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.
State Statistical Office of the Republic of North Macedonia
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Department for environment, energy and transport
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
Dame Gruev no 4
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
28 November 2024
2.2. Metadata last posted
28 November 2024
2.3. Metadata last update
28 November 2024
3.1. Data description
Economy-wide material flow accounts (EW-MFA) provide an aggregate overview, in thousand tonnes per year, of the material flows into and out of an economy. EW-MFA cover solid, gaseous, and liquid materials, except for bulk flows of water and air.
The accounts comprise the following tables:
Table A 'Domestic extraction (DE)': records material flows from the environment into the economy in a detailed breakdown by type of material
Table B 'Imports - total imports
Table D 'Exports – total exports
These physical trade tables record the imports and exports of products in thousand tonnes and grouped by materials.
Domestic extracted reources by types of materials, in physical units (biomass and biomass products; metal ores and concentrates, raw and processed; non-metalic minerals, raw and processed; material for fossil energy, raw and processed; other products).
Domestic extraction (DE): DE indicates the total amount of material extracted by resident units from the natural environment for further processing in the economy
Imports (IMP): As opposed to domestically extracted materials, goods traded with abroad: basic commodities, semi-manufactured goods and finished goods.
Exports (EXP): As opposed to domestically extracted materials, goods traded with the abroad are the commodities and products in various stages of processing: basic commodities (unmilled cereals, ore concentrate and the like), semi-manufactured goods (worked wood or steel ingots) and finished goods (technical equipment, furniture and the like).
Domestic material consumption (DMC): DMC is calculated as direct material input minus physical exports: DMC = DMI – EXP.
Direct material input (DMI): DMI indicates the direct input of material into the economy. DMI includes all materials which are of economic value and which are availble for use in production and consumption activities and it is calculated as the sum of domestic extraction plus physical imports: DMI = DE + IMP.
EW-MFA record physical flows of materials broken down by type of flow and by type of material.
The type of flow dimension corresponds to the EW-MFA questionnaire reporting tables and derived indicators, namely:
domestic extraction (Table A)
physical imports (Table B)
physical exports (Table D)
balancing items (Table G)
direct material input (indicator)
domestic material consumption (indicator)
The breakdown by type of material employs a classification of materials. This EW-MFA classification of materials is hierarchical with main material flow categories (1-digit level). Each main category is further broken down, maximal down to 4-digit-level:
1-digit: material category;
2-digit: material class;
3-digit: material group;
4-digit: material sub-group.
3.3. Coverage - sector
The data refer to the whole national economy as defined in the system of national accounts.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Conceptually economy-wide material flow accounts (EW-MFA) belong to the international system of environmental economic accounting (SEEA-Central Framework). Furthermore, EW-MFA is one of several physical modules of Eurostat's programme on European environmental economic accounts. It is covered by Regulation (EU) No. 691/2011 on European environmental economic accounts.
EW-MFA are closely related to concepts and definitions of national accounts. Most notably they follow the residence principle, i.e. they record material flows related to resident unit's activities, regardless where those occur geographically.
Further methodological guidelines are provided in various publications by Eurostat (see Eurostat website > Environment > Methodology, heading: 'Material flows and resource productivity').
3.5. Statistical unit
Statistical units change according to the different data sources (e.g. agriculture, forestry and fishery statistics, production statistics, energy statistics, foreign trade statistics etc.) which EW-MFA are based on.
3.6. Statistical population
EW-MFA refer to the entire national economy.
EW-MFA include all materials (excluding water and air) crossing the system boundary (between the environment and the economy) on the input side or on the output side. The economy is demarcated by the conventions of the national accounting system (resident units).
Material inputs to the economy cover extractions of natural resources (excluding water and air) from the natural environment and imports of material products (goods) from the rest of the world economy (ROW).
Material outputs are disposals of materials to the natural environment and exports of material products and waste to the ROW. Information on natural resources extracted and traded products is provided by different statistical units.
3.7. Reference area
NTES 1 and 2 (Republic of North Macedonia)
3.8. Coverage - Time
Material flow accounts data are annual and start with the year 2010. Time series 2010-2023
3.8.1. Coverage – Time: by questionnaire table
Questionnaire table
From (YEAR)
To (YEAR)
Comments
Domestic extraction (Table A)
2010
2023
Data for domestic extraction are final data
Imports – Total trade (Table B)
2010
2023
Data for 2022 imports are preliminary, estimated data, for the previuos years are revised and are final data
Exports – Total trade (Table D)
2010
2023
Data for 2022 exports are estimated data, for the previuos years are revised and are final data
Domestic processed outpu (Table F)
2016
2019
Data from administrative sources - Air Emission Accounts survey (MF 7.1) and from Survey on waste by sectors of economic activity (MF 7.2) are final data
Balancing items (Table G)
not applicable
not applicable
Material flow accounts in raw material equivalents (RME) (Table I)
not applicable
not applicable
3.9. Base period
Not applicable because EW-MFA are not reported as indices.
The unit of measure is thousand tonnes.
The calendar year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
NATIONAL LEGISLATION Law on State Statistics ("Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia" No. 54/1997, 21/2007, 51/2011, 104/2013, 42/2014, 192/2015, 27/16, 83/18, 220/18, 31/20)
The Programme of Statistical Surveys 2023-2027 ("Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia" No. 29/23) (Stat.gov website)
EUROPEAN LEGISLATION Regulation (EU) 691/2011 on European Environmental Economic Accounts and Regulation (EU) 538/2014 on European Environmental Economic Accounts amending Regulation (EU) No. 691/2011. Regulation 2014/538 - Amendment of Regulation (EU) No 691/2011 on European environmental economic accounts
International: Economy-wide material flow accounts (EW-MFA) are legally covered by Regulation (EU) 691/2011 on European Environmental Economic Accounts.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Individual data are protected by the Law on State Statistics . Data collected with statistical surveys from the reporting units or indirectly from administrative or other sources are confidential data and are used only for statistical purposes. Results from the statistical processing may also generate information considered as confidential, for example: anonymised individual data, tables with low level of aggregation, as well as unreleased data. The Policy on Statistical Confidentiality contains the basic principles used in the SSO.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
All individual or personal data, in each phase of statistical processing, are treated as confidential data and may be used only for statistical purposes. When releasing data from this survey at an aggregated level, there is no need for additional data treatment for the purpose of ensuring confidentiality.
8.1. Release calendar
The publication of the data is in accordance with the Release Calendar which is being prepared annually before the beginning of the calendar year and is updated quarterly.
In accordance with the dissemination policy, all users have equal access to statistical data at the same time. Data are released on the web site at the same time for all users, which are informed with the Release Calendar, and no user has privileged access.
According to the Law on State Statistics (Article 41) and the Policy on Access to Anonymised Microdata for scientific purposes , data collected for the purpose of official statistics may be used for scientific purposes if there is no risk of direct or indirect identification, i.e. disclosure of data individuality. Access to microdata is possible only in the safe room at the SSO, based on a submitted and approved request and a signed agreement.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Survey data are sent to Eurostat and they are released on the web site of this institution: Database.
The commitment of the SSO to ensuring quality of products and services is described in the:
Law on State Statistics
Strategy of the State Statistical Office Quality
Policy of the State Statistical Office
as well as in the continuous efforts for harmonisation with the European Statistics Code of Practice . The main aspects and procedures for quality management in the phases and sub-processes of the Statistical Business Process Model, as well as the good practices for ensuring quality are documented in the internal document called “Guide for ensuring quality of statistical processes”. Input and output metadata, as well as relevant quality indicators for certain sub-processes are described in the document “Guide for survey managers.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Data on material flow accounts are used by the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning. All levels of aggregation according to the regulations for satelite economic accounts for environmeny are calculated and published on national level and are sent to Eurostat.
Statistical survey on material flow accounts satisfies the principle of accuracy.
Data on material flow accounts are timely and geographically comparable, interdomain and internal coherency of data is ensured.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The users include policy makers in ministry of environment, other statistical units, environmental organisations, researchers, students and interested citizens.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
The State Statistical Office conducts the User Satisfaction Survey. This Survey was conducted in 2009, 2012, 2015 and the last one in 2017.
12.3. Completeness
Data are complete for mandatory tables of EW-MFA questionnaire.
Data are available since 2010.
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
Number of provided data at national level = (1 data * 1 year) = 1
Number of data which have to be provided at national level = (1 data * 1 year) = 1
Number of data which have to be sent to Eurostat = (1 data * 1 year) = 1
Completness of data at national level = (1/1*100)=100%.
Number of sent data to Eurostat = (1 data * 1 year) = 1
Completness of data to Eurostat = (1/1*100)=100%.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Notwithstanding EW-MFA stem from a variety of data sources (e.g. agriculture, forestry and fishery statistics, production statistics, geological surveys, energy statistics, foreign trade statistics etc.) the overall accuracy is considered good.
Data accuracy is ensured by working on decreasing errors, as well as with additional data comparisons and analysis before dissemination.
Not applicable because data are not based on a sample survey.
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Not applicable because data are not based on a sample survey.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3.1. Coverage error
Not applicable.
13.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
Not applicable.
13.3.2. Measurement error
Not applicable. No errors when data are collected.
Differences in the values of colected with real data are currently processed and measurement is not performed.
13.3.3. Non response error
This statistical survey has 100% coverage of units and topics.
Units without answer (not covered units from the entire population) = 0%.
Topics without answer = 0%.
13.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate
Under coverage= 0%.
13.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate
Proportion of shared units = 0%.
13.3.4. Processing error
No measurement is performed during data processing.
13.3.5. Model assumption error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
Data on material flow accounts are published 24 months after the reference period is expired. First results are published 12 months after expiration of the reference period.
14.1.1. Time lag - first result
T+330
14.1.2. Time lag - final result
Not applicable.All data are published according to the deadlines in the Release Calendar and are sent do Eurostat in a timely manner.
Time difference of first release releasing = 0 days.
Time difference of sumbitting to Eurostat = 0 days.
14.2. Punctuality
All data are delivered according to the deadlines in the Release Calendar and are sent do Eurostat in a timely manner.
14.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
Time difference of first release publishing = 0 days.
Time difference of sumbitting to Eurostat = 0 days.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Data on EW-MFA are compiled according to harmonised guidelines provided by Eurostat and hence comparable across European countries reporting EW-MFA data to Eurostat.
15.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not applicable because physical imports and exports as recorded in EW-MFA are not specified by origin and/or destination.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Lenth of comparable time series = 12 reference periods. Please see the table in 15.2.1.1. for detailed info.
15.2.1. Length of comparable time series
Lenth of comparable time series = 14 reference periods.
15.2.1.1. Comparability - over time detailed
Please use below table for explaining b)-flags (breaks in time series):
Year (of the break in series)
Questionnaire table(s)
MF-code(s)
Reason for' break in time series'
All years
All tables
No break in time series
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Data are partially coherent. For calculation of material flow accounts data from other statistical surveys are used. From these data with additional processing appropriate indicators are calculated which are used for calculation of material flow accounts. Then calculated data are compared with the data from: agricultural statistics, energy, industry and foreign trade statistics. Before the comparison, methodological differences are considered in order do check reliability, accuracy of collected data from this analitical survey with other surveys.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
Not applicable.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
The data are coherent with national accounts and environmental-economic accounts.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Internal coherence of data is ensured, data are controlled and analysed in the process of production.
No costs for data collection, not burden of reporting units because data are taken directly (electronically) from administrative sources.
There is a revision practice. For the year 2022 data are revised in Tables B and D (import and export) because the department of foreign trade delivered preliminary data for the current year and in 2023 deliver final data for 2022. Also for 2023 data are preliminary and for the reporting year 2022 data are revised.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not applicable.
18.1. Source data
EW-MFA is a systematic and comprehensive conceptual framework which consists of accounting rules, definitions, and classifications. For populating the EW-MFA framework with data various statistical sources have to be used. Those original sources have to be reformatted and amended in order to comply with the concepts of the EW-MFA accounting system. For preparing the tables, data from administrative sources and statistical surveys were used. The main sources were data compiled by statistical surveys from production statistics (PRODCOM), agricultural crop statistics forestry and fishery statistics, energy, water collection, treatment and supply, external trade statistics (import and export). For the calculation of indicators per capita we used data on average population for individually year. For the calculation of indicators of resource productivity we used data on GDP (in chain-linked volumes to the respective reference year exchange rates and in PPS) from the Eurostat’s Eurobase.
18.1.1. Source data - Table A, B, D, F and G
Please use Annex 1 to report the detailed data sources for questionnaire tables A, B, D, F and G.
Table A. Domestic extraction
MF1 Biomass
MF1.1 - CData from crop production survey
MF1.2 - CData from crop production survey
MF1.3 - CData from forestry statistics survey
MF1.4 - CData from survey on fishery and aquaculture
Data collection is performed electronically from data bases of the statistical surveys in SSO.
18.4. Data validation
Data validation is done through the entire process of processing and calculation according to the criteria for calculation of output data.
18.5. Data compilation
Data are taken from other SSO surveys , after which data control is performed according to advanced defined logical propositions. Data are entered into Eurostat questionnaire which has own validation tables. By the end standardized output tables are prepared with the main results which are published.
18.5.3. Adjustment used of correspondence table for Tables B and D
Not applicable.
18.5.4. Adjustment used of conversion factors for Tables B and D
Not applicable.
18.5.5. Fuel trade, residence adjustment
Not applicable.
18.5.6. Significant problems
No significant problems.
18.6. Adjustment
Not applicable; i.e. in EW-MFA no time series adjustment necessary.
18.6.1. Seasonal adjustment
Not applicable, no seasonal adjustment of data.
Economy-wide material flow accounts (EW-MFA) provide an aggregate overview, in thousand tonnes per year, of the material flows into and out of an economy. EW-MFA cover solid, gaseous, and liquid materials, except for bulk flows of water and air.
The accounts comprise the following tables:
Table A 'Domestic extraction (DE)': records material flows from the environment into the economy in a detailed breakdown by type of material
Table B 'Imports - total imports
Table D 'Exports – total exports
These physical trade tables record the imports and exports of products in thousand tonnes and grouped by materials.
Domestic extracted reources by types of materials, in physical units (biomass and biomass products; metal ores and concentrates, raw and processed; non-metalic minerals, raw and processed; material for fossil energy, raw and processed; other products).
Domestic extraction (DE): DE indicates the total amount of material extracted by resident units from the natural environment for further processing in the economy
Imports (IMP): As opposed to domestically extracted materials, goods traded with abroad: basic commodities, semi-manufactured goods and finished goods.
Exports (EXP): As opposed to domestically extracted materials, goods traded with the abroad are the commodities and products in various stages of processing: basic commodities (unmilled cereals, ore concentrate and the like), semi-manufactured goods (worked wood or steel ingots) and finished goods (technical equipment, furniture and the like).
Domestic material consumption (DMC): DMC is calculated as direct material input minus physical exports: DMC = DMI – EXP.
Direct material input (DMI): DMI indicates the direct input of material into the economy. DMI includes all materials which are of economic value and which are availble for use in production and consumption activities and it is calculated as the sum of domestic extraction plus physical imports: DMI = DE + IMP.
Conceptually economy-wide material flow accounts (EW-MFA) belong to the international system of environmental economic accounting (SEEA-Central Framework). Furthermore, EW-MFA is one of several physical modules of Eurostat's programme on European environmental economic accounts. It is covered by Regulation (EU) No. 691/2011 on European environmental economic accounts.
EW-MFA are closely related to concepts and definitions of national accounts. Most notably they follow the residence principle, i.e. they record material flows related to resident unit's activities, regardless where those occur geographically.
Further methodological guidelines are provided in various publications by Eurostat (see Eurostat website > Environment > Methodology, heading: 'Material flows and resource productivity').
Statistical units change according to the different data sources (e.g. agriculture, forestry and fishery statistics, production statistics, energy statistics, foreign trade statistics etc.) which EW-MFA are based on.
EW-MFA refer to the entire national economy.
EW-MFA include all materials (excluding water and air) crossing the system boundary (between the environment and the economy) on the input side or on the output side. The economy is demarcated by the conventions of the national accounting system (resident units).
Material inputs to the economy cover extractions of natural resources (excluding water and air) from the natural environment and imports of material products (goods) from the rest of the world economy (ROW).
Material outputs are disposals of materials to the natural environment and exports of material products and waste to the ROW. Information on natural resources extracted and traded products is provided by different statistical units.
NTES 1 and 2 (Republic of North Macedonia)
The calendar year.
Notwithstanding EW-MFA stem from a variety of data sources (e.g. agriculture, forestry and fishery statistics, production statistics, geological surveys, energy statistics, foreign trade statistics etc.) the overall accuracy is considered good.
Data accuracy is ensured by working on decreasing errors, as well as with additional data comparisons and analysis before dissemination.
Data are taken from other SSO surveys , after which data control is performed according to advanced defined logical propositions. Data are entered into Eurostat questionnaire which has own validation tables. By the end standardized output tables are prepared with the main results which are published.
EW-MFA is a systematic and comprehensive conceptual framework which consists of accounting rules, definitions, and classifications. For populating the EW-MFA framework with data various statistical sources have to be used. Those original sources have to be reformatted and amended in order to comply with the concepts of the EW-MFA accounting system. For preparing the tables, data from administrative sources and statistical surveys were used. The main sources were data compiled by statistical surveys from production statistics (PRODCOM), agricultural crop statistics forestry and fishery statistics, energy, water collection, treatment and supply, external trade statistics (import and export). For the calculation of indicators per capita we used data on average population for individually year. For the calculation of indicators of resource productivity we used data on GDP (in chain-linked volumes to the respective reference year exchange rates and in PPS) from the Eurostat’s Eurobase.
Annual, T+180
Data on material flow accounts are published 24 months after the reference period is expired. First results are published 12 months after expiration of the reference period.
Data on EW-MFA are compiled according to harmonised guidelines provided by Eurostat and hence comparable across European countries reporting EW-MFA data to Eurostat.
Lenth of comparable time series = 12 reference periods. Please see the table in 15.2.1.1. for detailed info.
