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For any question on data and metadata, please contact: Eurostat user support |
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1.1. Contact organisation | Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis)
Annexes:
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1.2. Contact organisation unit | Section E 36: Goods transport, Air transport |
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1.5. Contact mail address | Federal Statistical Office of Germany Post adress: 65180 Wiesbaden, Germany Local adress: Gustav-Stresemann-Ring 11, 65189 Wiesbaden, Germany |
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2.1. Metadata last certified | 20/04/2023 | ||
2.2. Metadata last posted | 20/04/2023 | ||
2.3. Metadata last update | 20/04/2023 |
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3.1. Data description | |||
Maritime transport data refer to gross weight of goods (in tonnes), passenger movements (in number of passengers) as well as for vessel traffic (in number of vessels and in gross tonnage of vessels). |
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3.2. Classification system | |||
The following classifications are applicable: Maritime Coastal area: the nomenclature is based on the Geonomenclature (the country nomenclature for the external trade statistics of the Community and statistics of trade between Member States, originally drawn up by the Council Regulation (EEC) N°1736/75) in force in the year to which the data refer (RAMON: https://showvoc.op.europa.eu/#/datasets/ESTAT_Geonomenclature_2021_%28GEONOM_2021%29/data). Ports: the codes used are the official UN/LOCODEs, when they exist. If a port does not have an official UN/LOCODE a provisional (numeric) code is attributed to the port. As soon as an official UN/LOCODE is attributed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) to the port at the request of the competent national authority, the provisional (numeric) code is replaced by the final official one. In exceptional cases (see for example one-port transport or special aggregation for minor ports) permanent numeric codes are attributed to special locations or activities. The code list of UN/LOCODE is available by country through the following link: http://www.unece.org/cefact/locode/service/location.html. According to the relevant directive, Eurostat draws up a list of ports, coded and classified according to countries and maritime coastal areas. The list of ports is included in implementing legal acts and as such is published in the Official Journal of the European Union (the "official" list). The most recent list of ports published in the Official Journal is found in Commission Decision (EU) 2018/1007 Nationality of registration of vessels: the nomenclature used is the Geo-nomenclature (the country nomenclature for the external trade statistics of the Community and statistics of trade between Member States, originally drawn up by the Council Regulation (EEC) N°1736/75) in force in the year to which the data refer (RAMON: https://showvoc.op.europa.eu/#/datasets/ESTAT_Geonomenclature_2021_%28GEONOM_2021%29/data). The type of ship classification is harmonised with an internationally agreed International Classification of Ship by Type (ICST). The type of cargo classification, available in Directive 2009/42/EC, has been established in conformity with the United Nation ECE Recommendation N°21. |
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3.3. Coverage - sector | |||
The data include the carriage of goods and passengers by sea-going vessels, on voyages undertaken wholly or partly at sea. |
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3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions | |||
Main concepts used in this domain are the following and for more information on the concepts and methodology, please consult the Reference Manual on Maritime Transport Statistics.
Port -A place having facilities for merchant ships to moor and to load and/or unload cargo or to disembark and/or embark passengers to or from vessels, usually directly to a pier.
Bunkers and stores supplied to vessels shall be excluded from the scope. Seagoing vessel -Floating marine structure with one or more surface displacement hulls. In the context of the Directive, sea-going vessels are vessels other than those which navigate exclusively in inland waters or in waters within, or closely adjacent to, sheltered waters or areas where port regulations apply. Swap bodies are excluded. Although without internal volume flats used in maritime transport should be considered to be a special type of container and therefore are included here. For a fuller description, reference should be made to ISO 668 and 1496.The related term "container cargo" refers to containers, with or without cargo, which are lifted on or off the vessels which carry them by sea. Ro-Ro unit- This means wheeled equipment for carrying cargo, such as a truck, trailer or semi-trailer, which can be driven or towed onto a vessel. Port or ships' trailers are included in this definition. Classifications should follow United Nations ECE Recommendation No 21 'Codes for types of cargo, packages and packaging materials'. Live animals on the hoof are included. Vehicles being transported as cargo as opposed to a means of transport for freight are recorded in the separate headings of the Ro-Ro cargo classification, when they are rolled on or rolled off a vessel on their own wheels.
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3.5. Statistical unit | |||
For ships entering and leaving ports, all loading and unloading of goods or entry and exit of Passengers who start or end their journey there. |
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3.6. Statistical population | |||
Maritime traffic means all arrivals and departures of (seagoing) vessels in ports if the voyage takes place or has taken place wholly or partly at sea. The "sea" is used if the voyage does not take place exclusively on inland waterways (rivers and canals) as defined by the Federal Waterways Act. Vessels with a tonnage of at least 100 gross tonnage (GT) are covered. Fishing vessels and fish processing vessels, drilling and exploration vessels, tugs, push boats, dredgers, research/survey vessels, warships and vessels used exclusively for non-commercial purposes, bunkering, supply, repair, etc. are not included. |
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3.7. Reference area | |||
Federal territory, federal states, coastal areas, NUTS 3 regions, ports. |
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3.8. Coverage - Time | |||
Data are available from reporting year 2002. |
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3.9. Base period | |||
Not applicable. |
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The units used depend on the variables collected within each data set and are: gross weight of goods expressed in thousands of tonnes; number of passengers in thousands, number of vessels.
TEUs: Twenty feet equivalent units, expressed in units or in thousands depending on the table. TEU calculation coefficients: |
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Quarters for datasets A1, A2, C1, C2, D1, F1 and F2:
Whole calendar years for datasets A3, B1 and E1:
The dissemination is based on the terms of Commission Decision 2001/423/EC on arrangements for publication or dissemination of the statistical data collected pursuant to Council Directive 95/64/EC on statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods and passengers by sea.
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6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements | |||
National Level:
European Level:
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6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing | |||
Not applicable. |
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7.1. Confidentiality - policy | |||
National level:
Pursuant to Section 28 (1) of the German Transport Statistics Act, the Federal Statistical Office and the statistical offices of the federal states may transmit tables with statistical results from the surveys pursuant to Section 1 (1) to (12) of the German Transport Statistics Act to the supreme federal or state authorities for use vis-à-vis the legislative bodies and for planning purposes, but not for the purpose of regulating individual cases, even to the extent that table fields only show one single case. Pursuant to Section 29 (3) of the German Transport Statistics Act, the results of the survey may be published broken down by ports, even if they contain individual data if the name of the undertakings obliged to provide information is not published.
The individual information collected is generally kept secret in accordance with Section 16 BStatG. Individual data may only be transmitted in exceptional cases expressly regulated by law or if the respondents have consented. The transmission of individual data is generally permissible: public authorities and institutions within the statistical network which are entrusted with the implementation of federal or European statistics (e.g. the state statistical offices, the Bundesbank, the Statistical Office of the European Union [Eurostat]), Service providers with whom a contractual relationship exists (e.g. ITZBund, state data centres).
European level:
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7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment | |||
National Level: No regionally more detailed results are published than port results. A confidentiality procedure is therefore not necessary, since the results of the survey may be published according to §29 Abs. 3 VerkStatG by ports, also insofar as they contain individual details, if the name of the companies obliged to provide information is not published.
European Level: Article 4 of Commission Decision 2001/423/EC mention that: "the highest level of detail in which data may be published or disseminated is the level of port to and from maritime coastal area. The Commission may however publish at more aggregate level if the quality and/or completeness of information are not appropriate in such detail." |
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8.1. Release calendar | |||
Typically, monthly results of maritime transport data are published about 2,5 months after the end of the reporting period. |
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8.2. Release calendar access | |||
Not applicable. |
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8.3. Release policy - user access | |||
Results of maritime transport statistics are available free of charge to all users. More detailed results can be obtained with subscription. More detailed user-specific data can be provided on request. The data on maritime transport statistics is made available to all users at the same time. |
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Datasets A1, A2, C1, C2, D1, F1 and F2 are transmitted to Eurostat quarterly. Datasets A3, B1 and E1 are transmitted to Eurostat annually. For the description of the data sets see 5. Reference Period. |
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10.1. Dissemination format - News release | |||
Press releases are issued regularly for full-year results. There are also a number of additional press releases issued on special occasions. The press releases can be found on the NSI website. Annexes: Maritime transport in 2020: 6.4% less cargo handled than in 2019 (Press release, 26 March 2021, German) Maritime transport 2021: China was the largest partner of German seaports in container traffic in 2021 (Press release, 4 April 2022, German) Maritime transport 2022: 3.2% less cargo handled than in the previous year (Press release, 9 March 2023, German) Maritime transport 2023: 4.1% less cargo handled than in the previous year (Press release, 11 March 2024, German) |
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10.2. Dissemination format - Publications | |||
Publications on maritime transport statistics are available on the NSI's website (www.destatis.de). Annexes: Transport und Verkehr - Güterverkehr |
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10.3. Dissemination format - online database | |||
Results of the monthly and annual statistics can be found in the "Genesis Online" database (GENESIS-Online Database; Tables No. 46331-0001 - 46331-0027). The results are available free for charge. Large tables can be retrieved by registered users only. Annexes: GENESIS-Online Database |
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10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access | |||
Not applicable. |
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10.5. Dissemination format - other | |||
As part of the Federal Government's OpenData initiative, a modified version of the MT1 standard dataset is available for free download from the joint statistics portal (German) of the Federal Statistical Office and the Statistical Offices of the Länder. It provides easy access to highly structured results of maritime transport statistics. The data provided in CSV format can be flexibly evaluated and further processed. |
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10.6. Documentation on methodology | |||
A standard-documentation with Meta information (definitions, comments, methods, quality) on maritime transport statistics is available at national level. Annexes: Maritime Transport Statistics |
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10.7. Quality management - documentation | |||
A standard-documentation withe Meta information (definitions, comments, methods, quality) on maritime transport statistics is available at national level. For more information, see 10.6. |
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11.1. Quality assurance | |||
The system follows as far as possible the European Statistics Code of practice and Quality Assurance Framework of the European Statistical System. Moreover Destatis has introduced standard quality reports that are up to date for all statistics. The reports are based on the ESS definition of quality in statistics and follow the European standard quality report and provide users with information about the underlying concepts, definitions, methods used and the quality of the statistics (meta-information) in a standardised format. Annexes: Quality Assurance Framework of the European Statistical System European Statistics Code of Practice |
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11.2. Quality management - assessment | |||
Data quality can be assessed as high. There is a set of validation rules and quality checks put in place, which detect various types of issues. In case of any issues detected, the data providers are contacted to provide explanations or/and revise the data accordingly. Eurostat provides a data quality report with a summary of the main findings affecting quality as well as showing the solution adopted and the materiality of the existing differences. Mirror checks and checks for the consistency over times are prepared as well. |
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12.1. Relevance - User Needs | |||
The main users of the statistics include shipping companies, port associations and ministries (Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport). The data are used by various institutions, for example, as a basis for decision-making on infrastructure and route planning. |
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12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction | |||
Within the framework of an expert committee, users have the opportunity to bring their wishes and requirements to our attention. |
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12.3. Completeness | |||
All data requested by Regulation 1090/2010 and Directive 2009/42/EC are transmitted. |
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13.1. Accuracy - overall | |||
Overall accuracy of the maritime transport statistics data is high. The processing with several plausibility checks as well as validating checks done before transmitting data to Eurostat provides a high accuracy of the data. |
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13.2. Sampling error | |||
Not applicable for maritime transport data collection. |
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13.3. Non-sampling error | |||
In principle, it can be assumed that every loading and unloading process in the ports is recorded, which completeness is given. The number of loading and unloading processes not recorded is likely to be negligible, as the ports have a great interest on their own, especially in terms of fees, in being able to carry out all activities in their area of register. There may be exceptions if the infrastructure of a port is not needed for cargo handling, if, for example, transshipment takes place directly from a sea to an inland vessel or vice versa. To check the completeness and quality of the individual data, the state statistical offices and the Federal Statistical Office carried out automatic plausibility checks, through which obvious inconsistencies can be recognized and corrected automatically or manually if necessary. |
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14.1. Timeliness | |||
Quarterly data should be transmitted by Member States to Eurostat within five months of the end of the period of observation; annual data within eight months. |
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14.2. Punctuality | |||
The deadlines for transmission are usually met. |
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15.1. Comparability - geographical | |||
At EU-level comparability is obtained via the application of common concepts and validation rules. The harmonised interpretation of the methodology is enhanced by the organisation of regular meeting of the Working Group on Maritime Transport Statistics, where all reporting countries are represented at national level. |
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15.2. Comparability - over time | |||
With the 2000 reference year, the methodology of maritime transport statistics has been fundamentally changed, in particular to meet the EU demand for comparable statistics in all member states. These changes concerned both, the definition of maritime transport and the omission or addition of characteristics. Detailed Information about the changes can be found in the article "The new maritime transport statistics" in "Economy and Statistics 9/2000". Annexes: "Die neue Seeverkehrsstatistik" (Wirtschaft und Statistik 9/2000) |
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15.3. Coherence - cross domain | |||
In addition to the official maritime transport statistics, data on maritime transport are also collected and evaluated from many seaports. Differences in the results are due to different user requirements and methods:
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15.4. Coherence - internal | |||
Internal statistical coherence is given. |
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In order to relieve the burden on the parties responsible for providing information, port authorities are often asked to provide the necessary data designated as transmitting agencies. The cost and burden related to the data collection is justified in relation to the benefits of the data collection. |
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17.1. Data revision - policy | |||
There is generally no data revision. |
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17.2. Data revision - practice | |||
Not applicable. |
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18.1. Source data | |||
The information is provided by the parties responsible for providing information to the transmitting agencies or collected directly by them. Afterwards the information is forwarded to the State Statistical Offices, from these to the Federal Statistical Office. |
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18.2. Frequency of data collection | |||
Frequency of data collection is monthly |
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18.3. Data collection | |||
Mainly the required information is recorded electronically by the port authorities. The data is then later directly from the operational accounting system of the port authorities to the State Statistical Offices. |
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18.4. Data validation | |||
Plausibility-programs verifying the quality of the data are used by the State Statistical Offices and the Federal Statistical Office. |
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18.5. Data compilation | |||
When preparing the data, additional estimation methods are used to determine the container contents. The reason for this is that the contents of the containers are often not known to the skippers who are obliged to provide information. The State Statistical Offices therefore determine the type of goods transported in containers partly by estimation procedure. |
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18.6. Adjustment | |||
Not applicable. |
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No comments. |
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