Statistics Norway

Section of energy, environment and transport statistics

Statistics Norway

Otervegen 23

2212- Kongsvinger

Norway

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. Like the system of national accounts, EW-MFA constitute a multi-purpose information system. The detailed material flows provide a rich empirical database for numerous analytical purposes. Further, EW-MFA are used to derive various material flow indicators.

The National Statistical Institute (NSI) sent to Eurostat on yearly basis the EW-MFA. The accounts comprise the following reporting 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 (intra- and extra-EU) and Table D 'Exports – total exports (intra- and extra-EU)': These physical trade tables record the imports and exports of products in thousand tonnes and grouped by materials.
• Table F 'Domestic processed output (DPO)': records material flows from the economy to the domestic environment (e.g. emissions to air, water and soil)
• Table G 'Balancing items': reports some memorandum items which are necessary to have the full material balance related to a national economy
• Table H 'Indicators': presents the EW-MFA derived indicators which are automatically calculated from Table A to G

Table I 'Material flow accounts in raw material equivalents (RME)': records material flow accounts in raw material equivalents (MFA-RME). Some items are calculated automatically based on data reported in Table A and Table I

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)
• domestic processed output (Table F)
• balancing items (Table G)
• direct material input (indicator)
• domestic material consumption (indicator)
• physical trade balance (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.

The data refer to national economies as defined in the system of national accounts.

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').

For more detailed information please see also 3.1.

Statistical units change according to the different data sources (e.g. agriculture, forestry and fishery statistics, production statistics, geological surveys, energy statistics, foreign trade statistics etc.) which EW-MFA are based on.

EW-MFA refer to the entire national economy of the reporting country (see also 3.3 'Coverage - sector')).

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.

Norwegian economic actvities 

Please see the table in 3.8.1.

Not applicable because EW-MFA are not reported as indices.

The unit of measure is thousand tonnes.

The data refer to the calendar years.

Economy-wide material flow accounts (EW-MFA) are legally covered by Regulation (EU) 691/2011 on European Environmental Economic Accounts.

Not applicable in national level this information is required at European level only.

Economic activities whith fewer than three companies are aggregated.

Economic activity S is an example where several economic activities are aggregated.

Material flows are published at www.ssb.no in the year t+1 in november/december.

Release calendar are available at www.ssb.no

Release calender are available at www.ssb.no

Annualy

Figures are published with a news article and figures in the Statbank at www.ssb.no

Economy-wide material flow accounts (ssb.no)

Economy-wide material flow accounts. Statbank Norway (ssb.no)

Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.

EW-MFA questionnairre and relevant statistics where we drive data from to complete the questionairre.

NO

Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.

Central Framework: System of Environmental-Economic Accounting

https://seea.un.org/sites/seea.un.org/files/seea_cf_final_en.pdf

Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.

As descibed in quality report.

European standard of quality assurance for production of EW-MFA is followed and CF-SEEA and MFA guidlines are central for statistics publication.

In addition to that methodology, description and quality reports of statistics, which provides data to complete EW-MFA tabels are following:

European standard of quality assurance for production of EW-MFA is followed and CF-SEEA and MFA guidlines are central for statistics publication.

Main user of indicators are Norwegian enviornmental authorities and we have regular contact with them.

Material flows are calculated from 1990 to year t+1

Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.

Please use Annex 3 for providing an assessment of the overall quality of the reported data. 

Not applicable because data are not based on a sample survey.

Not applicable because data are not based on a sample survey.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Delivered on time

Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.

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.

Not applicable because physical imports and exports as recorded in EW-MFA are not specified by origin and/or destination.

Please see the table in 15.2.1.1.

Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.

Please use below table for explaining b)-flags (breaks in time series): No break in time series

Not applicable

Not applicable; reported EW-MFA data are only annual.

Yes

Yes

Yes, indeed.

Data revision are done by data providers and SSB before publishing and reporting the statistics annually.

Revisions in the 2021 EW-MFA questionnaire:

Yes, we have reported revised figures for M.F..2.1, M.F.2.9, M.F.3.7 and M.F.3.8 for the period 2016-2019. Only change we have in these revised figures than previous one is that we now have reported also figures for another elements under MF.2. Which were hold back by data provider because of confidentiality. As you see the new reported figures under the segment are marked with confidentiality & second confidentiality footnotes. Though total sum for metal ores are same as earlier reported figures. So revision as such is not changing the total amount of domestic extraction of metal ores in Norway. 

Figures for MF.4.2.2 has been revised for the period 2007-2019. Revision in figures occured because a new production system for energy account and energy balance statistics was implemented in 2016–2018, and the revision of the production system was accompanied by an extensive review of methods.

Data sources used to produce economy-wide material flow accounts are described in the sub-concepts 18.1.1 (and Annex) and 18.1.2.

Please use Annex 1 to report the detailed data sources for questionnaire tables A, B, D, F and G.

Not applicable

Annualy

Many other statistics are used as datasources.

Datasources are validated annualy.

Data are compiled anually.

Not applicable.

Please use Annex 2 to describe estimation approaches for specific items. 

Not applicable

Not applicable

International navigation is an economic activity that needs more quality control.

Not applicable; i.e. in EW-MFA no time series adjustment necessary.

Not applicable.