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.
Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union
1.2. Contact organisation unit
C1: National accounts methodology; Standards and indicators
1.3. Contact name
Restricted from publication
1.4. Contact person function
Restricted from publication
1.5. Contact mail address
2920 Luxembourg LUXEMBOURG
1.6. Contact email address
Restricted from publication
1.7. Contact phone number
Restricted from publication
1.8. Contact fax number
Restricted from publication
2.1. Metadata last certified
29 November 2023
2.2. Metadata last posted
29 November 2023
2.3. Metadata last update
29 November 2023
3.1. Data description
With most EU Member States participating in the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), infra-annual economic statistics for the euro area and the European Union as a whole are of great importance for collective and private decision-making. The momentum of the EU economies, in particular the euro area economy, has to be assessed continuously.
The special domain of ‘Euro-indicators and Principal European Economic Indicators (PEEIs)’ is dedicated to infra-annual economic statistics such as consumer prices, national accounts, balance of payments, external trade, industry, trade and services, labour market, as well as a selection of monetary and financial indicators of the European Central Bank (ECB) and business and consumer survey results from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN).
A dedicated section on Eurostat’s website provides more information about the domain and gives access to the related datasets in Eurostat’s online database. Data are available for the euro area, the European Union and for individual countries.
There are nine topics within the domain, each one of which has specific metadata:
With the exception of the results from business and consumer surveys, all Euro indicators and PEEIs are based on other datasets of Eurostat. The metadata files per topic contain links to the metadata files of the source datasets.
3.2. Classification system
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
3.3. Coverage - sector
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
3.5. Statistical unit
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
3.6. Statistical population
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
3.7. Reference area
Euro area, European Union, EU Member States, candidate countries, EFTA countries, United States and Japan.
3.8. Coverage - Time
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
3.9. Base period
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Specific information on legislation can be found in metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below) and in the dedicated sections for some of the topics on Eurostat’s website, under the heading ‘Legislation’:
Prior to its release to the public, specific data are forwarded routinely to the European Central Bank (ECB) for their internal use. ECB respects the embargo according to the news release calendar.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164) on European statistics 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
According to policy rules (see section 7.1).
8.1. Release calendar
A Euro indicator release calendar is published on Eurostat’s website. National data are published by the National Statistical Institutes (NSI) following national dissemination calendars. Please consult NSI’s websites to get national dissemination calendar (links are provided on Eurostat’s website). National data are published by Eurostat immediately after their reception.
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice Eurostat disseminates European statistics on Eurostat’s website (see principle 10 – ‘Accessibility and Clarity’), respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably. The detailed arrangements are governed by Eurostat’s protocol on impartial access to Eurostat data for users.
Euro indicators and PEEIs are released on a monthly or quarterly basis. For individual series, see metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
The dedicated section for Euro indicators and PEEIs on Eurostat’s website contains links to related publications. This includes Statistics Explained articles, euro indicators news, statistical publications, working papers, and the yearlyEFS Status Report.
Specific publications can be found in metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below) and in the dedicated sections for some of the topics on Eurostat’s website, under the heading ‘Publications’:
‘Selected datasets’ offer a selection of the most important data in a user-friendly way. All data are presented in simple two or three dimensional tables.
‘Detailed datasets’ contains the full range of data publically available. They are presented in multi-dimensional tables with various selection features and export formats.
Many Euro indicators and PEEIs are also presented in the Euro indicators dashboard on Eurostat’s website.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
None.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Specific information on methodology can be found in metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below) and in the dedicated sections for some of the topics on Eurostat’s website, under the heading ‘Methodology’:
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
11.1. Quality assurance
Specific information on quality assurance can be found in metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below) and in the dedicated sections for some of the topics on Eurostat’s website, under the heading ‘Quality’:
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The dedicated section for Euro indicators and PEEIs on Eurostat’s website is designed to give a general overview of the recent past and near future of the economy in the euro area, European Union and its Member States. It is essentially addressed to specialised users, such as official statisticians and economists, academics, researchers, journalists, etc. It also contains useful information for students and the general public interested in the economic situation at the European level.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
A user satisfaction survey is carried out by Eurostat on an annual basis since 2009. The latest results can be consulted online on Eurostat’s website.
12.3. Completeness
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
13.1. Accuracy - overall
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
13.2. Sampling error
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
13.3. Non-sampling error
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
14.1. Timeliness
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
14.2. Punctuality
All news releases are published according to the announced release calendars. Other indicators, not included in the news releases, are also published on time.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
15.2. Comparability - over time
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
15.4. Coherence - internal
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
Not available.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Most of the data disseminated consist of data already disseminated in Eurobase by the following domains:
Balance of payments - International transactions (BPM6)
Harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP)
Short-term business statistics, sub domains Industry, Construction, Trade, and Services.
International Trade in goods
EMU convergence criterion series
Short-term interest rates
Euro yield curves
Euro/ECU exchange rates
Effective exchange rates indices
Quarterly national accounts
Annual national accounts
Quarterly sector accounts
Government finance statistics (EDP and ESA 2010)
The revision policy is therefore effectively the revision policy of those domains.
For the business and consumer surveys domain, please consult:
With most EU Member States participating in the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), infra-annual economic statistics for the euro area and the European Union as a whole are of great importance for collective and private decision-making. The momentum of the EU economies, in particular the euro area economy, has to be assessed continuously.
The special domain of ‘Euro-indicators and Principal European Economic Indicators (PEEIs)’ is dedicated to infra-annual economic statistics such as consumer prices, national accounts, balance of payments, external trade, industry, trade and services, labour market, as well as a selection of monetary and financial indicators of the European Central Bank (ECB) and business and consumer survey results from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN).
A dedicated section on Eurostat’s website provides more information about the domain and gives access to the related datasets in Eurostat’s online database. Data are available for the euro area, the European Union and for individual countries.
There are nine topics within the domain, each one of which has specific metadata:
With the exception of the results from business and consumer surveys, all Euro indicators and PEEIs are based on other datasets of Eurostat. The metadata files per topic contain links to the metadata files of the source datasets.
29 November 2023
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
Euro area, European Union, EU Member States, candidate countries, EFTA countries, United States and Japan.
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
Euro indicators and PEEIs are released on a monthly or quarterly basis. For individual series, see metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
See metadata by topic (links are available in the section ‘Related metadata’ below).
