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.
Data are provided on the environmental protection and restoration expenditures include: expenditure for the acquisition of tangible fixed assets with ecological use (TFAEU) and intangible assets with an ecological use (TIFAEU) and expenditure for maintaining TFAEU and expenditure for carrying out activities for the protection and restoration of the environment.
Expenditure for the acquisition tangible fixed assets and intangible assets whit an ecological use include : invested funds for the construction of facilities, modernization and expansion of existing TFAEU, as well as those for licenses, know-how, patents and others; expenditure for acquisition of monitoring and control equipment.
The expenditure for maintaining TFAEU and carrying out measures for the protection and restoration of the environment include the expenditure for operation and maintenance of TFAEU; the expenditure for conducting events not related to the use of TFAEU: reclamation, chemical melioration, biological and integrated plant protection, afforestation and landscaping activities, landscape protection, incl. protected areas and sites; the expenditure for operation and maintenance of the monitoring and control equipment; expenditure for administrative activities related to environmental protection.
The expenditure for protection and restoration of the environment provide information on the expenditure for acquisition and the expenditure for maintaining tangible fixed assets and carried out activities with an ecological use, distributed by environmental domain (water, air, waste and others).
They also provide information on the amounts paid for services (fees for discharge and treatment of wastewater, fees paid to the MOEW for the reclamation of disturbed areas and fees for disposal and treatment waste , including annual fee municipal waste ) in environmental domain.
Expenditure for environmental protection and restoration are reported by means of comprehensive and sample study, the scope of which includes economic entities (enterprises, units by type of activity from all industry groups) that spent funds for environmental protection and restoration in the reference year.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
The environmental protection and restoration expenditure represents the economic resources intended for all activities and actions that have as their main goal the prevention, reduction and elimination of pollution and any other environmental degradation.
Specialized equipment for the environment (end-of-pipe) - includes facilities which are not involved in the production process and serve only to reduce pollution resulting from production..
Integrated technologies - elements of the production process/technologies, which resulted in achieving less environmental pollution compared to other similar technologies.
3.5. Statistical unit
Enterprises and units by type of activity that have spend funds for new construction, reconstruction, maintenance and operation of tangible and intangible fixed assets, and environmental measures.
3.6. Statistical population
The population consists of active enterprises, local units and KAUs from all economic activities that have available facilities, installations and equipment that are part of TFA, or have TFA introduced/acquired during the year
3.7. Reference area
Total for the country.
3.8. Coverage - Time
1997-2022
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Million BGN
Year
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Regulation (EC) No. 223/2009 on European statistics foresees the need to draw up general principles and guidelines guaranteeing the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and access to this confidential data, with due consideration of technical developments and user requirements in a democratic society.
The Statistics Act (Article 25, Paragraph 1) determines that the individual data obtained and collected during statistical surveys are a statistical secret and can only be used for statistical purposes. Individual data obtained for the purposes of statistical surveys cannot be used as evidence before executive and judicial authorities.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
According to Regulation (EC) No. 223/2009 on European statistics and the Statistics Act (Article 25, Paragraph 2), individual data can not be disclosed or provided; statistical data that can be linked to identify a particular statistical unit; statistical information that summarizes the data for less than three statistical units or for a population in which the relative share of the value of a studied parameter of one unit is more than 85 percent of the total value of this parameter for all units of the population. Exceptions are specified in Art. 26 of the Statistics Act.
According to Art. 27 of the Statistics Act, the National Statistical Institute and the statistical authorities are obliged to ensure the protection of individual data and the prevention of their abuse, by taking the necessary organizational and technical measures and allowing work with such data only to persons who have signed a sworn declaration for the protection of the statistical secret.
8.1. Release calendar
The date of release of statistical information is indicated in the Release Calendar presenting the results of the statistical surveys carried out by the National Statistical Institute.
Data on the expenditure of environmental protection and restoration are published on the website of NSI under the heading "Environment" in accordance to the Statistics Act and the European Statistics Practice Code , respecting professional independence and for the purpose of objectivity, transparency, whereby all users are equal.
Anonymous individual data can be provided for scientific and research purposes upon individual request, according to the NSI Rules for providing anonymous individual data for scientific and research purposes. Exceptions are specified in Art. 26 of the Statistics Act.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Information service on request, according to the Rules for the dissemination of statistical products and services in NSI.
10.5.1. Metadata - consultations
Not available.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Methodology available on the Eurostat website (joint with OECD): 2017 Environmental protection expenditure accounts Handbook - EPEA_HANDBOOK_2017.
"Statistics and accounts in the environment" methodology
10.6.1. Metadata completeness - rate
High.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Quality report is published annually with the publication of the statistics data.
Quality report according to Regulation (EU) No. 691/2011 on European environmental economic accounts.
11.1. Quality assurance
The quality assurance is carried out in order to guarantee compliance with the requirements of the Statistics Act. Data quality is ensured by the application of the European Statistics Practice Code principles and General Framework for Quality Management in the NSS.
To ensure high quality of the data, their consistency is checked with the data from the Structural Business Statistics, Non-Financial National Accounts, and statistics on foreign trade in goods, as well as with Environmental Goods and Services and Income and Revenues and expenditure for municipal waste and expenditure for water supply infrastructure and other statistics in NSI.
To ensure quality of the data efforts are being made to continuously improve the quality of the data, by improving the primary data collection system through the online-based ESIS, ensuring strict arithmetic and logical control of the input data, and by performing additional analyses and verifications.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
The quality assessment is carried out at each stage of the statistical production process, in accordance with the General Framework for Quality Management in the NSS and the principles of the European Statistical Practice Code regarding sound methodology; appropriate statistical procedures; moderate burden on respondents; expenditure effectiveness.
The assessment of the quality of statistical data is carried out in relation to the fulfilment of the data quality requirements defined in the Statistics Act in terms of: adequacy, accuracy, timeliness, punctuality, accessibility and clarity, comparability and logical connection.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Data on environmental protection and restoration expenditure evaluates the financial commitment of an economy to environmental protection, how environmental protection and restoration expenditure affect international competitiveness, the application of the polluter pays principle and the cost-effectiveness of environmental control mechanisms.
Main users of survey's statistical information are the state and municipal entities, associations (NIPS), companies and citizens.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
NSI conducts a regular statistical survey "User satisfaction with the provided statistical information products and services", which covers all statistical areas. It aims to assess the satisfaction of users with the statistical information provided by NSI and to define recommendations for the future development of the statistical system in accordance with the needs of users.
12.3. Completeness
The survey is comprehensive and sampled. The purpose of conducting the statistical survey is to collect data from all respondents, that is, to ensure 100% collection of primary data. The comprehensive list includes all enterprises and state institutions known in advance to carry out environmental protection activities (enterprises with main activity 36-39 according to KID-2008). The sample includes enterprises whose main activity is not related to environmental protection, but could carry out an ancillary one. According to Regulation (EU) 691/2011, all available statistics are reported. Possibilities to obtain information on missing statistical indicators are being explored.
The completeness of the statistical data is assessed within the framework of their quality assessment procedure.
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
Not calculated.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The accuracy of the data, as one of the criteria for the quality of statistical information, according to the Statistics Act, is guaranteed through the quality assurance activities within the statistical production process.
13.2. Sampling error
Calculate the maximum and absolute error of the sample - the size of the maximum error of the estimate is determined in advance and the required sample size is calculated, providing the relevant resources. It should be noted that a 2 times smaller error means a 4 times larger sample size.
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
The survey may contain non-sampling errors that occur at various stages of the survey and which cannot be completely eliminated.
Such errors are mainly:
sampling range errors;
errors in the stage of collecting the information;
processing errors;
errors due to no response.
In order to reduce non-sampling errors:
Update of the lists of monitored enterprises;
Development of a clear research toolkit, ongoing supplementation and updating;
Conducting regular training seminars for RSO experts;
Assistance of the respondents and RSO experts from the NSI research team;
Data control at the stage of collection, entry and processing.
13.3.1. Coverage error
Not calculated.
13.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
Not calculated.
13.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
Not calculated.
13.3.2. Measurement error
Not calculated.
13.3.3. Non response error
Not calculated.
13.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate
Not calculated.
13.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate
Not calculated.
13.3.4. Processing error
Not calculated.
13.3.5. Model assumption error
Not calculated.
14.1. Timeliness
The data are published 24 months after the reference year, according to the requirements of Regulation (EU) No. 691/2011 on the European environmental economic accounts.
14.1.1. Time lag - first result
Not applicable.
14.1.2. Time lag - final result
Not applicable.
14.2. Punctuality
The data are published according to the deadlines in the Release Calendar presenting the results of the statistical surveys carried out by the NSI.
14.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
All publications are submitted for publication in a timely manner, according to the Release Calendar presenting the results of the statistical surveys of NSI.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Data are compiled at the national level. Given the application of common definitions and classifications, the data are comparability with other EU countries.
15.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not applicable.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Data are comparability over time. Time series are available since 1997 (since 2000 in INFOSTAT).
When the methodology changes, the data in the time series are revised.
15.2.1. Length of comparable time series
2014-2022
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Data are coherence with:
- The principles, definitions and concepts of the European system of accounts (national accounts)
- System of Environmental Economic Accounting 2012-Central Framework - SEEA CF.
- Structural Business Statistics Външна търговия
- Survey „Environmental Goods and Services “
- Survey „Revenues and expenditure for municipal waste and expenditure for water supply infrastructure“
A classification is applied, according to the Statistical classification of economic activities, which allows joint analysis with national accounts data.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
There are data that agree with Structural Business Statistics (SBS) and Foreign Trade according to KPID.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
There are data that are according with National Non-Financial Accounts.
15.4. Coherence - internal
The data have a high degree of internal comparability. Within the framework of the quality assessment procedure, the consistency of the primary statistical data is checked by type of comparability (Gross fixed capital formation, Intermediate consumption, Final consumption), by type of environmental protection and restoration activity (CEPA 2000), by type of expenditure (investments and current expenditure), by type of economic activity (NACE rev2), at the national level, of the aggregated and detailed data, of the data in the form of reporting under Regulation (EU) No. 691/2011 on the European environmental economic accounts and so on.
The costs (budget) for statistical surveys are disclosed in the National Statistical Program, published on the website of NSI.
Reducing the workload of respondents is a priority when conducting statistical surveys. In this regard, actions are taken to lighten the load, for example: collection and verification of primary data through the online-based information system "Environmental Statistics", containing strict arithmetic and logical controls; improving the instructions for completing survey forms; providing methodological and technical assistance; continuous study of the possibilities of using information from administrative and other sources; conducting annual trainings for respondents and experts from NSI, and others.
The time required to complete the statistical forms is used as the main measure of the workload of the respondents. To this aim, each form includes a section for respondents to complete regarding the time required to complete the form (including data preparation time). Based on this information and considering the specifics of the survey, the workload of the respondents can be defined as relatively high.
Given the above, the overall workload of the administration is also defined as high.
17.1. Data revision - policy
In accordance with the principles of the European Statistics Practice Code and the requirements of the internal rules/integrated management system, statistical processes are regularly monitored and revised as necessary. Revisions are carried out according to standard, established and transparent procedures and are regularly analysed in order to improve data sources, statistical processes and products.
17.2. Data revision - practice
The data are revised when there is a change in the legal requirements, the applied methodology or when there is a need.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not applicable (no preliminary data published).
18.1. Source data
- Statistical survey "Environmental protection and restoration expenditure";
- Administrative sources (Eurostat - published data from the BNB's balance of payments).
Information from other statistical surveys (environmental statistics - "Public water supply, sewerage and treatment", structural business statistics, national accounts, statistics on foreign trade) is also used for defining the general population, data validation and making estimations.
Data for Public sector cover only NACE, Rev 2. 84. At the current stage in Bulgaria the National accounts data is based on aggregated data from the Ministry of Finance. Up to this moment COFOG is not used as a source of information on the expenditure of Public sector as available information is not sufficient for the purposes of reporting. In order to meet the reporting requirements of environmental accounts, COFOG data information needs to be presented at a more disaggregated level.
Since 2014 there has been a change in methodology. To the survey data for the Business sector, Specialised producers and the Public sector we added an additional estimate referring to the whole economy. Are included the data from the regular environmental survey and an is added estimation referring to the whole economy.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual.
18.3. Data collection
From the respondents, according to their activities, data is collected for:
- the funds spent on specialised facilities for environmental protection and restoration;
- the funds spent on integrated technologies for the protection and restoration of the environment and their purpose according to the elements: air protection and climate, wastewater management, waste management, protection and cleaning of soils, underground and surface water, noise and vibrations reduction, biodiversity and landscape protection, radiation protection, research and development activity, other environmental protection activities.
It is important for the survey that data collected on the funds spent on specialised facilities and integrated technologies refer both to the expenditure for acquiring tangible fixed assets and intangible assets, as well as to the expenditure for maintaining tangible fixed assets with ecological use and the activities carried out in this area.
18.4. Data validation
Data validation is part of statistical information quality assurance activities. Primary data are validated in terms of completeness, correct classification, measurement units, comparability with previous years, comparability with data from other statistical areas and/or administrative sources, logical control, etc. Statistical data are validated in terms of their comparability, accuracy, reliability, etc., in accordance with the quality criteria, according to Statistics Act.
18.5. Data compilation
Data processing includes the actions by which, based on the primary data, reduced to a suitable form, the statistical data are calculated, using software products - Excel, SPSS and/or R for this purpose.
Data processing is carried out with strict application of survey methodology and data verification methods.
This procedure describes the processing of input data and its preparation for analyses. It involves integrating, classifying, verifying, cleaning, and transforming input data so that it can be analysed and disseminated as statistical result.
18.5.1. Imputation - rate
Not applicable.
18.6. Adjustment
Not applicable.
18.6.1. Seasonal adjustment
Not applicable.
No comment.
Data are provided on the environmental protection and restoration expenditures include: expenditure for the acquisition of tangible fixed assets with ecological use (TFAEU) and intangible assets with an ecological use (TIFAEU) and expenditure for maintaining TFAEU and expenditure for carrying out activities for the protection and restoration of the environment.
Expenditure for the acquisition tangible fixed assets and intangible assets whit an ecological use include : invested funds for the construction of facilities, modernization and expansion of existing TFAEU, as well as those for licenses, know-how, patents and others; expenditure for acquisition of monitoring and control equipment.
The expenditure for maintaining TFAEU and carrying out measures for the protection and restoration of the environment include the expenditure for operation and maintenance of TFAEU; the expenditure for conducting events not related to the use of TFAEU: reclamation, chemical melioration, biological and integrated plant protection, afforestation and landscaping activities, landscape protection, incl. protected areas and sites; the expenditure for operation and maintenance of the monitoring and control equipment; expenditure for administrative activities related to environmental protection.
The expenditure for protection and restoration of the environment provide information on the expenditure for acquisition and the expenditure for maintaining tangible fixed assets and carried out activities with an ecological use, distributed by environmental domain (water, air, waste and others).
They also provide information on the amounts paid for services (fees for discharge and treatment of wastewater, fees paid to the MOEW for the reclamation of disturbed areas and fees for disposal and treatment waste , including annual fee municipal waste ) in environmental domain.
20 December 2024
The environmental protection and restoration expenditure represents the economic resources intended for all activities and actions that have as their main goal the prevention, reduction and elimination of pollution and any other environmental degradation.
Specialized equipment for the environment (end-of-pipe) - includes facilities which are not involved in the production process and serve only to reduce pollution resulting from production..
Integrated technologies - elements of the production process/technologies, which resulted in achieving less environmental pollution compared to other similar technologies.
Enterprises and units by type of activity that have spend funds for new construction, reconstruction, maintenance and operation of tangible and intangible fixed assets, and environmental measures.
The population consists of active enterprises, local units and KAUs from all economic activities that have available facilities, installations and equipment that are part of TFA, or have TFA introduced/acquired during the year
Total for the country.
Year
The accuracy of the data, as one of the criteria for the quality of statistical information, according to the Statistics Act, is guaranteed through the quality assurance activities within the statistical production process.
Million BGN
Data processing includes the actions by which, based on the primary data, reduced to a suitable form, the statistical data are calculated, using software products - Excel, SPSS and/or R for this purpose.
Data processing is carried out with strict application of survey methodology and data verification methods.
This procedure describes the processing of input data and its preparation for analyses. It involves integrating, classifying, verifying, cleaning, and transforming input data so that it can be analysed and disseminated as statistical result.
- Statistical survey "Environmental protection and restoration expenditure";
- Administrative sources (Eurostat - published data from the BNB's balance of payments).
Information from other statistical surveys (environmental statistics - "Public water supply, sewerage and treatment", structural business statistics, national accounts, statistics on foreign trade) is also used for defining the general population, data validation and making estimations.
Data for Public sector cover only NACE, Rev 2. 84. At the current stage in Bulgaria the National accounts data is based on aggregated data from the Ministry of Finance. Up to this moment COFOG is not used as a source of information on the expenditure of Public sector as available information is not sufficient for the purposes of reporting. In order to meet the reporting requirements of environmental accounts, COFOG data information needs to be presented at a more disaggregated level.
Since 2014 there has been a change in methodology. To the survey data for the Business sector, Specialised producers and the Public sector we added an additional estimate referring to the whole economy. Are included the data from the regular environmental survey and an is added estimation referring to the whole economy.
Annual
The data are published 24 months after the reference year, according to the requirements of Regulation (EU) No. 691/2011 on the European environmental economic accounts.
Data are compiled at the national level. Given the application of common definitions and classifications, the data are comparability with other EU countries.
Data are comparability over time. Time series are available since 1997 (since 2000 in INFOSTAT).
When the methodology changes, the data in the time series are revised.
