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.
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).
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).
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 Unece website. 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).
The type of ship classification is harmonised with an internationally agreed International Classification of Ship by Type (ICST).
The Maritime Transport Survey refers to the carriage of goods and passengers by seagoing vessels. Carriage of goods and passengers means the movement of goods and passengers using seagoing vessel, on voyages which are undertaken wholly or partly at sea. The data collected from ELSTAT are ports’ data. This survey covers all the sea ports of the country and is conducted in a monthly basis. Detailed information is collected on cargo and passenger (reporting port, type of cargo, gross weight in tones, description of goods, direction of movements whether inwards or outwards, port of loading and unloading, number of full and empty containers and ro/ro units number of embarked and disembarked passengers, number of cruise passengers on a cruise passenger excursion). Also detail information is collected on the vessel (number, gross tonnage or deadweight, type and country or territory of vessels).
The sector coverage is based on NACE rev.2 50.10 Sea and coastal passenger water transport - 50.20 Sea and coastal freight water transport.
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 under "Additional methodological publications" section.
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. Statistical Port -A statistical port consists of one or more ports, normally controlled by a single port authority, which is able to record ship, passenger and cargo movements. Reporting Port-A statistical port for which statistics of inward and outward maritime transport flows are compiled. Main port -A main port is a statistical port which has annual movements of no less than 200 000 passengers or recording more than one millions tonnes of cargo. For ports selected on the basis of only one of these cargo or passenger criteria, detailed statistics are required only for that transport. Maritime coastal area (MCA) -A maritime coastal area is defined as a contiguous stretch of coastline, together with islands offshore. Within a country, an MCA is defined either in terms of one or more ranges of ports along its coastline, or in terms of the latitude and longitude of one or more sets of extremities of the coastal area. Riverbanks can be included. Normally the coastline of each country is allocated to a single maritime coastal area and the coastlines of more than one country may form a single maritime coastal area. There are some exceptions. For example, the USA is separated into a number of maritime coastal areas to cover its overall coastline. For some countries, two separate stretches of coastline may be counted as one maritime coastal area, as, for example, the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines of Mexico. Carriage of goods and passengers by sea -The movement of goods and passengers using seagoing vessels, on voyage which are undertaken wholly or partly by sea. The scope of the Maritime Directive 2009/42/EC also includes goods:
Shipped to offshore installations;
Reclaimed from seabed and unloaded in ports.
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. Nationality of registration of seagoing vessel (Flag state) -Every ship is entered in a registry (i.e. list) of ships. Registries are maintained by many countries, each having a set of rules regarding safety procedures, inspection schedules, manning numbers and nationalities for crew and officers, training requirements, etc. Ship-owners select which registry to use based on the balance between the relative cost implications of the rules of each registry and possible penalties from insurance assessments dependent on these rules. Type of cargo- The type of cargo classification, set according to the UNECE - Codes for types of cargo, packages and packaging materials, Recommendation 21, Geneva, March 1986, describes how the goods are being transported in terms of the vessels being used and the port facilities required to handle them. It is therefore very different from the categories of goods classification. Freight container-Special box to carry freight, strengthened and stackable and allowing horizontal or vertical transfers.
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. Ro-Ro cargo -This means goods, whether or not in containers, on Ro-Ro units, and Ro-Ro units, which are rolled on and off the vessels, which carry them by sea. Gross weight of goods -The gross weight of each consignment is the weight of the actual goods together with the immediate packaging in which they are being transported from origin to destination, but excluding the tare weight of containers or Ro-Ro units (e.g. containers, swap bodies and pallets containing goods as well as road goods vehicles, wagons or barges carried on the vessel). This measure of quantity is different from that used in trade statistics, namely the net weight of goods and different from statistics collected on other transport modes where the tare weight is included. Where goods are transported in a road goods vehicle, in a container, or other intermodal transport unit, the gross weight of the goods does not include the tare weightof the transport unit. Gross tonnage -This means the measure of the overall size of a ship determined in accordance with the provisions of the International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969. Passenger - Any person who makes a sea journey on a merchant ship. Service staff assigned to merchant ships is not regarded as passengers. Non-fare paying crewmembers travelling but not assigned and infants in arms are excluded. Cruise passenger -This means a sea passenger making a sea journey on a cruise ship. Passengers on day excursions are excluded. Cruise ship -This means a passenger ship intended to provide passengers with a full tourist experience. All passengers have cabins. Facilities for entertainment aboard are included. Ships operating normal ferry services are excluded, even if some passengers treat the service as a cruise. In addition, cargo-carrying vessels able to carry a very limited number of passengers with their own cabins are also excluded. Ships intended solely for day excursions are also excluded. Cruise passenger excursion -This means a short visit by a cruise passenger to a tourist attraction associated with a port while retaining a cabin on board.
3.5. Statistical unit
The data used in the domain are collected at port level.
3.6. Statistical population
Detailed data are provided for ports handling more than one million tonnes of goods or recording more than 200 000 passenger movements annually (Main ports). The other ports are required to provide summary data. However, detailed data may be included also for minor ports on a voluntary basis.
3.7. Reference area
The total ports of the country with commercial activity
3.8. Coverage - Time
The data are available from 2000.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
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:
20-ft freight units (1 TEU);
40-ft freight units (2 TEU);
Freight units over 20-ft and under 40-ft in length (1.5 TEU);
Freight units over 40-ft long (2.25 TEU).
Quarters for datasets A1, A2, C1, C2, D1, F1 and F2. Whole calendar years for datasets A3, B1 and E1.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
National Level:
The legal framework concerning the organization and operation of ELSTAT is as follow:
Law 3832/2010 (Government Gazette No 38, Issue A):”Hellenic Statistical System Establishment of the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) as an Independent Authority”, as amended and in force
Regulation on the Operation and Administration of the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), 2012, (Government Gazette No 2390, Issue B, 28 August 2012)
Regulation on the Statistical Obligations of the Agencies of the Hellenic Statistical System (Government Gazette No 4083 B, 20 December 2016
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council, on European statistics, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2015/79
European Statistics Code of Practice (CoP), revised edition 2017
Regulation(EU) 2016/679of the European Parliament and of the Council of the 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC(General Data Protection Regulation-GDPR)
Presidential Decree 73/2019 (Government Gazette No 114, Issue A, 04 July 2019: ”Organization of the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT)”(Available only in Greek)
Law 4624/2019 (Government Gazette A, 137/29 August 2019) “Hellenic Data Protection Authority, measures implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of the 27 April 2016 for the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and transposition (into national law) Directive (EU) 2016/680 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 and other provisions”(Available only in Greek).
The Legal Framework is detailed in the following website: Legal-framework.
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.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
National level:
The issues concerning the observance of statistical confidentiality by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) are arranged by articles 7, 8 and 9 of the law 3832/2010 as in force, by Articles 8, 10 and 11(2) of the Regulation on Statistical Obligations of the agencies of the Hellenic Statistical System and by Articles 10 and 15 of the Regulation on the Operation and Administration of ELSTAT.
More precisely:
ELSTAT disseminates the statistics in compliance with the statistical principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice and in particular with the principle of statistical confidentiality.
(recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
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."
8.1. Release calendar
Each year ELSTAT publishes a release calendar with the precise release dates of statistics for the following year.
8.2. Release calendar access
The calendar is distributed to the press and is available to all interested parties free of charge. This calendar is also posted on ELSTAT’s website under the item “Release Calendar”.
8.3. Release policy - user access
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code Practice, ELSTAT disseminates national statistics on ELSTAT’s website respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably.
In this content, data are released simultaneously to all interest parties and users through the Press Release on the Traffic of Passengers, Goods and Mobile Units in Greek Ports, which is posted on the website of ELSTAT according release calendar. Neither users nor the government have access to the data prior to their publication.
Quarterly maritime transport statistics are published within 10 months after the reference period and annual maritime transport statistics within 16 months after the reference period.
In Greece the Press Release is disseminated on a quarterly basis.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Maritime transport data are published in the format of the Press Release containing tables and explanatory notes, which is available on the website of ELSTAT.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Maritime transport data are published in the following paper publications:”Greece in Figures”, which presents annual aggregated data for the last four years, (Greece in figures).
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Besides the tables under the link: >Industry, Trade, Services, Transport > Shipping there is no other data for this survey in ELSTAT’s database
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Micro - data are made available to users after submitting a request to the:
For confidential reasons, access to micro-data is granted to users only under strict conditions and by always adhering to the relevant procedure.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Not available
10.6. Documentation on methodology
The methodology for the compilation of MTS is laid down by ELSTAT, taking into account Eurostat’s recommendations, guidelines and standards. Methodological notes are available in Eurostat’s manual «Reference Manual on Maritime Transport Statistics Version 4.0 November 2017». Additional elements are available in the “Illustrated Glossary for Transport Statistics – 5th edition”.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
The quality is documented following the procedure of confirmation of data that is conducted by Eurostat.
11.1. Quality assurance
The Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) aims to ensure and further improve the quality of statistics produced and maintain the confidence of users in them. This is achieved through the Quality Policy of ELSTAT which is posted on the website of ELSTAT and is available at the following website: Policies.
Quality checks and validation of data are carried out through the whole compilation process, from the data collection stage to the final compilation of tables.
First of all, well trained and experienced staff is utilized for all stages of process, that is, for data collection including communication with port authorities and enterprises, initial checks, data entry and final checks.
Data are validated either before or after data entry to the data base of ELSTAT by means of logical checks. Basic quality checks are applied, along with checks for completeness, accuracy and consistency of the correlating variables. If significant discrepancies are identified in comparison with the corresponding quarters of the previous years, a further investigation is conducted in collaboration with data providers in order to justify or confirm the data.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Maritime transport statistics data are considered to be highly reliable data, after the necessary logical checks conducted in all the phases any errors are duly corrected and the necessary adjustments are made. They are compiled in accordance with recommendations that are provided in the relevant European Directive and the Reference Manual. The survey meets all the criteria of consistency, comparability, accuracy and punctuality.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The data of maritime transport statistics meets national needs as well as needs to fulfill the obligations arising from the implementation of European Directive. The main national users are Ministries, researchers, economic analysts, students, Universities and enterprises, while at international level Eurostat and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe are the main users.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Transport Section monitors user needs in order to satisfy them. Generally, there is a smooth cooperation, through prompt response to user’s requests.
Moreover, ELSTAT conducts a user satisfaction survey every six months. More information about the results of the survey is available at the following website User-satisfaction-survey
Furthermore, ELSTAT organizes a Users Conference, on an annual basis, in which representatives of private and public sector, educational and research institutions participate. The conferences provide a significant opportunity for ELSTAT to collect comments and suggestions from users relative to the dissemination and the accessibility of the statistical data. Information on the conference is available at the website: User conference.
12.3. Completeness
Maritime transport statistics data provided are in line with the relevant EU Directive.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Since the survey is a census survey, any non sampling errors (non – response or processing errors) are identified by means of appropriate checks and are duly corrected, in cooperation with the administrative sources and shipping companies involved. In this way, survey produces high accuracy results. Comparing the data with other sources such as data compiled by port organizations, some discrepancies are occurred due to methodological reasons.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable for maritime transport data collection.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Non – sampling errors, these are mostly due to erroneous filling in the questionnaires by the administrative sources (port authorities and organization of ports) and shipping companies, which are corrected during the production process of data. Coverage error: there is no coverage error
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. The Commission (Eurostat) shall disseminate appropriate statistical data with a periodicity comparable to that of the results transmitted (Directive 2009/42/EC).
14.2. Punctuality
The publicity of results and the statistical product is usually in time
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The available data are comparable with the respective data of the members of the EU, given that this survey is conducted according to the Directive 2009/42.
15.2. Comparability - over time
The data are available from 2000 to today. There were no breaks in time series.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
There are no relative data from other sources for this survey. Maritime transport statistics are different from those of other transport modes.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Coherence among variables is compared in all stages of the statistical process. The aggregates are always consistent with their main sub – aggregates.
Regarding the staff of ELSTAT the annual cost has been estimated approximately 165,000 euro’s. Regarding the respondents (port authorities, shipping companies ), it has been not estimated.
17.1. Data revision - policy
The general revision policy adopted for ELSTAT is available at the website: policies.
17.2. Data revision - practice
The revision policy of ELSTAT is implemented.
Quarterly data are revised once the annual sets are compiled and corrections have been made.
18.1. Source data
The primary collected data are provided by administrative sources (port authorities, port organizations) and shipping companies. The data are collected from total number of ports of the country.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Frequency of data collection is monthly.
18.3. Data collection
Data are collected through specially designed questionnaires. The questionnaires are sent by post or email and they are collected via post or via email.
18.4. Data validation
At national level, data processing involves checking the data derived from respondents with the aim of identifying (and eventually correcting) errors. Not all errors can be identified and the aim is to detect the errors that have a significant impact to the results. Data processing also involves checks for completeness, checks to confirm that values are within given ranges and that values for related variables are coherent. Data processing may take place during or after data entry.
Responses can be compared with those of previous quarters and years. Inconsistencies or big deviations indicate that further checks are required and may result in further processing. There are also checks conducted by Eurostat in a quarterly and yearly basis.
18.5. Data compilation
The initial data, once collected, undergo logical checks. Afterwards, data are entered into a database, where they undergo computing, logical and completeness checks. Statistical tables are produced that are also being checked for their consistency and data are compared with them of previous quarters and years.
18.6. Adjustment
It is not applicable
No comments.
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).
5 July 2021
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 under "Additional methodological publications" section.
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. Statistical Port -A statistical port consists of one or more ports, normally controlled by a single port authority, which is able to record ship, passenger and cargo movements. Reporting Port-A statistical port for which statistics of inward and outward maritime transport flows are compiled. Main port -A main port is a statistical port which has annual movements of no less than 200 000 passengers or recording more than one millions tonnes of cargo. For ports selected on the basis of only one of these cargo or passenger criteria, detailed statistics are required only for that transport. Maritime coastal area (MCA) -A maritime coastal area is defined as a contiguous stretch of coastline, together with islands offshore. Within a country, an MCA is defined either in terms of one or more ranges of ports along its coastline, or in terms of the latitude and longitude of one or more sets of extremities of the coastal area. Riverbanks can be included. Normally the coastline of each country is allocated to a single maritime coastal area and the coastlines of more than one country may form a single maritime coastal area. There are some exceptions. For example, the USA is separated into a number of maritime coastal areas to cover its overall coastline. For some countries, two separate stretches of coastline may be counted as one maritime coastal area, as, for example, the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines of Mexico. Carriage of goods and passengers by sea -The movement of goods and passengers using seagoing vessels, on voyage which are undertaken wholly or partly by sea. The scope of the Maritime Directive 2009/42/EC also includes goods:
Shipped to offshore installations;
Reclaimed from seabed and unloaded in ports.
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. Nationality of registration of seagoing vessel (Flag state) -Every ship is entered in a registry (i.e. list) of ships. Registries are maintained by many countries, each having a set of rules regarding safety procedures, inspection schedules, manning numbers and nationalities for crew and officers, training requirements, etc. Ship-owners select which registry to use based on the balance between the relative cost implications of the rules of each registry and possible penalties from insurance assessments dependent on these rules. Type of cargo- The type of cargo classification, set according to the UNECE - Codes for types of cargo, packages and packaging materials, Recommendation 21, Geneva, March 1986, describes how the goods are being transported in terms of the vessels being used and the port facilities required to handle them. It is therefore very different from the categories of goods classification. Freight container-Special box to carry freight, strengthened and stackable and allowing horizontal or vertical transfers.
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. Ro-Ro cargo -This means goods, whether or not in containers, on Ro-Ro units, and Ro-Ro units, which are rolled on and off the vessels, which carry them by sea. Gross weight of goods -The gross weight of each consignment is the weight of the actual goods together with the immediate packaging in which they are being transported from origin to destination, but excluding the tare weight of containers or Ro-Ro units (e.g. containers, swap bodies and pallets containing goods as well as road goods vehicles, wagons or barges carried on the vessel). This measure of quantity is different from that used in trade statistics, namely the net weight of goods and different from statistics collected on other transport modes where the tare weight is included. Where goods are transported in a road goods vehicle, in a container, or other intermodal transport unit, the gross weight of the goods does not include the tare weightof the transport unit. Gross tonnage -This means the measure of the overall size of a ship determined in accordance with the provisions of the International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969. Passenger - Any person who makes a sea journey on a merchant ship. Service staff assigned to merchant ships is not regarded as passengers. Non-fare paying crewmembers travelling but not assigned and infants in arms are excluded. Cruise passenger -This means a sea passenger making a sea journey on a cruise ship. Passengers on day excursions are excluded. Cruise ship -This means a passenger ship intended to provide passengers with a full tourist experience. All passengers have cabins. Facilities for entertainment aboard are included. Ships operating normal ferry services are excluded, even if some passengers treat the service as a cruise. In addition, cargo-carrying vessels able to carry a very limited number of passengers with their own cabins are also excluded. Ships intended solely for day excursions are also excluded. Cruise passenger excursion -This means a short visit by a cruise passenger to a tourist attraction associated with a port while retaining a cabin on board.
The data used in the domain are collected at port level.
Detailed data are provided for ports handling more than one million tonnes of goods or recording more than 200 000 passenger movements annually (Main ports). The other ports are required to provide summary data. However, detailed data may be included also for minor ports on a voluntary basis.
The total ports of the country with commercial activity
Quarters for datasets A1, A2, C1, C2, D1, F1 and F2. Whole calendar years for datasets A3, B1 and E1.
Since the survey is a census survey, any non sampling errors (non – response or processing errors) are identified by means of appropriate checks and are duly corrected, in cooperation with the administrative sources and shipping companies involved. In this way, survey produces high accuracy results. Comparing the data with other sources such as data compiled by port organizations, some discrepancies are occurred due to methodological reasons.
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:
20-ft freight units (1 TEU);
40-ft freight units (2 TEU);
Freight units over 20-ft and under 40-ft in length (1.5 TEU);
Freight units over 40-ft long (2.25 TEU).
The initial data, once collected, undergo logical checks. Afterwards, data are entered into a database, where they undergo computing, logical and completeness checks. Statistical tables are produced that are also being checked for their consistency and data are compared with them of previous quarters and years.
The primary collected data are provided by administrative sources (port authorities, port organizations) and shipping companies. The data are collected from total number of ports of the country.
Quarterly maritime transport statistics are published within 10 months after the reference period and annual maritime transport statistics within 16 months after the reference period.
In Greece the Press Release is disseminated on a quarterly basis.
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. The Commission (Eurostat) shall disseminate appropriate statistical data with a periodicity comparable to that of the results transmitted (Directive 2009/42/EC).
The available data are comparable with the respective data of the members of the EU, given that this survey is conducted according to the Directive 2009/42.
The data are available from 2000 to today. There were no breaks in time series.
