Statistics Poland

Agriculture and Environment Department

00-925 Warsaw, Aleja Niepodległości 208

Economy-wide material flow accounts (EW-MFA) provide an aggregate overview, in thousand tonnes per year, of the material flows into and out of an economy. EW-MFA cover solid, gaseous, and liquid materials, except for bulk flows of water and air. Like the system of national accounts, EW-MFA constitute a multi-purpose information system. The detailed material flows provide a rich empirical database for numerous analytical purposes. Further, EW-MFA are used to derive various material flow indicators.

The National Statistical Institute (NSI) sent to Eurostat on yearly basis the EW-MFA. The accounts comprise the following reporting tables:

• Table A 'Domestic extraction (DE)': records material flows from the environment into the economy in a detailed breakdown by type of material
• Table B 'Imports - total imports (intra- and extra-EU) and Table D 'Exports – total exports (intra- and extra-EU)': These physical trade tables record the imports and exports of products in thousand tonnes and grouped by materials.
• Table F 'Domestic processed output (DPO)': records material flows from the economy to the domestic environment (e.g. emissions to air, water and soil)
• Table G 'Balancing items': reports some memorandum items which are necessary to have the full material balance related to a national economy
• Table H 'Indicators': presents the EW-MFA derived indicators which are automatically calculated from Table A to G

Table I 'Material flow accounts in raw material equivalents (RME)': records material flow accounts in raw material equivalents (MFA-RME). Some items are calculated automatically based on data reported in Table A and Table I.

EW-MFA record physical flows of materials broken down by type of flow and by type of material.

The type of flow dimension corresponds to the EW-MFA questionnaire reporting tables and derived indicators, namely:

• domestic extraction (Table A)
• physical imports (Table B)
• physical exports (Table D)
• domestic processed output (Table F)
• balancing items (Table G)
• direct material input (indicator)
• domestic material consumption (indicator)
• physical trade balance (indicator)

The breakdown by type of material employs a classification of materials. This EW-MFA classification of materials is hierarchical with main material flow categories (1-digit level). Each main category is further broken down, maximal down to 4-digit-level:

    1-digit: material category;

    2-digit: material class;

    3-digit: material group;

    4-digit: material sub-group.

The data refer to national economies as defined in the system of national accounts.

Conceptually economy-wide material flow accounts (EW-MFA) belong to the international system of environmental economic accounting (SEEA-Central Framework). Furthermore, EW-MFA is one of several physical modules of Eurostat's programme on European environmental economic accounts. It is covered by Regulation (EU) No. 691/2011 on European environmental economic accounts.

EW-MFA are closely related to concepts and definitions of national accounts. Most notably they follow the residence principle, i.e. they record material flows related to resident unit's activities, regardless where those occur geographically.

Further methodological guidelines are provided in various publications by Eurostat (see Eurostat website > Environment > Methodology, heading: 'Material flows and resource productivity').

For more detailed information please see also 3.1.

Statistical units change according to the different data sources (e.g. agriculture, forestry and fishery statistics, production statistics, geological surveys, energy statistics, foreign trade statistics etc.) which EW-MFA are based on.

EW-MFA refer to the entire national economy of the reporting country (see also 3.3 'Coverage - sector')).

EW-MFA include all materials (excluding water and air) crossing the system boundary (between the environment and the economy) on the input side or on the output side. The economy is demarcated by the conventions of the national accounting system (resident units).

Material inputs to the economy cover extractions of natural resources (excluding water and air) from the natural environment and imports of material products (goods) from the rest of the world economy (ROW).

Material outputs are disposals of materials to the natural environment and exports of material products and waste to the ROW. Information on natural resources extracted and traded products is provided by different statistical units.

Poland

Please see the table in 3.8.1.

Not applicable because EW-MFA are not reported as indices.

The unit of measure is thousand tonnes.

The data refer to the calendar years.

Economy-wide material flow accounts (EW-MFA) are legally covered by Regulation (EU) 691/2011 on European Environmental Economic Accounts.

Not applicable in national level this information is required at European level only.

The legal base concerning issues related to statistical confidentiality is Law on Public Statistics from 29 June 1995, with later amendments. Internal Policy no 32 of the President of Statistics Poland from 4 December 2020 covers instructions how to preserve statistical confidentiality whereas the rules of passive confidentiality apply to data on export and import.

According to Internal Policy no 32 of the President of Statistics Poland it shall not be allowed to publish statistical data which can be related to, and used to identify, a specific natural person,or any statistical information and data characterizing economic and financial results of entities of the national economy conducting business activity, if a given aggregation comprises less than three entities, or the share of a given entity in a certain compilation is higher than three-fourths of the whole. All recommendations are always applied.

The website and statistical data bases are the most important forms of sharing the statistical results.

Statistics Poland publishes statistical data significant to the national strategies, plans and other documents, which also answer the needs of the ordinary users.

Statistics Poland in years 2016-2018 (December) published, on Statistics Poland’s website, information note (in Polish) titled “Rachunki ekonomiczne środowiska” (“Environmental economic accounts”) containing information about AEA, EW-MFA and TAXES (https://stat.gov.pl/obszary-tematyczne/srodowisko-energia/srodowisko/rachunki-ekonomiczne-srodowiska,7,3.html).

Since 2019 Statistics Poland has published above mentioned information in publication "Economics aspects of environmental protection" (https://stat.gov.pl/en/topics/environment-energy/environment/economic-aspects-of-environmental-protection-2023,4,5.html).

Final data on foreign trade is available 8 months after the reporting period.

Actual and archive release schedules are available at the Statistics Poland website: https://stat.gov.pl/en/questions-and-orders/editorial-title-plan-of-the-statisics-poland-and-rso/

More detailed information are available upon request from interested users. The users have access to The Release Schedule prepared for a given year. Statistics Poland handles orders for statistical data, and it forwards applications to the relevant departments. The request is analyzed, the scope of data verified in terms of compliance with statistical confidentiality.

The frequency, a scope and form of data publication is determined by the Statistical Survey Programme of Official Statistics (PBSSP) which is consulted with the users. The PBSSP is approved every year by the Council of Minister.

Since 2019 the data on MFA has been disseminated in the annual publication (pdf and Excel format).

Since 2019 the data has been disseminated in the annual publication “Economic aspects of environmental protection” and in Yearbook of Foreign Trade Statistics.

Since 2019 the data has been disseminated in the annual publication “Economic aspects of environmental protection” (also Excel format) and in database: https://dbw.stat.gov.pl/en/dashboard/117 .

Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.

We do not disseminated microdata access.

We do not distribute the data in a different format.

Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.

In carrying out the EW-MFA questionnaire, methodology and instructions for filling of the Table A questionnaire has been developed only in Polish language. Every year, the table is updated if there are any changes in the methodology of Eurostat or because of changes in national sources.

Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.

Any additional national descriptions of the measures to assure the quality have not been elaborated yet. Generally the statistical products are monitored based on the procedures contained in Internal Policy no 35 of the President of Statistics Poland from 28 December 2011. The quality reports, quality measures, control lists, quality reviews exist there.

A detailed general description of the standard quality reviews is quoted from the Vademecum of Quality in Official Statistics. The priorities for the assessment of quality process can be determined at the stage of planning of the quality review for each individual survey, including its specificity and current needs. Generally the statistical products are monitored based on the procedures contained in the Internal Policy no 35 of the President of Statistics Poland from 28 December 2011. The quality reports, quality measures, control lists, quality reviews exist there.

Data collection process is programmed in the way that collected data should be of the appropriate accuracy (which is possible to achieve for reporting units, but at the same time resulting from legal regulations and corresponding to the users’ needs). Statistics Poland makes every effort to ensure that statistical data are not affected by errors, especially resulting from factual issues.

Statistics Poland takes into account the needs of users by initiating new publications as well as by raising and development of employees competences.

See point 12.1.

The data is complete.

Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.

Please use Annex 3 for providing an assessment of the overall quality of the reported data. 

Not applicable because data are not based on a sample survey.

Not applicable because data are not based on a sample survey.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

1 years (n-1) and for table F and G 2 years (n-2)

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Every data is transmitted and published on time.

Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.

Data on EW-MFA are compiled according to harmonised guidelines provided by Eurostat and hence comparable across European countries reporting EW-MFA data to Eurostat.

Not applicable because physical imports and exports as recorded in EW-MFA are not specified by origin and/or destination.

Please see the table in 15.2.1.1.

Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.

Please use below table for explaining b)-flags (breaks in time series):

100%

Not applicable; reported EW-MFA data are only annual.

See annex 1.

100%

0.5

Every year, during new data transmission data is reviewed.

See point 17.1.

Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.

Data sources used to produce economy-wide material flow accounts are described in the sub-points 18.1.1 (and Annex) and 18.1.2.

Please use Annex 1 to report the detailed data sources for questionnaire tables A, B, D, F and G.

Since 2015 change of source in table F, in accordance with Annex 1.

Not applicable.

Statistics Poland collects data on an ongoing basis.

See annex 1.

Statistics Poland checks the quality of data at the collection stage. High quality is ensured at all levels of statistical production.

See annex 2.

Not applicable.

Please use Annex 2 to describe estimation approaches for specific items.

See annex 2.

See annex 2.

See annex 2.

Statistics Poland has not identified any problems.

Not applicable; i.e. in EW-MFA no time series adjustment necessary.

Not applicable.