS;
The enterprise characteristics and perimeter is based on the yearly inquiry and covers the full scope of enterprises in the country;
The scope of the multinational enterprise groups is good, because there are some MNEs that have a global group head natural person, which we do not include in EGR, because there is no way to identify or send the relationship between the legal unit and the natural person.
The main issues regarding accuracy of the data and issue importance are as follows:
Units
Issue
Assessment
Legal units
No issues
Very good
Relationships between legal units
Missing FIC of foreign units
Good
Enterprises characteristics
Missing optional characteristics for ENT
Very good
Enterprise perimeter
No issues
Very good
ultinational enterprise group (with Global decision centre in my country)
Reducing the natural persons as a global group head
Good
The actions taken to reduce bias (if any) and to improve accuracy of the data are as follows:
For the relationships between the legal units, we are working on obtaining the FIC (Foreign identification code) for all foreign units automatically and verify them. Also we are looking into different sources of information regarding the foreign legal units;
We are working on obtaining more characteristics for Enterprises and Enterprise Groups, so that we can improve the data for them. Our main focus is the optional characteristics, listed in the Regulation 2021/2152;
The natural persons as a Global Group Head is something we have been trying to avoid, since there is no way to identify or send data on to EGR. So far we have been removing such relationships from the data send to EGR, but in the future we hope to have a way to identify such relationships and units in EGR IS.
The economic variables on employment are recorded in absolute figures.
The net turnover for enterprises is recorded in BGN currency.
The net turnover and net total asset is recorded in millions in BGN currency.
We have an algorithm and rules for constructing and reconstructing the structures of multinational groups and the relationships between members within them.
The main source of EGR data is the national statistical business register.
Not applicable.
The EGR process refers to a reference year T and is run yearly over a period of 11 months, between May T+1 and March T+2.
We do not compare between geographic areas.
Since 2014, data on multinational groups in the business register can be compared with those from the EGR frame for the same year.
