Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (SORS)

Department for Industry and Energy Statistics

Industry statistics unit

Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, 5 Milana Rakica St, 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia

The  PRODCOM survey presents annual data in volume for: total production, intermediate consumption, stocks at the beginning of the year, stocks at the end of the year and volume and value of products sold. Volumes are requested and collected for all products. Production under subcontracting operations has been monitored (in terms of volume and compensation received) for many years.  Production includes production carried out on national territory. Survey covers an annual period of one calendar year.

National Nomenclature of Industrial Products for the Annual Survey of Industry (NIP), is used in the PRODCOM survey. NIP is updated annually in accordance with the updating of PRODCOM list. All requirements on product level contained in the PRODCOM list (unit of measure and production type) are provided. Because of national needs, additional measure units are requested for some products. 

Observational units are enterprises with principal activity classified in sections B, C or in class 3832 (section E) of the NACE Rev.2, as well as selected business entities whose main activity is not in those sections, but that have significant industrial production (as secondary activity).

The observational units, which makes at least 90% of turnover for each NACE Rev. 2 divisions within sections B, C, or E – class 3832 are covered. The reporting method is applied and each reporting unit (enterprise) is requested to fill in the Annual Industry Questionnaire (IND – 21).

The PRODCOM survey is conducted by SORS. The survey is regulated by the Law on Official Statistics (“Official Gazette of RS”, No 104/2009), as well as Decision on the Program of the Official Statistics over 2021-2025 (“Official Gazette of RS“, No. 24/2021) and Regulation on defining the plan of official statistics (“Official Gazette of RS“, No. 141/2022).

• National classification of economic activities – KD (2010), which is identical with NACE Rev.2 classification.
• Nomenclature of Industrial Products for the Annual Survey of Industry (NIP for the annual survey), which is based on the PRODCOM list. NIP is basically identical to the PRODCOM List 2022, (8 – digit level), identical to CPA (6 – digit level). In order to meet national needs, some products are added. The NIP is updated every year in accordance with the changes in the PRODCOM list.

Reporting units are enterprises. Observational units are enterprises with principal activity classified in sections B, C or in class 3832 (section E) of the NACE Rev.2, as well as selected business entities whose principal activity is not in sections B, C or class 3832 (section E) but that have significant industrial production in those sections (as secondary activity).

The observational units makes at least 90% of turnover for each NACE Rev. 2 divisions within sections B, C or E – class 3832.

The purpose of the statistics is to report, for each product from the PRODCOM list, how much of it has been produced on national territory during the reference period. This means that PRODCOM data relate to products (not to activities) and are therefore are not strictly comparable with activity–based statistics such as Structural Business Statistics. The NACE codes which PRODCOM codes are based on merely serve to identify the enterprises that should be surveyed in order to determine the amount of production of the product.

Product – outcome of an industrial activity. It is defined in the NIP. The concept itself is used in general terms, both for physical products and industrial services. A finished product is meant to be any product that has reached an appropriate level of processing, thus being indicated in the NIP under a separate code and description. A product is finished when its quality is checked by the quality control department in the factory or elsewhere. Rejects are not considered as finished products. NIP contains approximately 4000 headings representing manufactured products and some industrial services.

The PRODCOM survey in Serbia collects more data than required at European level. Following variables are collected on the NIP level: 

Total production refers to selected product, expressed in the relevant unit of measurement, realized in the year preceding the current year in which the questionnaire is processed. It refers to the period that corresponds to the calendar year. It shows production that has been completed in the year the questionnaire is related to.

Production under subcontracted operations refers to the production where raw materials of the client are used for his account, thus the producer is not considered as  owner of products. For subcontracted production, the code, name and unit of measurement for the relevant product must be listed in a separate line, together with the different code in the "type of production" column.

Quantities consumed for further production refers to the consumption of manufactured products within the company (reporting unit) itself. This is so – called intermediate consumption.

Quantity of stocks at the beginning of the year refers to the stocks carried over from the previous year, whereby the quantities in warehouse inventory are adjusted with the actual inventory quantities.

Quantity of stocks at the end of the year refers to the quantities of unsold products kept by the manufacturer on 31st December of the relevant year.

The sold production.  There are two ways to show it: 

1. volume (i.e. in the relevant unit of measurement) and

2. value given in national currency – 000` RSD. The value excludes VAT.

In the case of the production carried out under special arrangements, only the producer shows the sales value. The producer shows only the fee received from the principal for the service performed.

Unit value in RSD refers to the average value per unit of measurement of a product, which is given in RSD. It is calculated by dividing the value with the volume of the sold product. In this average value per unit of measurement internal variability may be present. A product from the classification covers several related articles with differences in their model, size and quality, the data on the average unit value are acceptable for further calculations.

Reporting units are enterprises. Observation units are enterprises with principal activity classified in sections B, C or in class 3832 (section E) of the NACE Rev.2, as well selected business entities whose main activity is not in sections B, C or class 3832 (section E) but that have significant industrial production in those sections (as secondary activity).

Units outside the territory of the Republic of Serbia are not covered by the survey. 

The annual survey of industry is intended to follow observation units which makes at least 90% of turnover for each NACE Rev. 2 divisions within sections B, C (division 19 is excluded) and class 3832 of the section E. Sample is derived by using Business Register in combination with data from SBS annual survey. For the year 2022, 4991 reporting units are involved in PRODCOM survey.  

Republic of Serbia

Remark: Since 1999, the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia doesn’t dispose of certain data for AP Kosovo and Metohia, so they are not contained in the data coverage for the Republic of Serbia (total)

Data in accordance with the PRODCOM list have been available since 2010. Data according to national nomenclatures of industrial products exist for several decades.

Not applicable.

For volume: physical units are specific to each commodity code and can be seen in Nomenclature of industrial products:

https://www.stat.gov.rs/sr-Latn/istrazivanja/methodology-and-documents/?a=06&s=0601, published 20.02.2023 in SORS website.

For value: national currency  – 000` RSD.

Reference period is calendar year. Currently, annual data for 2022.

• National legal bases for conducting the Аnnual Survey of Industry is regulated by the Official Statistics Law (“Official Gazette of RS”, No 104/2009), as well as as well as Decision on the Program of the Official Statistics over 2021-2025 (“Official Gazette of RS“, No. 24/2021), Regulation on defining the plan of official statistics (“Official Gazette of RS“, No. 141/2022) and Law on the classification of activities ("Official Gazette of the RS", No. 104/2009). Official statistics law states that all persons who manage or represent legal persons are obliged to provide the SORS with reliable data. There is obligation on units to provide data regarding annual production, intermediate consumption, stocks at the beginning of the year, stocks at the end of the year and volume and value of sold products. The Annual industrial survey is included into the Regulation on defining the plan of official statistics – it is compulsory.

  Legal acts are available in SORS website: http://www.stat.gov.rs/en-US/o-nama/dokumenti

• EU level: Council Regulation EEC No 3924/1991 on the establishment of a Community survey of industrial production, Regulation EU 2019/2152, Regulation EU 2020/1197 and Commission implementing regulation EU 2022/2552 for PRODCOM list 2022.

Statistical Office makes available the non – confidential data on the SORS website. Data are regularly transmitted to Eurostat through eDamis.

Data are provided to UN.

 Data confidentiality is stipulated by:

- Official Statistics Law (Official Gazette of RS, number 104/2009), Articles 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, and 49.

(http://www.stat.gov.rs/media/2322/zakon_o_statisticie.pdf)

- Rulebook on statistical data protection in the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia

https://www.stat.gov.rs/en-US/o-nama/dokumenti      under  Rulebooks and guidelines

- Guidelines on measures of data and information protection in the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia

https://www.stat.gov.rs/en-US/o-nama/dokumenti   under  Rulebooks and guidelines

Data which allow statistical units to be identified, either directly or indirectly are not published. In practice, the minimum number of units for which data consider confidential, is less than 3 units.

Publication of the results of the Annual Industry Survey is not included in the release calendar. The results of the Annual survey of Industry are available on the website of the SORS (Industry domain).

Date publication is November 9th 2023.

Calendar of releases is available at SORS website on the 1st day of December every year for the forthcoming year (http://www.stat.gov.rs/en-US/calendar).

All SORS releases are launched at 12.00.

Any divergence from the defined time schedule are announced in advance and explained in the Calendar. 

Release calendar is available on homepage of SORS at http://www.stat.gov.rs/en-US/calendar/

Release Calendar which is publicly available on the SORS website does not contain the date when the PRODCOM data are published in the theme Industry on the SORS website.

Users can access the PRODCOM data on the SORS website when they choose theme – Industry/ Production of industrial products from Annual industrial survey/Additional tables/Production of industrial products. 

https://www.stat.gov.rs/en-US/oblasti/industrija/proizvodnja-industrijskih-proizvoda-1

 PDF table is published 9 of November 2023 on the SORS website simultaneously to all users, and are available free of charge, both in Serbian & English.

The results of official statistics are available at the same time to all users on impartial basis; any privileged access by external users before their release is not allowed. 

PRODCOM results on product level are disseminated on a regular annual basis.

Not available.

Not available.

Not available.

On request, the access to anonymized microdata is ensured to scientific and research institutions.

The request can be placed by email at stat@stat.gov.rs,

or by regular mail addressed at

5 Milana Rakica St, Belgrade.

For more information, please see http://www.stat.gov.rs/en-US/korisnicka-podrska/micropodaci.

Data are available in the form of a pdf table on the SORS website ( theme – Industry/ Production of industrial products from Annual industrial survey/Additional tables/Production of industrial products).

https://www.stat.gov.rs/en-US/oblasti/industrija/proizvodnja-industrijskih-proizvoda-1

Data are available on manufactured quantities of industrial products – total, stocks of industrial products at the end of the year and sold quantities of industrial products - total. Data on industrial products produced under subcontracting activities are not published separately, but only as part of the total produced quantities.

Release Date: November 9th 2023.

Also, there is dissemination on ad – hock request: Special tables may be obtained from the ”Relations with users and e – services".

Data are transmitted to Eurostat within the deadline via eDAMIS. 

National methodological document, based on Eurostat`s methodology, is available on the SORS website: http://www.stat.gov.rs/en-us/istrazivanja/methodology-and-documents/?a=06&s=0601

Some methodological explanations are given within Nomenclature of Industrial Products for the Annual Survey of Industry (only in Serbian):

https://www.stat.gov.rs/sr-Latn/istrazivanja/methodology-and-documents/?a=06&s=0601, published 20.02.2023 in SORS website.

Also questionnaire is available  (only in Serbian) at:

https://publikacije.stat.gov.rs/G2022/Pdf/G202224026.pdf On the fourth page of the questionnaire, there are instructions for filling in individual positions from the questionnaire. In particular, it is explained how to fill the position related to production under subcontracting activities. The questionnaire for data collection did not need to be changed, regardless of the fact that some new PRODCOM variables have been introduced from the reference year 2021. 

The annex provides an example of filling out the questionnaire in case the respondent produces products ``for own account'' and ``under subcontracting activities''.

For more information, please see the documents at http://www.stat.gov.rs/en-US/o-nama/sistem-upravljanja-kvalitetom. 

The SORS quality management system is relied on the Serbian official statistics mission and vision, as well as on the European Statistics Code of Practice – CoP and the Total Quality Management – TQM principles, which together make the common quality framework of the European Statistical System (ESS).

 For more information, please see the documents at http://www.stat.gov.rs/en-US/o-nama/sistem-upravljanja-kvalitetom.

PRODCOM data is based on reliable survey data. The level of accuracy is high. PRODCOM data is based on recommended international methodology. It is internationally comparable since follows EU and relevant international concept, definitions and classifications.

The Information System provides a number of arithmetic and logical controls, both mandatory and optional between the items in each questionnaire. The national unit values are compared to EU(27) average unit values for the previous year. Data are confronting with previous year data and with monthly production statistics. Also, the supplied PRODCOM data is cross – checked against annual SBS data of revenues from sales in industry on the micro (enterprise) level. Any anomalies are identified and explained.

Among other things, the PRODCOM survey provide annual data on: total production, intermediate consumption, stocks at the beginning of the year, stocks at the end of the year, volume and value of products sold (total) and production under subcontracting. It is used by internal users (Agriculture statistics division, National Accounts Department, Price statistics, Environmental statistics, SBR), national users (National Bank of Serbia, Ministry of finance, other government bodies, representatives of local government, economic analysts in institutes, companies and financial institutions, media, researchers and students, general public) and international users (Eurostat, IMF, UN, FAO, OECD).

On biennial basis (once in two years), by the means of web interview, implemented is the User Satisfaction Survey.

The survey results are available at SORS website: http://www.stat.gov.rs/en-US/o-nama/sistem-upravljanja-kvalitetom.

Data on all variables and Production Types required are collected and submitted to Eurostat. 

Since the un – weighted response rate for the Annual Survey of Industry is 90,29%, overall accuracy is good. 

The survey is based on cut – off threshold, so there is no sampling error.

The reporting units are requested to send the completed questionnaire IND – 21 to the relevant statistical body no later than 12th April of the current year for the previous year. Regional Offices of SORS are requested to send the collected and partially checked questionnaires to the Unit of Industry Statistics no later than 30th Маy of the current year.

Timing of transmission to Eurostat: PRODCOM data are transmitted to Eurostat in a proper form within required deadlines, 6 months after the end if the reference year.

Timing of national publication: PRODCOM results on product level are being published on 9 of November. 

The PRODCOM results are published without delay on 9 of November on SORS website.

The transmission of PRODCOM data to Eurostat is at the end of June in accordance with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197.

The application of the PRODCOM methodological guidelines ensures a good comparability between national results and EU aggregates.

There are time series on PRODCOM variables according to the PRODCOM list since 2010. reference year.

There are time series on production and sales: of industrial products – in total, industrial products produced for own account and industrial products produced under subcontracting activities.

Starting from the reference year 2021, new PRODCOM variables, were introduced by Eurostat, but this did not cause a break in the time series because SORS has a long time series on production for its own account, as well as on production under subcontracted activities.

Additionally, until 2016, the production of coal, refined petroleum products and the production of electricity was examined, and then it was stopped because energy products are monitored by Energy statistics and also in order to reduce the burden of the respondents.

Comparability over time is reduced due to the changes in the surveyed population (new or closed enterprises, enterprises which are currently not active, etc.).

The PRODCOM List is updated each year, and accordingly also the NIP for the Annual Industry survey. Due to annual changes, the time series are not  comparable for all codes.

Data from the Annual Survey of Industry (PRODCOM) are compared with data from the Monthly Industry Survey. PRODCOM data for the particular product should be approximately equal with monthly reported data for the same year. In case of significant differences for the same product in the Annual and Monthly Industry Survey, the reporting units are contacted and asked for explanation. In case of errors, the data are corrected at the micro level (at the level of the reporting units). Also, there are some differences between Annual Survey of Industry (PRODCOM) and Monthly Industry Survey on product level because in the Annual survey more reporting units are included. 

Аlso, the supplied PRODCOM data is cross – checked against annual SBS data of revenues from sales of enterprises’ ‘’own products and services’’. If the differences between data from different sources are significant, SORS contacts the reporting units in order to verify the data and explain the differences.

Before PRODCOM data is automatically cross – checked against annual SBS data of revenues from sales in industry on the enterprise level, statistician analysts are able, for quick checks, to compare the value of total sales revenue from PRODCOM with revenue from sales of products and services from the income statement which is publicly available on the website of the Business Registers Agency.  

Very detail micro table exists to check each respondent on products level (total production, intermediate consumption, stocks at the beginning of the year, stocks at the end of the year and volume and value of products sold) to find possible discrepancies. Data are corrected via control programs support always on micro basis after obtaining corrected data from enterprises (via direct telephone contact or by email).

There is no precise information about the costs and burden of respondents and statistics related to PRODCOM survey.

Currently, PRODCOM data are collected by using paper questionnaires which requires a lot of money and human resources. Paper questionnaires are sent to all respondents. Also, starting from 2015 PRODCOM survey WEB based "on – line" questionnaires has being introduced in order to reduce burden on statistics and on respondents. Respondents can choose to fill out web based questionnaires or paper questionnaires.

As a consequence of the introduction of a web – based questionnaire, the costs of the respondents have been reduced because there are no costs associated with deliveries of questionnaires.

The SORS general revision policy constitutes the global frame ensuring that each statistical domain shall define its own revision policy in compliance with its specific nature.

 The general SORS revision policy determines:

 - general rules of revisions of the published data,

- forms of informing users as regards the possible causes of revisions,

- categories of revisions, and

- documents covering all aspects of revisions.

 The general SORS revision policy is available at https://www.stat.gov.rs/en-US/o-nama/dokumenti   under POLICY

Revision calendar is available at: https://www.stat.gov.rs/en-US/kalzarev

The same revision policy is applied for publishing of national data and for data transmitted to Eurostat.

Revisions are conducted due to subsequently collected reports or amendments of existing reports. Questionnaires received subsequently are entered immediately. Revisions due to errors are implemented immediately after detection. Since data for small businesses that do not complete the PRODCOM questionnaire are not estimated, there is no replacement of the estimated data with real data.

Revision calendar exists, but it does not contain data on revisions of PRODCOM data.

The Serbian PRODCOM data are transmitted to Eurostat at the latest 6 month after the reference year (t+6).

The first data revision is done in the period from July – October. The first revision of the data can generally be considered as the final revision. Therefore, revision of the data is no longer foreseen. Revised data are submitted to Eurostat at the beginning of November – before publication on the SORS website (for 2022, the publication date is 9 of November 2023). Exceptionally, if the existence of some factors that significantly affect the results is subsequently revealed, extraordinary revisions can be done.

The data source is statistical survey known as “Annual survey of Industry (IND – 21)”. Reporting units are enterprises. Observational units are enterprises with principal activity classified in sections B, C or Е – class 3832 of the NACE Rev.2, as well selected business entities whose main activity are not in those sections, but that have significant industrial production (as secondary activity).

It is cut – off survey based on SBR.  The observational units, which makes at least 90% of turnover for each NACE Rev. 2 divisions within sections B, C, or class 3832 of the section E are covered. The survey for 2022 covers 4.991 respondents.

PRODCOM data are collected annually through the IND – 21 statistical survey.

Paper questionnaires named IND – 21 are being used for data collection. Web based questionnaires are used for PRODCOM data collection since 2015. Also, the questionnaire IND – 21  (in word and pdf format) is located on the SORS website and reporting units can use it.

Reporting units are obliged to fulfil the IND – 21 questionnaires until 12^th of April of the current year for the previous year. Reporting units may send completed questionnaires by post, fax or e–mail. Telephone contacts and reminders are used in order to increase response rate.

Аlthough starting from the reference year 2021, Eurostat has included in the monitoring the new PRODCOM variables, the questionnaire used to collect data was not changed. The existing questionnaire for the Annual Industry Survey enables the collection of data for the new reporting method.

The annex provides an example of filling out the questionnaire in case when the reporting unit produces products ``for its own account'' and ``under subcontracting activities''.

Data validation is done during data processing: first– during data entry, then through the IT process of calculating the aggregates. All processing steps from validation to computing the results is carrying out in automatic IT support system. Data editing is based on rules designed to detect errors. 

There is a very strict logical control of all data from the questionnaire as well as their connections. Some errors can be automatically corrected, but the correction of some errors requires contact with the reporting units. Finally, data validation is conducted during analysis of the aggregates. There are comparison over time with previous year and cross survey checks (IPI and SBS).

Before transmission to Eurostat, the structure of the data file and format is checked in detail.

Steps of processing data can be summarized as follows:

Data entry from IND – 21 questionnaire;

Detection and correction of errors and inconsistencies;

Reduction of non – response, i.e. contacting the reporting units in order to obtain their data.

All results are presented in the form of absolute figures. The quantities produced, stocks at the end of referent year (quantities), quantities sold and value of sold production are summarized on product level. The basis is the NIP for the Annual industrial survey which is aligned with PRODCOM list. Additionally, value of sold production are summarized on 2 digit NACE Rev. 2 level and 4 digit NACE Rev. 2 level (only for data control purpose).

Not applicable.

No comment.