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.
The EuroGroups register (EGR) is the statistical business register of Eurostat and the EU Member States and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries for multinational enterprise groups. The purpose of the EGR is to offer to statistical users a tool for coordinating frame population, to derive consistent statistical output with an improved quality in measuring global activities of European enterprises part of multinational enterprise groups.
The EGR produces data in yearly cycles and covers microdata on the groups and their enterprises and legal units. The EGR aims to register all multinational enterprise groups that have enterprises in EU Member States or EFTA countries, including European and non-European groups.
The Member States, EFTA countries and Eurostat exchange data on multinational enterprise groups and on the units belonging to those groups for the purposes of the European framework for statistical business registers to ensure the quality of the multinational enterprise group’s information in the Union.
The EGR brings together microdata on multinational enterprise groups from the EU and the EFTA countries' national statistical institutes, in line with the requirements of the Regulation (EU) No 2152/2019, and from a commercial data source for data outside the EU and EFTA.
3.2. Classification system
Classification systems and main code lists used in the EGR are as follows:
Statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community (NACE)
The coverage of the data transmitted to the EGR is defined in the Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 on European business statistics.
For the purposes of the European framework for statistical business registers, the following economic activities are considered:
any activity comprising the offer of goods and services on a given market;
non-market services contributing to the GDP;
direct and indirect holdings of active legal units.
Holding assets and/or liabilities are also considered an economic activity.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Global group head
The global group head (GGH) of an enterprise group is the parent legal unit that is not controlled either directly or indirectly by any other legal unit. The subsidiary legal units of a subsidiary legal unit are considered to be subsidiaries of the parent legal unit.
Global decision centre
The global decision centre (GDC) of an enterprise group is the unit where the enterprise group level’s strategic decisions are taken. A group may have several decision-making centres or several units dedicated to a particular internal function, for example accounting or human resources. However, the decisions about the group are made only in the GDC. The GDC may be the GGH or another legal unit under the GGH.
Ultimate Controlling Institutional unit
The ultimate controlling institutional unit (UCI) of a foreign affiliate means the institutional unit higher up a foreign affiliate’s chain of control that is not controlled by another institutional unit.
Activity of unit
NACE Rev 2.1 derived from national classification of the activity (SBI)
Number of employees
Source SBR = Statistics Emplyoment and Wages which are based on Social Security Administration
Self-employed persons
Self-employed persons derived from the number of partners - only natural persons - in a partnership combined with inform ation about Sole Proprietors registered in the Trade Register
Net turnover
Derived from statisical system used for STS: Direct Estimation Of Totals (Dutch = DRT)
Principal activity
NACE Rev 2.1 derived from national classification of the activity (SBI)
3.5. Statistical unit
The statistical units maintained in the EGR are defined in accordance with the Regulation (EEC) No 696/93 on the statistical units for the observation and analysis of the production system in the Community.
The EGR frame contains the following units: Legal units, Enterprises and Multinational enterprise groups.
Legal units include:
legal persons whose existence is recognized by law independently of the individuals or institutions which may own them or are members of them,
natural persons who are engaged in an economic activity in their own right.
The legal unit always forms, either by itself or sometimes in combination with other legal units, the legal basis for the statistical unit known as the 'enterprise'.
Enterprise
The enterprise is the smallest combination of legal units that is an organizational unit producing goods or services, which benefits from a certain degree of autonomy in decision-making, especially for the allocation of its current resources. An enterprise carries out one or more activities at one or more locations. An enterprise may be a sole legal unit.
Multinational enterprise group
A multinational enterprise group is an enterprise group that has at least two enterprises or legal units located in different countries. In business statistics also term ‘global enterprise group’ is used.
3.6. Statistical population
The data transmitted to the EGR during the cycle is made of the following datasets.
The data set with information on all incorporated resident legal units for the EGR Identification Service.
ISRLE file: population of resident legal units is sent to EGR for identification.
The data set with information on foreign legal units for the EGR Identification Service.
ISNORLE file: population of foreign legal unit recorded in national statistical business register is sent to EGR for identification.
The data set with information on legal units.
LEU file: resident legal unit belonging to a global enterprise group is sent to EGR for processing.
The data set with information on relationships of ownership and control.
REL file: relationships between legal units is sent to EGR for processing:
two resident legal units
one resident and one foreign legal unit
two foreign legal units from non EU+EFTA countries.
Relationships in the REL are:
control relationships (>50%)
minority relationships (<50%)
The data set with information on enterprises.
ENT file: enterprises made of legal unit sent in LEU files is sent to EGR for processing.
The Data set with information on links between enterprises and legal units.
LEL file: links between enterprise (ENT) and legal units (LEU) is sent to EGR for processing.
The Data set with information on enterprise groups of which country is the GDC country for the EuroGroups Register.
GEG file: groups data is sent to the EGR for processing.
The groups’ variables are updated after receiving the preliminary frame:
The EGR frames are available from the 2008 reference year onwards. Statistics Netherlands transmits data for the EGR production cycle since 2008.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable
The economic variables on employment are recorded in absolute figures.
The net turnover for enterprises is recorded in EURO.
The net turnover and net total asset is recorded in millions in EURO.
The reference period for data sent to the EGR reflects the picture of 31 December of the given reference year.
Data transmitted to EGR during the EGR 2023 cycle includes data for the 2023 reference year. The identification, economic variables (number of employees, turnover and economic activity) refer to the reference year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
The content of the national data sent to EGR is defined according the Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 on European business statistics.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 of 30 July 2020 is laying down the technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
The legal framework setting up the procedures for EGR data exchanges and access to confidential data for the purpose of the European framework for statistical business registers are defined in the Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 on European business statistics (Art.10).
The national legislative measures or other formal procedures which prevent unauthorised disclosure of data that identify a person or economic entity either directly or indirectly include:
EGR data are stored by the Commission (Eurostat) and by the national statistical authorities (NSAs) in the EU Member States and EFTA countries in a secure area with restricted and controlled access.
The transmission of the EGR data is done in an encrypted form and by electronic means via the Commission (Eurostat) single entry point for exchange of confidential data EDAMIS.
Rules applied for treating the data set to ensure statistical confidentiality and prevent unauthorised disclosure are defined according to the policy rules (see section 7.1).
8.1. Release calendar
Not applicable.
8.2. Release calendar access
Not applicable.
8.3. Release policy - user access
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Not applicable.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Not applicable.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Not applicable.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
The micro-data exchange of confidential data on multinational enterprise groups and on the statistical units belonging to those groups takes place, exclusively for statistical purposes, between EU Member States and EFTA countries and the European Commission (Eurostat).
Where such exchange of confidential data is carried out to ensure the quality of the multinational enterprise groups information in the Union and the exchange is explicitly authorised by the competent NSA which provides the data, national central banks may be party to the exchange of confidential data, exclusively for statistical purposes.
NSI exchanges information on multinational enterprise groups with:
ESS Data Quality Programme for statistical business registers is available on CIRCABC and Quality - Eurostat (europa.eu).
11.1. Quality assurance
Eurostat Data Quality Programme monitors the quality and compliance of the data transmitted by the countries to EGR using the instruments of the EBS quality framework.
At national level, the quality of the data sent to EGR is assured as follows:
automatic validation procedures to check coherence between statistical units and their variables,
data format and logical content of data
crosschecks with other sources and data from previous years,
corrections triggered by information received from the EGR(-team)
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
EGR is used as the main source to determine the UCI/GDC for FATS
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Users complain about missing information in the EGR on completely identified relationships between Dutch Legal units and entities registered in countries outside the European Union.
12.3. Completeness
See EGR quality indicators.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The accuracy of the data transmitted to the EGR is:
Units
Assessment
Legal units
Very good
Relationships between legal units
Good
Enterprises characteristics
Very good
Enterprises perimeters
Very good
Multinational enterprise group (with Global decision centre in my country)
Satisfactory
The main issues regarding accuracy of the data and issue importance are as follows:
Units
Issue
Legal units
No issues for Dutch LEUs
Relationships between legal units
Issues which may have an impact on the accuracy:
1. Sources which provide information on foreign subsidiaries (e.g. corporate tax) or forieign owners of a Dutch LEU may be late available (e.g. foreign affairs). Hence the foreign entities involved, cannot be identified with a LEID in time. Hence the relationships involved could not be provided to the EGR for the actual cycle. These sources reflect to a (fiscal) year before the actual reference year of the EGR.
2. There exists a lot of foreign entities in the Dutch SBR, which are a subsidiary or an owner of a Dutch legal unit, which could not be matched in the EGR-IS (often located outside EU-territory). Hence these foreign entities were not be identified with a LEID and the relationships involved could not be provided to the EGR for the actual cycle.
3. The Dutch Trade Register (TR) is the main source to register foreign owners of a Dutch Legal Unit. However only single shareholders are registered in the TR (i.e. 100% relationships) and used to maintain the relationships in the SBR. Foreign owners of a Dutch Legal Unit with < 100% ownership are not registered and are missing (arbitrary) in the Dutch SBR and consequently are not invcluded in the deliveries to the EGR for the actual cycle.
4. Many relationships have been added from the commercial data provider. SN does not have any information about the accuracy of these added realtionships.
Enterprises characteristics
no issues for Dutch ENTs
Enterprise perimeter
no issues for Dutch LELs
Multinational enterprise group (with Global decision centre in my country)
Issues which may have an impact on the accuracy:
The TR registers many 'Dutch' holdings, which are owned by foreign entities, but the relationship which proves the ownership relation, is missing (and therefore not included in the Dutch SBR).
Some Foreign EGs register a holding-activity in NL as being the GGH, but there are no other activities in NL. NL is assigned automatically as GDC.
In the EGR there exists many different GEGs which can be detected as being 'suspected to be joined'. But since the relationship is missing which could connect these GEGs, these cases should all be manually investigated and repaired (if possible). However often the information needed to repair the structure, is not available.
Relationships added by the commercial data provider increase the perimeter of the MNE.
This accuracy assessment is based on:
Data availability and punctuality
Query report on potential duplicates
Analyzing of EGR validation results sent by the EGR-team after every frame.
Analyzing demography in consequtive EGR-frame populations
Manual checking of GDC country on web sites of big MNE's in general to improve FATS.
Further actions taken to reduce bias (if any) and to improve accuracy of the data are as follows:
SN developed a special EGR-team with methodolical, technical, (global) profiling and statistical expertise.
The task of this team is to improve and validate the MNE-structures in the EGR.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
The EGR process refers to a reference year T and is run yearly over a period of 11 months, between May T+1 and March T+2.
14.2. Punctuality
On time according the EGR-cycle
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The geographical comparability of national statistical business registers is ensured by the application of common definitions of the statistical units laid down in the Council Regulation (EEC) No 696/93.
The SBR variables are harmonised and set up in accordance with the Annex VIII to the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 laying down technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 on European business statistics. Further guidelines on the variables implementation in the national statistical business registers are given in the EBS methodological manual for Statistical Business Registers (2021 edition).
15.2. Comparability - over time
The information about the GEG-structures in the EGR frame for the last reference year were compared with the GEG-structures in the EGR frame of the previous reference year.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Coherence of data sent to Eurostat with other data sources and statistical domains:
The information in the EGR frame is used as the main source for FATS
15.4. Coherence - internal
Data sent to EGR should be internally consistent. There is a set of standard quality checks that are routinely perform at national level before transmitting the data to Eurostat:
The EGR-methodology is implemented in a special Statistical System, called the Cross Border Register.
The EuroGroups register (EGR) is the statistical business register of Eurostat and the EU Member States and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries for multinational enterprise groups. The purpose of the EGR is to offer to statistical users a tool for coordinating frame population, to derive consistent statistical output with an improved quality in measuring global activities of European enterprises part of multinational enterprise groups.
The EGR produces data in yearly cycles and covers microdata on the groups and their enterprises and legal units. The EGR aims to register all multinational enterprise groups that have enterprises in EU Member States or EFTA countries, including European and non-European groups.
The Member States, EFTA countries and Eurostat exchange data on multinational enterprise groups and on the units belonging to those groups for the purposes of the European framework for statistical business registers to ensure the quality of the multinational enterprise group’s information in the Union.
The EGR brings together microdata on multinational enterprise groups from the EU and the EFTA countries' national statistical institutes, in line with the requirements of the Regulation (EU) No 2152/2019, and from a commercial data source for data outside the EU and EFTA.
9 May 2025
Global group head
The global group head (GGH) of an enterprise group is the parent legal unit that is not controlled either directly or indirectly by any other legal unit. The subsidiary legal units of a subsidiary legal unit are considered to be subsidiaries of the parent legal unit.
Global decision centre
The global decision centre (GDC) of an enterprise group is the unit where the enterprise group level’s strategic decisions are taken. A group may have several decision-making centres or several units dedicated to a particular internal function, for example accounting or human resources. However, the decisions about the group are made only in the GDC. The GDC may be the GGH or another legal unit under the GGH.
Ultimate Controlling Institutional unit
The ultimate controlling institutional unit (UCI) of a foreign affiliate means the institutional unit higher up a foreign affiliate’s chain of control that is not controlled by another institutional unit.
Activity of unit
NACE Rev 2.1 derived from national classification of the activity (SBI)
Number of employees
Source SBR = Statistics Emplyoment and Wages which are based on Social Security Administration
Self-employed persons
Self-employed persons derived from the number of partners - only natural persons - in a partnership combined with inform ation about Sole Proprietors registered in the Trade Register
Net turnover
Derived from statisical system used for STS: Direct Estimation Of Totals (Dutch = DRT)
Principal activity
NACE Rev 2.1 derived from national classification of the activity (SBI)
The statistical units maintained in the EGR are defined in accordance with the Regulation (EEC) No 696/93 on the statistical units for the observation and analysis of the production system in the Community.
The EGR frame contains the following units: Legal units, Enterprises and Multinational enterprise groups.
Legal units include:
legal persons whose existence is recognized by law independently of the individuals or institutions which may own them or are members of them,
natural persons who are engaged in an economic activity in their own right.
The legal unit always forms, either by itself or sometimes in combination with other legal units, the legal basis for the statistical unit known as the 'enterprise'.
Enterprise
The enterprise is the smallest combination of legal units that is an organizational unit producing goods or services, which benefits from a certain degree of autonomy in decision-making, especially for the allocation of its current resources. An enterprise carries out one or more activities at one or more locations. An enterprise may be a sole legal unit.
Multinational enterprise group
A multinational enterprise group is an enterprise group that has at least two enterprises or legal units located in different countries. In business statistics also term ‘global enterprise group’ is used.
The data transmitted to the EGR during the cycle is made of the following datasets.
The data set with information on all incorporated resident legal units for the EGR Identification Service.
ISRLE file: population of resident legal units is sent to EGR for identification.
The data set with information on foreign legal units for the EGR Identification Service.
ISNORLE file: population of foreign legal unit recorded in national statistical business register is sent to EGR for identification.
The data set with information on legal units.
LEU file: resident legal unit belonging to a global enterprise group is sent to EGR for processing.
The data set with information on relationships of ownership and control.
REL file: relationships between legal units is sent to EGR for processing:
two resident legal units
one resident and one foreign legal unit
two foreign legal units from non EU+EFTA countries.
Relationships in the REL are:
control relationships (>50%)
minority relationships (<50%)
The data set with information on enterprises.
ENT file: enterprises made of legal unit sent in LEU files is sent to EGR for processing.
The Data set with information on links between enterprises and legal units.
LEL file: links between enterprise (ENT) and legal units (LEU) is sent to EGR for processing.
The Data set with information on enterprise groups of which country is the GDC country for the EuroGroups Register.
GEG file: groups data is sent to the EGR for processing.
The groups’ variables are updated after receiving the preliminary frame:
The reference period for data sent to the EGR reflects the picture of 31 December of the given reference year.
Data transmitted to EGR during the EGR 2023 cycle includes data for the 2023 reference year. The identification, economic variables (number of employees, turnover and economic activity) refer to the reference year.
The accuracy of the data transmitted to the EGR is:
Units
Assessment
Legal units
Very good
Relationships between legal units
Good
Enterprises characteristics
Very good
Enterprises perimeters
Very good
Multinational enterprise group (with Global decision centre in my country)
Satisfactory
The main issues regarding accuracy of the data and issue importance are as follows:
Units
Issue
Legal units
No issues for Dutch LEUs
Relationships between legal units
Issues which may have an impact on the accuracy:
1. Sources which provide information on foreign subsidiaries (e.g. corporate tax) or forieign owners of a Dutch LEU may be late available (e.g. foreign affairs). Hence the foreign entities involved, cannot be identified with a LEID in time. Hence the relationships involved could not be provided to the EGR for the actual cycle. These sources reflect to a (fiscal) year before the actual reference year of the EGR.
2. There exists a lot of foreign entities in the Dutch SBR, which are a subsidiary or an owner of a Dutch legal unit, which could not be matched in the EGR-IS (often located outside EU-territory). Hence these foreign entities were not be identified with a LEID and the relationships involved could not be provided to the EGR for the actual cycle.
3. The Dutch Trade Register (TR) is the main source to register foreign owners of a Dutch Legal Unit. However only single shareholders are registered in the TR (i.e. 100% relationships) and used to maintain the relationships in the SBR. Foreign owners of a Dutch Legal Unit with < 100% ownership are not registered and are missing (arbitrary) in the Dutch SBR and consequently are not invcluded in the deliveries to the EGR for the actual cycle.
4. Many relationships have been added from the commercial data provider. SN does not have any information about the accuracy of these added realtionships.
Enterprises characteristics
no issues for Dutch ENTs
Enterprise perimeter
no issues for Dutch LELs
Multinational enterprise group (with Global decision centre in my country)
Issues which may have an impact on the accuracy:
The TR registers many 'Dutch' holdings, which are owned by foreign entities, but the relationship which proves the ownership relation, is missing (and therefore not included in the Dutch SBR).
Some Foreign EGs register a holding-activity in NL as being the GGH, but there are no other activities in NL. NL is assigned automatically as GDC.
In the EGR there exists many different GEGs which can be detected as being 'suspected to be joined'. But since the relationship is missing which could connect these GEGs, these cases should all be manually investigated and repaired (if possible). However often the information needed to repair the structure, is not available.
Relationships added by the commercial data provider increase the perimeter of the MNE.
This accuracy assessment is based on:
Data availability and punctuality
Query report on potential duplicates
Analyzing of EGR validation results sent by the EGR-team after every frame.
Analyzing demography in consequtive EGR-frame populations
Manual checking of GDC country on web sites of big MNE's in general to improve FATS.
Further actions taken to reduce bias (if any) and to improve accuracy of the data are as follows:
SN developed a special EGR-team with methodolical, technical, (global) profiling and statistical expertise.
The task of this team is to improve and validate the MNE-structures in the EGR.
The economic variables on employment are recorded in absolute figures.
The net turnover for enterprises is recorded in EURO.
The net turnover and net total asset is recorded in millions in EURO.
The EGR process refers to a reference year T and is run yearly over a period of 11 months, between May T+1 and March T+2.
The geographical comparability of national statistical business registers is ensured by the application of common definitions of the statistical units laid down in the Council Regulation (EEC) No 696/93.
The SBR variables are harmonised and set up in accordance with the Annex VIII to the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 laying down technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 on European business statistics. Further guidelines on the variables implementation in the national statistical business registers are given in the EBS methodological manual for Statistical Business Registers (2021 edition).
The information about the GEG-structures in the EGR frame for the last reference year were compared with the GEG-structures in the EGR frame of the previous reference year.
