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.
[4D1_G4] Eurostat - Trade in services; Globalisation
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
25 February 2026
2.2. Metadata last posted
26 March 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
25 February 2026
3.1. Data description
Statistics on international supply of services (ISS) by modes of supply (MoS) show how and where services are supplied internationally, namely by answering the question of 'how' services are exchanged across countries and 'where' services are supplied to foreign customers. Detailed information on international supply of services statistics by services category, mode of supply and partner country help policymakers carry out the ongoing and future trade negotiating agenda with facts and strong, evidence-based arguments. ISS data allow to monitor the impact of services trade agreements.
The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), the first multilateral agreement to cover trade in services, defines trade in services as the supply of a service through any of the four modes of supply:
Mode 1 - cross-border supply: from the territory of one country into the territory of another country;
Mode 2 - consumption abroad: in the territory of one country to the service consumer of another country;
Mode 3 - commercial presence: by a service supplier of one country, through a commercial presence in the territory of another country. The FATS framework is designed to provide information on the activities of enterprises located in foreign markets;
Mode 4 - presence of natural persons: by a service supplier of one country, through the presence of natural persons of that country in the territory of any other country.
Total international supply of services (total of modes 1, 2, 3 and 4)
Mode 1 (‘cross border transactions’),
Mode 2 (‘consumption abroad’),
Mode 3 (‘commercial presence’), and
Mode 4 (‘presence of natural persons’).
3.5. Statistical unit
Not applicable
3.6. Statistical population
Total international supply of services by all four modes of supply.
3.7. Reference area
The data currently cover the European Union, EU Member States, two EFTA countries (Norway and Iceland).
Two EU MSs have a derogation for the first three years of implementation (Cyprus and Slovakia). Data for this two countries are estimated by Eurostat and added to the EU aggregate.
In terms of partner country the geographical breakdown covers Geo level 5 as defined in an implementing act in accordance with Article 7(1)(d) of Regulation (EU) 2019/2152.
3.8. Coverage - Time
The first reference year for data reporting is 2023.
The first official data transmission for reference year 2023 for modes 1,2 and 4 took place in October 2024 and for mode 3 and totals in October 2025.
Historical years (prior to 2023) are transmitted on a voluntary basis, and might not have the same coverage/quality.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable
Countries report data to Eurostat in national currency (thousands).
Eurostat disseminates data in million euro.
Calendar year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 on European business statistics sets the data requirements in the field of international supply of services by modes for the EU Member States and EFTA countries. The exact technical specifications are listed in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197. The requirements concerning the MoS domain are defined in table 38 "Statistics on international activities – International Supply of Services by Mode of Supply – annual data" of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197.
The variable must be reported annually with first reference year 2023.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable
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.
Countries may flag part of their data as confidential; this constitutes primary confidentiality. When a country applies primary confidentiality, the relevant cells are flagged as confidential using the C flag. To prevent the indirect disclosure of primary confidential data, countries should also apply secondary confidentiality by flagging additional cells with the D flag, where necessary. For validation and dissemination purposes, Eurostat performs complementary secondary confidentiality checks on the transmitted data. These checks aim to ensure consistency and to enable the publication of EU aggregates while preserving confidentiality. Any proposed adjustments are communicated to, and agreed with, the Member States concerned. In the Eurostat database, all confidential data — whether subject to primary or secondary confidentiality, as well as data considered non-publishable — are disseminated with the flag “c – confidential”.
8.1. Release calendar
Not applicable
8.2. Release calendar access
Not applicable
8.3. Release policy - user access
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice Eurostat disseminates European statistics on Eurostat's website respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably.
In general, based on the information provided in the quality reports, data providers have applied the recommendations set out in the relevant EU Regulations.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The main users of MoS data are EU Commission policy DGs, scientists, business and citizens. The data users are regularly consulted to identify unfulfilled user needs.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
An indicator of the usefulness of MoS data is the number of downloads of MoS tables from the Eurostat website and the page views of the dedicated web section.
12.3. Completeness
The official MoS data submissions take place in October when are reported (modes 1,2 and 4 for reference year T-1 and mode 3 and totals for reference year T-2).
The dessiminated data for earlier reference years are based on voluntary data transmissions from the countries.
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
Not applicable.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 on European business statistics grants data providers flexibility in the choice of data sources.
Eurostat validates the Mode of Supply (MoS) data transmitted by the reporting countries to ensure their consistency and plausibility.
Structural and content validations of the transmitted datasets are automatically carried out within Eurostat’s data transmission system, EDAMIS (Electronic Dataflow Administration and Management Information System). The automatic validation process relies on dedicated tools: Struval, which performs structural validations, and Conval, which performs content validations.
If any issues — such as inconsistencies or omissions — are detected during data processing or validation, Eurostat contacts the country concerned to verify the figures and/or confirm any proposed corrections or updates.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3.1. Coverage error
Not applicable.
13.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
Not applicable.
13.3.2. Measurement error
Not applicable.
13.3.3. Non response error
Not applicable.
13.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.4. Processing error
Not applicable.
13.3.5. Model assumption error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
Annual MoS data are reported as follows:
Modes 1,2 and 4 are reported 10 months after the end of the reference period
Mode 3 and totals are reported 22 months after the end of the reference period.
14.1.1. Time lag - first result
Not applicable.
14.1.2. Time lag - final result
Not applicable.
14.2. Punctuality
Countries must transmit final date to Eurostat 10 months after the end of the reference period for modes 1, 2 and 4 and 22 months after the end of the reference period for mode 3 and totals.
15.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not applicable.
15.2. Comparability - over time
To assess the inter-temporal comparability of Mode of Supply (MoS) data, it is necessary to examine whether the same concepts, definitions and methodological approaches have been applied over time. Where changes in concepts, sources or methods occur, this may result in a break in the time series. Fully comparable data are available from reference year 2023 onwards, in compliance with Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 on European business statistics.
The source data are generally considered highly comparable over time.
15.2.1. Length of comparable time series
Fully comparable data are available from reference year 2023 onwards, in compliance with Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 on European business statistics.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Not applicable.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
Not applicable.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
The internal consistency of the data — including the logical relationships between variables and the coherence across related data series — is systematically verified by Eurostat prior to dissemination. These checks ensure that aggregates correspond to the sum of their components, that breakdowns are internally aligned, and that developments over time are economically plausible. Consistency is also assessed in relation to other relevant datasets, where applicable. Between Eurostat releases, countries may revise previously transmitted figures in order to incorporate updated source information, methodological improvements or corrections. Revised data are subject to the same validation and coherence checks before publication, thereby ensuring the continued reliability and internal consistency of the disseminated statistics.
The compilation and transmission of statistics on the international supply of services by mode of supply (MoS) entail costs for national statistical authorities and, where applicable, for responding enterprises. These costs relate primarily to data collection, processing, validation and transmission, as well as to the development and maintenance of methodological frameworks and IT systems. In accordance with the principle of minimising response burden, data providers are granted flexibility in the choice of data sources under Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 on European business statistics. Article 4 of the Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 stipulates that, in producing European statistics, Member States may use any relevant data sources while avoiding excessive burden on respondents and taking due account of the cost-effectiveness of the national statistical authority. Furthermore, Article 5 states that the national statistical authorities shall have the right to access and use, promptly and free of charge, all administrative records, and to integrate those records with other data sources, so as to meet the statistical requirements of the Regulation (EU) 2019/2152. Both articles are central as they set the basis for supporting cost-effectiveness and reducing unnecessary burden on respondents. Generally countries may use a combination of statistical surveys, administrative data, existing business statistics, and estimation techniques. The integration of MoS requirements into existing data collection systems helps to limit additional reporting obligations for enterprises. Where survey data are used, efforts are made to reduce burden through measures such as streamlined questionnaires, electronic data collection, reuse of information already available in statistical or administrative sources, and coordination with related data collections. The application of proportionality principles ensures that the reporting load remains commensurate with the size and economic relevance of enterprises. At EU level, Eurostat supports harmonisation and efficiency by providing common methodological guidance, validation tools and transmission standards. Automated validation procedures and standardised data formats contribute to reducing processing costs and improving data quality.
17.1. Data revision - policy
In general, revisions are implemented in accordance with established timetables and aim to improve the accuracy, coherence and overall quality of the statistics, while ensuring transparency for users regarding the nature and impact of the revisions.
To further specify the general Eurostat revision policy, a domain-specific revision policy has been established for statistics on the international supply of services (ISS) by mode of supply (MoS).
MoS data are derived from the domains International trade in services (ITS) and Foreign affiliates statistics (FATS). Consequently, revisions to MoS data are closely linked to revisions carried out in these underlying source domains. Any updates to ITS or FATS data — resulting from the incorporation of new or revised source information, methodological improvements or benchmarking exercises — may therefore lead to corresponding revisions in MoS data.
All reported errors, once validated, lead to corrections in the disseminated data. Corrections are applied as soon as the revised data have been verified and validated. Data may be published even when values are missing for certain countries; in such cases, Eurostat provides estimates for the missing data. Similarly, data may be flagged as provisional or of low reliability for specific countries. These provisional or estimated values are replaced with final validated figures in the publication for the subsequent reference period. European aggregates are updated accordingly to ensure consistency with the revised country data. Whenever new or revised data are received and validated, previously disseminated data are updated during the next regular production cycle. EU-level aggregates are revised to reflect these ‘spontaneous’ updates, ensuring that published statistics remain accurate, coherent, and up to date.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not applicable.
18.1. Source data
Every year the national statistical authorities provide Eurostat with data according to a defined requierements stipulated in the respective legal acts. Methods used for the collection and compilation of statistics differ among countries. In general, the main data sources for the compilation of the modes of supply data are ITSS, FATS, SBS, TEC, and dedicated enterprise surveys.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual.
18.3. Data collection
Statistics on the international supply of services by mode of supply (MoS) are compiled using a combination of administrative and statistical sources to ensure comprehensive coverage and accuracy. The MoS model primarily draws on:
International trade in services statistics (ITSS), which are reported according to the Extended Balance of Payments Services Classification (EBOPS).
Foreign affiliates statistics (FATS), which provide information on the activities of EU enterprises with foreign affiliates (inward and outward), classified according to the NACE activity classification.
To complement these core sources, additional data are integrated where available, including:
Tourism statistics, to account for travel-related services.
Trade by enterprise characteristics (TEC), providing detailed breakdowns of trade flows by size, sector and ownership.
Services trade by enterprise characteristics (STEC), capturing sectoral and structural patterns in international services trade.
Structural business statistics (SBS), which provide enterprise-level information on output, turnover and employment relevant to services provision.
The MoS model combines these inputs to allocate each EBOPS item to one or more modes of supply (cross-border, consumption abroad, commercial presence, and movement of natural persons). Estimations and modelling techniques are applied to ensure coherence across sources, fill gaps where data are missing, and derive fully consistent statistics.
This multi-source approach enables the production of detailed and harmonised statistics on the international supply of services by mode of supply, supporting policy analysis, economic monitoring, and international comparisons.
18.4. Data validation
At Eurostat level data are validated before publishing. Eurostat runs a number of checks to all data received from the reporting countries:
verify the plausibility of the data (e.g. the development of time series),
the internal consistency of the data sets (aggregates should match the sum of the sub-items),
the MoS totals are also checked if they agree with the corresponding ITSS and FATS totals,
it is verified if the data correspond to data already disseminated by the same country on a national level.
18.5. Data compilation
EU-level compilation Eurostat compiles EU-level statistics on the international supply of services by mode of supply (MoS) by aggregating and consolidating the reported transactions of the 27 EU Member States with non-residents of the EU. This process ensures that intra-EU flows are excluded, so that EU aggregates reflect only extra-EU trade in services.
The compilation process involves several steps: • Validation and consistency checks: Country-level data are checked for internal consistency, coherence with previous periods, and alignment with other related datasets. • Estimation of missing values: Where country data are missing or provisional, Eurostat applies estimation techniques to ensure that EU totals are complete and consistent.
Further details on the data compilation methodology are provided in the metadata files of the underlying domains: • International Trade in Services Statistics (ITSS) ITSS metadata • Outward FATS metadata • Inward FATS metadata This approach ensures that the EU-level MoS statistics are harmonised, consistent across countries and over time, and suitable for analysis of the international supply of services by mode of supply. At the same time the countries have flexibility at national level to account for country-specific data sources and economic structures.
Data estimation and compilation on a national level The European business statistics compilers’ guide for European statistics on the international supply of services by mode of supply (2023 edition) provides guidance on how statistics on the international supply of services (ISS) by mode of supply (MoS) can be estimated using already available data, supported by the operational Eurostat-WTO model.
The Eurostat-WTO model is an operational implementation of the MSITS 2010 simplified approach, designed to produce initial estimates of the international supply of services using existing statistics. In most countries, this relies primarily on: • International trade in services statistics (ITSS), reported according to the Extended Balance of Payments Services Classification (EBOPS), and • Foreign affiliates statistics (FATS), reported according to the NACE classification of the affiliates’ activities.
Additional data sources are used to complement these primary sources, including: tourism statistics, trade by enterprise characteristics (TEC), services trade by enterprise characteristics (STEC), and structural business statistics (SBS). The model allocates each EBOPS item to one or more modes of supply (cross-border, consumption abroad, commercial presence, movement of natural persons).
Adjustments and allocation As part of the estimation process, specific adjustments are required for certain EBOPS items: • Travel, construction, government goods and services, and maintenance and repair items are adjusted to remove the value of goods. • Distribution services traded through mode 1 are estimated and added to the relevant mode. Each EBOPS item is then assigned to one or more modes based on the MSITS 2010 recommendations and expert assessment of how specific services are most likely supplied to consumers. Several countries have further fine-tuned the model to reflect their economic realities, using evidence from national surveys or interviews with companies. For the first reference years under Regulation (EU) 2019/2152, not all countries were able to fully apply the above adjustments in their source ITSS data.
18.5.1. Imputation - rate
Not applicable.
18.6. Adjustment
Monetary characteristics of the different countries are converted to and rounded to million of euro.
18.6.1. Seasonal adjustment
Not applicable
Not applicable.
Statistics on international supply of services (ISS) by modes of supply (MoS) show how and where services are supplied internationally, namely by answering the question of 'how' services are exchanged across countries and 'where' services are supplied to foreign customers. Detailed information on international supply of services statistics by services category, mode of supply and partner country help policymakers carry out the ongoing and future trade negotiating agenda with facts and strong, evidence-based arguments. ISS data allow to monitor the impact of services trade agreements.
The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), the first multilateral agreement to cover trade in services, defines trade in services as the supply of a service through any of the four modes of supply:
Mode 1 - cross-border supply: from the territory of one country into the territory of another country;
Mode 2 - consumption abroad: in the territory of one country to the service consumer of another country;
Mode 3 - commercial presence: by a service supplier of one country, through a commercial presence in the territory of another country. The FATS framework is designed to provide information on the activities of enterprises located in foreign markets;
Mode 4 - presence of natural persons: by a service supplier of one country, through the presence of natural persons of that country in the territory of any other country.
Total international supply of services (total of modes 1, 2, 3 and 4)
Mode 1 (‘cross border transactions’),
Mode 2 (‘consumption abroad’),
Mode 3 (‘commercial presence’), and
Mode 4 (‘presence of natural persons’).
Not applicable
Total international supply of services by all four modes of supply.
The data currently cover the European Union, EU Member States, two EFTA countries (Norway and Iceland).
Two EU MSs have a derogation for the first three years of implementation (Cyprus and Slovakia). Data for this two countries are estimated by Eurostat and added to the EU aggregate.
In terms of partner country the geographical breakdown covers Geo level 5 as defined in an implementing act in accordance with Article 7(1)(d) of Regulation (EU) 2019/2152.
Calendar year.
Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 on European business statistics grants data providers flexibility in the choice of data sources.
Eurostat validates the Mode of Supply (MoS) data transmitted by the reporting countries to ensure their consistency and plausibility.
Structural and content validations of the transmitted datasets are automatically carried out within Eurostat’s data transmission system, EDAMIS (Electronic Dataflow Administration and Management Information System). The automatic validation process relies on dedicated tools: Struval, which performs structural validations, and Conval, which performs content validations.
If any issues — such as inconsistencies or omissions — are detected during data processing or validation, Eurostat contacts the country concerned to verify the figures and/or confirm any proposed corrections or updates.
Countries report data to Eurostat in national currency (thousands).
Eurostat disseminates data in million euro.
EU-level compilation Eurostat compiles EU-level statistics on the international supply of services by mode of supply (MoS) by aggregating and consolidating the reported transactions of the 27 EU Member States with non-residents of the EU. This process ensures that intra-EU flows are excluded, so that EU aggregates reflect only extra-EU trade in services.
The compilation process involves several steps: • Validation and consistency checks: Country-level data are checked for internal consistency, coherence with previous periods, and alignment with other related datasets. • Estimation of missing values: Where country data are missing or provisional, Eurostat applies estimation techniques to ensure that EU totals are complete and consistent.
Further details on the data compilation methodology are provided in the metadata files of the underlying domains: • International Trade in Services Statistics (ITSS) ITSS metadata • Outward FATS metadata • Inward FATS metadata This approach ensures that the EU-level MoS statistics are harmonised, consistent across countries and over time, and suitable for analysis of the international supply of services by mode of supply. At the same time the countries have flexibility at national level to account for country-specific data sources and economic structures.
Data estimation and compilation on a national level The European business statistics compilers’ guide for European statistics on the international supply of services by mode of supply (2023 edition) provides guidance on how statistics on the international supply of services (ISS) by mode of supply (MoS) can be estimated using already available data, supported by the operational Eurostat-WTO model.
The Eurostat-WTO model is an operational implementation of the MSITS 2010 simplified approach, designed to produce initial estimates of the international supply of services using existing statistics. In most countries, this relies primarily on: • International trade in services statistics (ITSS), reported according to the Extended Balance of Payments Services Classification (EBOPS), and • Foreign affiliates statistics (FATS), reported according to the NACE classification of the affiliates’ activities.
Additional data sources are used to complement these primary sources, including: tourism statistics, trade by enterprise characteristics (TEC), services trade by enterprise characteristics (STEC), and structural business statistics (SBS). The model allocates each EBOPS item to one or more modes of supply (cross-border, consumption abroad, commercial presence, movement of natural persons).
Adjustments and allocation As part of the estimation process, specific adjustments are required for certain EBOPS items: • Travel, construction, government goods and services, and maintenance and repair items are adjusted to remove the value of goods. • Distribution services traded through mode 1 are estimated and added to the relevant mode. Each EBOPS item is then assigned to one or more modes based on the MSITS 2010 recommendations and expert assessment of how specific services are most likely supplied to consumers. Several countries have further fine-tuned the model to reflect their economic realities, using evidence from national surveys or interviews with companies. For the first reference years under Regulation (EU) 2019/2152, not all countries were able to fully apply the above adjustments in their source ITSS data.
Every year the national statistical authorities provide Eurostat with data according to a defined requierements stipulated in the respective legal acts. Methods used for the collection and compilation of statistics differ among countries. In general, the main data sources for the compilation of the modes of supply data are ITSS, FATS, SBS, TEC, and dedicated enterprise surveys.
Annual.
Annual MoS data are reported as follows:
Modes 1,2 and 4 are reported 10 months after the end of the reference period
Mode 3 and totals are reported 22 months after the end of the reference period.
To assess the inter-temporal comparability of Mode of Supply (MoS) data, it is necessary to examine whether the same concepts, definitions and methodological approaches have been applied over time. Where changes in concepts, sources or methods occur, this may result in a break in the time series. Fully comparable data are available from reference year 2023 onwards, in compliance with Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 on European business statistics.
The source data are generally considered highly comparable over time.
