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.
Foreign Affiliates Statistics (FATS) measure the commercial presence through affiliates in foreign markets.
Inward foreign affiliates statistics (IFATS) shall mean statistics describing the activity of foreign affiliates resident in the compiling country.
In country-level business statistics foreign-controlled enterprise shall mean an enterprise resident in the compiling country over which an ultimate controlling institutional unit not resident in the compiling country has control.(Table 14 of the EBS Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197).
Variables on the country-level business activities in the IFATS data category:
Business activities in foreign control:
210301. Number of foreign-controlled enterprises
220501. Number of employees and self-employed persons in foreign-controlled enterprises
220701. Employee benefits expense in foreign-controlled enterprises
230301. Intramural R & D expenditure in foreign-controlled enterprises
230401. R & D personnel in foreign-controlled enterprises
240301. Total purchases of goods and services of foreign-controlled enterprises
240302. Purchases of goods and services for resale of foreign-controlled enterprises
250601. Net turnover of foreign-controlled enterprises
250701. Value of output of foreign-controlled enterprises
260201. Foreign-controlled enterprises’ gross investment in tangible non-current assets
250801. Value added of foreign-controlled enterprises
Business activities in total economy:
210101. Number of active enterprises
220101. Number of employees and self-employed persons
220301. Employee benefits expense
230101. Intramural R & D expenditure
230201. R & D personnel
240101. Total purchases of goods and services
240102. Purchases of goods and services for resale
250101. Net turnover
250301. Value of output
250401. Value added
260101. Gross investment in tangible non-current assets
3.2. Classification system
Classification systems used in the FATS are as follows:
Statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community (NACE Rev. 2);
List of 2-digit country codes (ISO 3166-1);
Currency codes (ISO 4217).
3.3. Coverage - sector
For all variables except for variables Intramural R & D expenditure, Intramural R & D expenditure in foreign-controlled enterprises, R & D personnel and R & D personnel in foreign-controlled enterprises: Market producers of NACE Sections B to N and P to R and divisions S95 and S96;
For variables Intramural R & D expenditure, Intramural R & D expenditure in foreign-controlled enterprises, R & D personnel and R & D personnel in foreign-controlled enterprises: Market producers of NACE Sections B to F.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Foreign Affiliates Statistics (FATS) measure the commercial presence through affiliates in foreign markets.
Inward foreign affiliates statistics (IFATS) shall mean statistics describing the activity of foreign affiliates resident in the compiling country.
In country-level business statistics foreign-controlled enterprise shall mean an enterprise resident in the compiling country over which an ultimate controlling institutional unit not resident in the compiling country has control.(Table 14 of the Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197).
Foreign affiliate in the framework of outward FATS is an enterprise or branch not resident in the compiling country over which an institutional unit resident in the compiling country has ultimate (direct or indirect) control.
Domestic affiliate shall mean an enterprise resident in the compiling country over which a UCI resident in the same compiling country has control.
Ultimate Controlling Institutional of a foreign affiliate (UCI) shall mean the institutional unit, proceeding up a foreign affiliate’s chain of control, which is not controlled by another institutional unit.
Control is the ability to determine the general policy of the affiliate by choosing appropriate directors, if necessary. In this context, enterprise A is deemed to be controlled by an institutional unit B when B controls, whether directly or indirectly, more than half of the shareholders' voting power or more than half of the shares.
Indirect control means that an institutional unit may have control through another affiliate which has control over enterprise A.
Active enterprise is a statistical units which at any time during the reference period was ‘enterprise’, as defined in Regulation (EEC) No 696/93, and also active during the same reference period. A statistical unit is considered to have been active during the reference period if, in said period, it either realized positive net turnover or produced outputs or had employees or performed investments.
Employees and self-employed persons are persons who work for an observation unit on the basis of a contract of employment and receives compensation in the form of wages, salaries, fees, gratuities, piecework pay or remuneration in kind; and persons who are the sole owners or joint owners of the statistical unit in which they work. Family workers and outworkers, whose income is a function of the value of the outputs of the statistical unit, are also included.
Employee benefits expense contains all expenses arising in relation with employee benefits, recognized by the statistical unit during the reference period. Those are are all forms of consideration given by the statistical unit in exchange for service rendered by employees or for the termination of employment.
Research and experimental development (R & D) comprise creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge – including knowledge of humankind, culture and society – and to devise new applications of available knowledge. Expenditures on intramural R & D represent the amount of money spent on R & D that is performed within a reporting unit. Intramural R & D expenditures are all current expenditures plus gross fixed capital expenditures for R & D performed within a statistical unit during a specific reference period whatever the source of funds. R & D current expenditures include labour costs for internal R & D personnel and other current costs (costs for external R & D personnel, purchase of services.). Gross fixed capital expenditures for R & D include: acquisition of land, acquisition of buildings, acquisition of information and communication equipment, acquisition of transport equipment, acquisition of other machinery and equipment, acquisition of capitalised computer software, acquisition of other intellectual property products.
R & D personnel in a statistical unit include all persons engaged directly in R & D, whether employed by the statistical unit or external contributors fully integrated into the statistical unit’s R & D activities, as well as those providing direct services for the R & D activities (such as R & D managers, administrators, technicians and clerical staff).
Total purchases of goods and services contains all amount of goods and services purchased by the statistical unit, recognized in accounting as either current assets or expenses during the reference period.
Purchases of goods and services for resale in are purchases of goods for resale to third parties without further processing. It also includes purchases of services by ‘invoicing’ service companies, i.e. those whose turnover is composed not only of agency fees charged on a service transaction (as in the case of estate agents) but also the actual amount involved in the service transaction, e.g. transport purchases by travel agents.
Net turnover consists of all income arising during the reference period in the course of ordinary activities of the statistical unit, and is presented net of all price reductions, discounts and rebates granted by it.
Value of output represents the value of the total output of the statistical unit, generated during the reference period.
Value added is a composite indicator of net operating income, adjusted for depreciation, amortization and employee benefits, all components being recognized as such by the statistical unit during the reference period.
Gross investment in tangible non-current assets includes all additions to tangible non-current assets, recognized as such by the statistical unit during the reference period, except any increases from revaluations or reversals of previously recognized impairment losses and from reclassifications (transfers) of other tangible non-current assets.
3.5. Statistical unit
The statistical unit of FATS is the enterprise as defined in line with the Regulation (EEC) No 696/93 on the statistical units for the observation and analysis of the production system in the Community.
3.6. Statistical population
For all variables except for variables 230101 (Intramural R & D expenditure), 230301 (Intramural R & D expenditure in foreign-controlled enterprises), 230201 (R & D personnel) and 230401 (R & D personnel in foreign-controlled enterprises): Market producers of NACE Sections B to N and P to R and divisions S95 and S96;
For variables 230101 (Intramural R & D expenditure), 230301 (Intramural R & D expenditure in foreign-controlled enterprises), 230201 (R & D personnel) and 230401 (R & D personnel in foreign-controlled enterprises): Market producers of NACE Sections B to F.
3.7. Reference area
The reference area is the country teritory
3.8. Coverage - Time
Data are available since 2003 to present
3.9. Base period
Not applicable
Number of enterprises and employment variables are recorded in absolute figures.
Monetary data of enterprises are recorded in national currency.
Calendar year 2023
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Annual for all variables except for variables 230101 (Intramural R & D expenditure), 230301 (Intramural R & D expenditure in foreign-controlled enterprises), 230201 (R & D personnel) and 230401 (R & D personnel in foreign-controlled enterprises): Market producers of NACE Sections B to N and P to R and divisions S95 and S96;
Biennial (every odd-numbered year) for variables 230101 (Intramural R & D expenditure), 230301 (Intramural R & D expenditure in foreign-controlled enterprises), 230201 (R & D personnel) and 230401 (R & D personnel in foreign-controlled enterprises): Market producers of NACE Sections B to F.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
No press release
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Regular annual publication
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Data are not available in online database
10.3.1. Data tables - consultations
Not aplicable
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Anonymized microdata is accessible for research purposes only.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Not aplicable
10.5.1. Metadata - consultations
Information are not available
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Methodological guideline and statistical metadata
10.6.1. Metadata completeness - rate
Complete
10.6.2. Availability of statistical metadata
Metadata are available online
10.6.3. Web links if metadata are published electronically
In NSI Romania, according to National Statistical legislation NIS applies the quality concepts in official statistics. NSI Romania uses statistical methods and processes in compliance with the following internationally principles and standards:
Commitment to support the credibility of official national statistics NSI quality statement
Code of good practice of European statistics - 2017; 2011; 2005.
The following national standards and provisions are applied:
Quality Guidelines for Romanian Official Statistics
Methodological guide for data editing
11.2. Quality management - assessment
The overall assessment of data quality is good and is based on standard quality criteria
The sources of information for FATS statistics is the SBS survey and administrative sources. For the statistical sources (SBS) the quality management process covers all phases. In the data collection and data editing, various checks and validation rules are applied. Data are also validated against administrative sources. Unit and item non-responses are checked in order to be imputed from administrative sources, where available. The check and validation process is applied on different levels as follows:
at micro-data level some ratios between variables are checked to identify the significant growths or decreases compared to previous year. For the units were such phenomena is seen, either the unit is recontacted or data are checked against administrative records; in case of units for which data are based on SBS but on administrative sources similar validations checks at micro level are applied. In such cases the units are not contacted for clarification.
the main variables are checked against those available from administrative data sources to check for any possible errors in the data collected;
the main activity of the units is checked compared to previous year and to other statistical surveys results;
aggregated data at different NACE levels are compared to the values of the previous year. Reasons for growths or decrease should be identified; special attention is given to large units and to larger ratios.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The main internal users are the national accounts department and other statistical departments in the NSI. Other internal users are: media, researchers and businesses.
External users are: Eurostat, UN and other international organisations.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
General user satisfaction is carried out on a multi-annual basis.
12.3. Completeness
All the requested variables are compiled and disseminated
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
Please see Table 12.3.1 in the Annex at the bottom.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The accuracy of the data is considered as very good. The main sources of error are linked with the non-response. A complex data editing process is applied at micro-level for the data editing carried out on a continuous basis throughout the production process as mentioned under the heading 11. Quality management
13.1.1. Use of residual geographic codes (Extra EU-27 not allocated, etc.)
Please see Table 13.1 in the Annex at the bottom.
13.1.2. UCI Approach applied to identify the relevant population of reporting units
UCI approach is applied to identify the relevant population. EGR information is used to define the population
13.1.3. Update date (or frequency of updates) of the information regarding the country of the UCI by the “source administration”
The updates are based on the EGR information. Once the EGR is released, the information in the SBR are updated
13.1.4. Description of other method used to improve the accuracy of the UCI
EGR is the main source
13.2. Sampling error
Not aplicable
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
not aplicable
13.3. Non-sampling error
Source of data is SBS
13.3.1. Coverage error
Not aplicable
13.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
not aplicable
13.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
No survey is carried out for FATS. SBS data are the source of information.
13.3.1.3. Misclassification errors
not aplicable
13.3.1.4. Under- and over-coverage problems
not aplicable
13.3.2. Measurement error
the validation is done in SBS
13.3.3. Non response error
Unit non-response occurs when not all the reporting units in the sample participate in the survey.
Item non-response occurs when a respondent provides some, but not all, of the information requested or if the information reported is unusable (note that entirely unusable questionnaires are already counted in the unit non-response).
13.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate
See Table 13.3.3 in the Annex at the bottom.
13.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate
See Table 13.3.3 in the Annex at the bottom.
13.3.4. Processing error
not aplicable
13.3.5. Model assumption error
not aplicable
14.1. Timeliness
IFATS statistics are calculated annually for reference year T.
Data transmission to Eurostat takes place at t+20 months.
Data dissemination at national level takes place at t+21 months.
14.1.1. Time lag - first result
T+20months
14.1.2. Time lag - final result
T+20 months
14.2. Punctuality
actual delivery of the data and the target date when have been delivered is the same
14.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
Data were transmited on 29 August 2025
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Not applicable
15.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not applicable
15.2. Comparability - over time
Data are comparable over time according as stated below
15.2.1. Length of comparable time series
Length of time series:2003-2023.
Length of comparable time series: 2008-2010, 2012-2018; for 2019-2023 data at enterprise level.
15.2.2. Reasons and differences in concepts and measurement methods for breaks in time series
UCI approach used since 2006; for 2006-2008; 2011 data regarding the affiliates of natural persons were not included. Since 2019 reference year data are according to enterprise as statistical unit.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Data are coherent with those obtained through other data sources or statistical domains to a great extent.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
Not applicable
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
FATS data are send to National Accounts department upon request
15.3.3. Coherence – National Statistical Business Register (NSBR)
FATS data are compiled based on NSBR
15.3.4. Coherence – Structural Business Statistics (SBS)
the source of information for FATS variables is the SBS and administrative data in case the unit is not part of the SBS
15.3.5. Coherence – R & D
R&D survey is one of the source of information regarding R&D variables
15.3.6. Coherence – Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
Checks with FDI information are carried out
15.3.7. Coherence – EuroGroups Register (EGR)
EGR is the sources of information for the NSBR and FATS
15.4. Coherence - internal
Statistics are consistent within the IFATS data set to great extent. FATS data are internaly coherent.
Not available
17.1. Data revision - policy
The National Institute of Statistics / Romania (INS) adopted the revision policy which defines the standard rules and the principles for statistical data revision. This revision policy is compliant with: the European Statistics Code of Practice, the European Statistical System Guidelines on the revision policy of the Principal European Economic Indicators, as well as with its annexes which comprise the principles of a common policy on European statistics revision; and with the Quality Guidelines for Romanian Official Statistics issued by INS Romania in 2009. The revion policy is available on the NSI website
17.2. Data revision - practice
Data are revised in case errors are detected. The revision policy is applied.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not available
18.1. Source data
The main sources of information are the following:
SBS and administrative data/financial statements for the economic variables (in counts and monetary).
EuroGroups Register and NSBR for the UCI.
18.1.1. Methodological approach
The method used for compilation of FATS data is linking several sources of data and information. The sources are: SBS data, EGR, NSBR, administrative sources and R&D survey data.
18.1.2. Use of cut-off thresholds
No thresholds are applied
18.2. Frequency of data collection
FATS data are compiled annually
18.3. Data collection
Source to define your population:
Structural Business Statistics (SBS)
EuroGroups Register (EGR)
Statistical Business Register (SBR)
Economic data obtained using:
Structural Business Statistics (SBS)
Statistical Business Register (SBR)
Administrative sources
R&D survey
18.4. Data validation
Validation of data is performed in the SBS validation process.
18.5. Data compilation
The data compilation process is carried out for compilation of SBS variables
18.5.1. Imputation - rate
Not aplicable
18.5.2. Use of a method to deal with non-response (both unit and item non-response)
Foreign Affiliates Statistics (FATS) measure the commercial presence through affiliates in foreign markets.
Inward foreign affiliates statistics (IFATS) shall mean statistics describing the activity of foreign affiliates resident in the compiling country.
In country-level business statistics foreign-controlled enterprise shall mean an enterprise resident in the compiling country over which an ultimate controlling institutional unit not resident in the compiling country has control.(Table 14 of the EBS Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197).
Variables on the country-level business activities in the IFATS data category:
Business activities in foreign control:
210301. Number of foreign-controlled enterprises
220501. Number of employees and self-employed persons in foreign-controlled enterprises
220701. Employee benefits expense in foreign-controlled enterprises
230301. Intramural R & D expenditure in foreign-controlled enterprises
230401. R & D personnel in foreign-controlled enterprises
240301. Total purchases of goods and services of foreign-controlled enterprises
240302. Purchases of goods and services for resale of foreign-controlled enterprises
250601. Net turnover of foreign-controlled enterprises
250701. Value of output of foreign-controlled enterprises
260201. Foreign-controlled enterprises’ gross investment in tangible non-current assets
250801. Value added of foreign-controlled enterprises
Business activities in total economy:
210101. Number of active enterprises
220101. Number of employees and self-employed persons
220301. Employee benefits expense
230101. Intramural R & D expenditure
230201. R & D personnel
240101. Total purchases of goods and services
240102. Purchases of goods and services for resale
250101. Net turnover
250301. Value of output
250401. Value added
260101. Gross investment in tangible non-current assets
15 October 2025
Foreign Affiliates Statistics (FATS) measure the commercial presence through affiliates in foreign markets.
Inward foreign affiliates statistics (IFATS) shall mean statistics describing the activity of foreign affiliates resident in the compiling country.
In country-level business statistics foreign-controlled enterprise shall mean an enterprise resident in the compiling country over which an ultimate controlling institutional unit not resident in the compiling country has control.(Table 14 of the Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197).
Foreign affiliate in the framework of outward FATS is an enterprise or branch not resident in the compiling country over which an institutional unit resident in the compiling country has ultimate (direct or indirect) control.
Domestic affiliate shall mean an enterprise resident in the compiling country over which a UCI resident in the same compiling country has control.
Ultimate Controlling Institutional of a foreign affiliate (UCI) shall mean the institutional unit, proceeding up a foreign affiliate’s chain of control, which is not controlled by another institutional unit.
Control is the ability to determine the general policy of the affiliate by choosing appropriate directors, if necessary. In this context, enterprise A is deemed to be controlled by an institutional unit B when B controls, whether directly or indirectly, more than half of the shareholders' voting power or more than half of the shares.
Indirect control means that an institutional unit may have control through another affiliate which has control over enterprise A.
Active enterprise is a statistical units which at any time during the reference period was ‘enterprise’, as defined in Regulation (EEC) No 696/93, and also active during the same reference period. A statistical unit is considered to have been active during the reference period if, in said period, it either realized positive net turnover or produced outputs or had employees or performed investments.
Employees and self-employed persons are persons who work for an observation unit on the basis of a contract of employment and receives compensation in the form of wages, salaries, fees, gratuities, piecework pay or remuneration in kind; and persons who are the sole owners or joint owners of the statistical unit in which they work. Family workers and outworkers, whose income is a function of the value of the outputs of the statistical unit, are also included.
Employee benefits expense contains all expenses arising in relation with employee benefits, recognized by the statistical unit during the reference period. Those are are all forms of consideration given by the statistical unit in exchange for service rendered by employees or for the termination of employment.
Research and experimental development (R & D) comprise creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge – including knowledge of humankind, culture and society – and to devise new applications of available knowledge. Expenditures on intramural R & D represent the amount of money spent on R & D that is performed within a reporting unit. Intramural R & D expenditures are all current expenditures plus gross fixed capital expenditures for R & D performed within a statistical unit during a specific reference period whatever the source of funds. R & D current expenditures include labour costs for internal R & D personnel and other current costs (costs for external R & D personnel, purchase of services.). Gross fixed capital expenditures for R & D include: acquisition of land, acquisition of buildings, acquisition of information and communication equipment, acquisition of transport equipment, acquisition of other machinery and equipment, acquisition of capitalised computer software, acquisition of other intellectual property products.
R & D personnel in a statistical unit include all persons engaged directly in R & D, whether employed by the statistical unit or external contributors fully integrated into the statistical unit’s R & D activities, as well as those providing direct services for the R & D activities (such as R & D managers, administrators, technicians and clerical staff).
Total purchases of goods and services contains all amount of goods and services purchased by the statistical unit, recognized in accounting as either current assets or expenses during the reference period.
Purchases of goods and services for resale in are purchases of goods for resale to third parties without further processing. It also includes purchases of services by ‘invoicing’ service companies, i.e. those whose turnover is composed not only of agency fees charged on a service transaction (as in the case of estate agents) but also the actual amount involved in the service transaction, e.g. transport purchases by travel agents.
Net turnover consists of all income arising during the reference period in the course of ordinary activities of the statistical unit, and is presented net of all price reductions, discounts and rebates granted by it.
Value of output represents the value of the total output of the statistical unit, generated during the reference period.
Value added is a composite indicator of net operating income, adjusted for depreciation, amortization and employee benefits, all components being recognized as such by the statistical unit during the reference period.
Gross investment in tangible non-current assets includes all additions to tangible non-current assets, recognized as such by the statistical unit during the reference period, except any increases from revaluations or reversals of previously recognized impairment losses and from reclassifications (transfers) of other tangible non-current assets.
The statistical unit of FATS is the enterprise as defined in line with the Regulation (EEC) No 696/93 on the statistical units for the observation and analysis of the production system in the Community.
For all variables except for variables 230101 (Intramural R & D expenditure), 230301 (Intramural R & D expenditure in foreign-controlled enterprises), 230201 (R & D personnel) and 230401 (R & D personnel in foreign-controlled enterprises): Market producers of NACE Sections B to N and P to R and divisions S95 and S96;
For variables 230101 (Intramural R & D expenditure), 230301 (Intramural R & D expenditure in foreign-controlled enterprises), 230201 (R & D personnel) and 230401 (R & D personnel in foreign-controlled enterprises): Market producers of NACE Sections B to F.
The reference area is the country teritory
Calendar year 2023
The accuracy of the data is considered as very good. The main sources of error are linked with the non-response. A complex data editing process is applied at micro-level for the data editing carried out on a continuous basis throughout the production process as mentioned under the heading 11. Quality management
Number of enterprises and employment variables are recorded in absolute figures.
Monetary data of enterprises are recorded in national currency.
The data compilation process is carried out for compilation of SBS variables
The main sources of information are the following:
SBS and administrative data/financial statements for the economic variables (in counts and monetary).
EuroGroups Register and NSBR for the UCI.
Annual for all variables except for variables 230101 (Intramural R & D expenditure), 230301 (Intramural R & D expenditure in foreign-controlled enterprises), 230201 (R & D personnel) and 230401 (R & D personnel in foreign-controlled enterprises): Market producers of NACE Sections B to N and P to R and divisions S95 and S96;
Biennial (every odd-numbered year) for variables 230101 (Intramural R & D expenditure), 230301 (Intramural R & D expenditure in foreign-controlled enterprises), 230201 (R & D personnel) and 230401 (R & D personnel in foreign-controlled enterprises): Market producers of NACE Sections B to F.
IFATS statistics are calculated annually for reference year T.
Data transmission to Eurostat takes place at t+20 months.
Data dissemination at national level takes place at t+21 months.
Not applicable
Data are comparable over time according as stated below
