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 purpose of the collected data is to monitor compliance of countries with the quantitative targets for recovery and recycling of end of life vehicles that are set out in Article 7 (2) of the End-of life vehicle Directive:
2(a) No later than 1 January 2006, for all end-of life vehicles, the reuse and recovery shall be increased to a minimum of 85 % by an average weight per vehicle and year. Within the same time limit the reuse and recycling shall be increased to a minimum of 80 % by an average weight per vehicle and year;
2(b) No later than 1 January 2015, for all end-of life vehicles, the reuse and recovery shall be increased to a minimum of 95 % by an average weight per vehicle and year. Within the same time limit, the re-use and recycling shall be increased to a minimum of 85 % by an average weight per vehicle and year.
Further information on the policy need of data on end of life vehicles can be found on the following website of Directorate General Environment.
3.2. Classification system
For the data set “End-of-life vehicles - reuse, recycling and recovery, totals (env_waselvt)” the End-of life vehicles data are broken down by type of treatment:
Generated (GEN)
Recovery and reuse (RCV_REU)
Recycling (RCY)
Recycling and reuse (RCY_REU)
Recovery (RCV)
For the data set “End-of-life vehicles by waste operations - detailed data (env_waselv)” the End-of life vehicles data are broken down in addition for waste categories
Total Waste (TOTAL)
Total dismantling and de-pollution (DMDP)
Liquids (excluding fuel) (LoW: 1301 until 1306+1406+160113 until 160115+160121+160122+160199) (LIQ)
End-of-life vehicles: total weight of vehicles exported (EXP)
End-of-life vehicles: tyres (W160103)
End-of-life vehicles: oil filters (W160107)
End-of-life vehicles: other materials arising from depollution (excluding fuel) (LoW: 160108 until 160111+160121) (W1601A)
End-of-life vehicles: metal components (LoW: 160117+160118) (W1601B)
End-of-life vehicles: large plastic parts (W160119)
End-of-life vehicles: glass (W160120)
End-of-life vehicles: other arising from dismantling (LoW: 160122+160199) (W1601C)
Batteries and accumulators (W1606)
Catalysts (W1608)
Total shredding (W1910)
Ferrous scrap (steel) from shredding (W191001)
Non-ferrous materials (aluminium, copper, zinc, lead, etc.) from shredding (W191002)
Other materials arising from shredding (LoW: 191005+191006) (W1910B)
3.3. Coverage - sector
The data covers any vehicle designated as category M 1 or N 1 defined in Annex IIA to Directive 70/156/EEC, and three wheel motor vehicles as defined in Directive 92/61/EEC, but excluding motor tricycles; Article 2(1).
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
End-of life vehicle including their components and materials.
3.5. Statistical unit
Reporting units might be: producers, enterprises, local units or establishments.
3.6. Statistical population
End-of life vehicle including their components and materials generated and treated within a country (within EU).
3.7. Reference area
EU aggregate and national data for each EU Member State and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Since 2005, annual data.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Tonnes, numbers of ELVs and percentage.
The reference period is the calendar year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Directive 2005/64/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 October 2005 on the type-approval of motor vehicles with regard to their reusability, recyclability and recoverability and amending Council Directive 70/156/EEC (Official Journal L 310, 25 November 2005, pp. 10-27).
Commission Decision 2002/151/EC of 19 February 2002 on minimum requirements for the certificate of destruction issued in accordance with Article 5(3) of Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on end-of-life vehicles (OJ L 50, 21 February 2002, pp. 94-95).
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
There is no data sharing with other international organisations; international organisations can use the data as published in the dissemination database.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (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
See the concept 7.1.
8.1. Release calendar
There is no release calendar, data dissemination is explained in item 9 below.
8.2. Release calendar access
Not applicable.
8.3. Release policy - user access
In line with the Union legal framework Eurostat disseminates statistics on Eurostat's website (see item 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 the Eurostat protocol on impartial access to Eurostat data for users.
Data received by 30 of June, 18 months after the end of the reference period (T+18; where T = reference year), will be published two months later T+20). An update of the dataset is done in November (T+23) and March of the following year (T+27).
Any information for reporting on end-of-life vehicles is provided on the Eurostat web page under section Waste, subsection Methodology. Further information on ELV-Directive are available on DG Environment web page under section Waste Streams, Subsection End of life vehicles, paragraph Legislation.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
The Member States and other reporting countries describe how the data have been compiled in a methodology report. That description shall also give an explanation of any estimates used.
11.1. Quality assurance
The original data collection is made by the Member States, while Eurostat collects and checks the assembled country compilations.
The validation routines at Eurostat include checks related to data format, consistency, plausibility, development over time and observations; the validation process outcomes are then discussed with the countries.
A validation report is submitted each year to the European Commission DG Environment, as the responsible body for the relevant regulations and the monitoring of the targets addressed.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Overall data are of good quality. Data are collected from reliable sources applying high standards with regard to the methodology and ensuring a high degree of comparability.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Main users are: the European Commission (for purposes of monitoring waste legislation), the Council, the European Parliament, researchers, politicians, general public, etc.
The user needs are defined in the whereas part of the End-of life vehicle Directive 2000/53/EC: The different national measures concerning end-of life vehicles should be harmonised in order, first, to minimise the impact of end-of life vehicles on the environment, thus contributing to the protection, preservation and improvement of the quality of the environment and energy conservation, and, second, to ensure the smooth operation of the internal market and avoid distortions of competition in the Community.
A Union-wide framework is necessary in order to ensure coherence between national approaches in attaining the objectives stated above, particularly with a view to the design of vehicles for recycling and recovery, to the requirements for collection and treatment facilities, and to the attainment of the targets for reuse, recycling and recovery, taking into account the principle of subsidiarity and the polluter-pays principle.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
No systematic user satisfaction survey has been conducted. User satisfaction is discussed with the main user from the European Commission.
12.3. Completeness
Reporting is mandatory and the data sets are of a high level of completeness.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
See item 11.1 above.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
Data submission by the countries is due 18 months after the end of the reporting period (30 June, T+18) and the data is usually published two months after the due date (end August/beginning September, T+20).
14.2. Punctuality
Data have to be submitted 18 months after the reference period. Most countries do respect this deadline, some countries deliver with a small delay. In a few cases the delay is more than 2 months.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The comparability across countries is good due to clear statistical concepts and definitions.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Reporting is mandatory, comparability over time is assumed to be fairly high as of reference year 2006.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Coherence with the Regulation (EC) No 2150/2002 on waste statistics is limited as the Regulation (EC) No 2150/2002 covers a broader range (all end-of-life vehicles) while the ELV Directive covers passenger cars (M1) and light commercial vehicles (N1) only. The Regulation (EC) No 2150/2002 provides less detailed information on treatment.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Internal coherence is ensured by Eurostat thus aggregates are coherent with sub-aggregates.
Every year Eurostat publishes the complete time series, which may lead to revisions of data previously published. Data are revised once in between annual releases.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Every year the questionnaire requests data for a given reference year. If data are revised by countries, it is done for the reference year.
Reported errors are assessed for seriousness to determine whether they should trigger a correction of already disseminated data. Reported errors may be corrected in the disseminated data but are usually revised once in between annual releases.
18.1. Source data
The Member States are free to decide on the data collection methods. Data are collected from various sources depending on the indicator (generation of waste, recycling, recovery, etc.)
Surveys
National statistical institute
Administrative sources such as municipalities, e.g.: waste management facilities, collective management schemes, reprocessing plants,
Responsible producer compliance schemes
Responsible producers, exporter/importer businesses The Member States describe the sources and methods in the methodology reports.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual.
18.3. Data collection
Ministries of Environment, or Environment Agencies collect the data and establish the methodology report on end-of life vehicles.
Member States are transmitting data via excel questionnaires through EDAMIS.
18.4. Data validation
Data validation is done by Eurostat in close cooperation with Member States' competent Authorities.
The validation routines at Eurostat include checks related to data format, consistency, plausibility, development over time and observations; the validation process outcomes are then discussed with the countries.
Methodology reports from countries are consulted during the validation process. In case of revision of data the Member State transmit a new web-form.
18.5. Data compilation
The European aggregates are calculated by adding up the national waste amounts. EU aggregates are compiled when the available countries represent 60% of the population and 55% of the number of countries defining the aggregate; data for missing countries are estimated on the basis either of trend analysis (whenever a clear trend is identifiable on all the variables under analysis), or by analyses of a median, including up to 6 available years; for each of the missing countries, only one of the two methods is applied.
The purpose of the collected data is to monitor compliance of countries with the quantitative targets for recovery and recycling of end of life vehicles that are set out in Article 7 (2) of the End-of life vehicle Directive:
2(a) No later than 1 January 2006, for all end-of life vehicles, the reuse and recovery shall be increased to a minimum of 85 % by an average weight per vehicle and year. Within the same time limit the reuse and recycling shall be increased to a minimum of 80 % by an average weight per vehicle and year;
2(b) No later than 1 January 2015, for all end-of life vehicles, the reuse and recovery shall be increased to a minimum of 95 % by an average weight per vehicle and year. Within the same time limit, the re-use and recycling shall be increased to a minimum of 85 % by an average weight per vehicle and year.
Further information on the policy need of data on end of life vehicles can be found on the following website of Directorate General Environment.
9 December 2025
End-of life vehicle including their components and materials.
Reporting units might be: producers, enterprises, local units or establishments.
End-of life vehicle including their components and materials generated and treated within a country (within EU).
EU aggregate and national data for each EU Member State and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
The reference period is the calendar year.
See item 11.1 above.
Tonnes, numbers of ELVs and percentage.
The European aggregates are calculated by adding up the national waste amounts. EU aggregates are compiled when the available countries represent 60% of the population and 55% of the number of countries defining the aggregate; data for missing countries are estimated on the basis either of trend analysis (whenever a clear trend is identifiable on all the variables under analysis), or by analyses of a median, including up to 6 available years; for each of the missing countries, only one of the two methods is applied.
The Member States are free to decide on the data collection methods. Data are collected from various sources depending on the indicator (generation of waste, recycling, recovery, etc.)
Surveys
National statistical institute
Administrative sources such as municipalities, e.g.: waste management facilities, collective management schemes, reprocessing plants,
Responsible producer compliance schemes
Responsible producers, exporter/importer businesses The Member States describe the sources and methods in the methodology reports.
Data received by 30 of June, 18 months after the end of the reference period (T+18; where T = reference year), will be published two months later T+20). An update of the dataset is done in November (T+23) and March of the following year (T+27).
Data submission by the countries is due 18 months after the end of the reporting period (30 June, T+18) and the data is usually published two months after the due date (end August/beginning September, T+20).
The comparability across countries is good due to clear statistical concepts and definitions.
Reporting is mandatory, comparability over time is assumed to be fairly high as of reference year 2006.
