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.
Services Trade by Enterprise Characteristics (STEC) statistics provide information on the types of enterprises engaged in international trade in services and show how enterprises in different industries supply services and how this relates to their primary activity. STEC disclose additional insights into trade statistics, by allowing the profiling of the enterprises according to selected characteristics such as number of employees, type of ownership and economic activity.
A+B - Agriculture, forestry, and fishing; mining and quarrying,
D+E - Electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply; water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities,
I+L+O+P+Q+R+S+T+U - Accommodation and food service activities; real estate activities; public administration, defence; compulsory social security; education; human health and social work activities; other services.
· NACE Sections:
C - Manufacturing,
F - Construction,
G - Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles,
H - Transportation and storage,
J - Information and communication,
K - Financial and insurance activities,
M - Professional, scientific, and technical activities,
N - Administrative and support service activities.
1. Manufacturing services on physical inputs owned by others
2. Maintenance and repair services n.i.e.
3. Transport
4. Travel
5. Construction
6. Insurance and pension services
7. Financial services
8. Charges for the use of intellectual property n.i.e.
9. Telecommunications, computer, and information services
10. Other business services
10.1. Research and development services
10.2. Professional and management consulting services
10.3. Technical, trade-related, and other business services
11. Personal, cultural and recreational services
12. Government goods and services, n.i.e.
3.5. Statistical unit
Enterprise.
3.6. Statistical population
The activity breakdown covers NACE sections from A to U.
The product breakdown covers EBOPS 2010 main items.
3.7. Reference area
Spain
3.8. Coverage - Time
Year 2023 (provisional)
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
All data sent to Eurostat are in Thousands of Euro for Euro Area countries and in Thousands of National currency for non-Euro Area countries. The unit of dissemination is 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 services trade by enterprise characteristics for the EU Member States and EFTA countries. The exact technical specifications are listed in the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197, table 17 "Country-level business statistics on trade in services by enterprise characteristics (STEC) – annual data".
The variable must be reported annually with first reference year 2022.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
INE is the responsible agency for STEC production in Spain.
The main input for STEC is the International Trade in Services (ITS) yearly data produced by the National Central Bank (Banco de España) under the BoP domain. At the same time, most of the ITS data are estimated by using as a main input the Quarterly ITS Survey data (QITSS). QITSS is elaborated by INE from direct reporting of a sample of enterprises.
INE and Banco de España hold a bilateral agreement to exchange data in both directions both for the production of BoP "Other Services" requirements and for STEC.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
The Spanish Statistical Law No. 12/1989 specifies that the INE cannot publish, or make otherwise available, individual data or statistics that would enable the identification of data for any individual person or entity. Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 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
INE provides information on the protection of confidentiality at all stages of the statistical process: INE questionnaires for the operations in the national statistical plan include a legal clause protecting data under statistical confidentiality. Notices prior to data collection announcing a statistical operation notify respondents that data are subject to statistical confidentiality at all stages. For data processing, INE employees have available the INE data protection handbook, which specifies the steps that should be taken at each stage of processing to ensure reporting units' individual data are protected.
Under no circumstances are users provided with data identifying the companies collaborating in the ITS survey that feed BoP and STEC, and in addition, any tailor-made statistical exploitation always preserves statistical secrecy in accordance with INE confidentiality standards. The only exception occurs when there are institutional agreements of information exchange with other government bodies with statistical competence exclusively for statistical use (e.g. Banco de España for BoP elaboration) or promotion of public trade policies linked to exports (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise).
For aggregate outputs: Cells with less than three units are labelled as confidential (primary confidentiality). Confidential cells (primary) are prevented to be disclosed by also applying secondary confidentiality techniques to avoid disclosure based on substraction from marginal totals or sub-totals.
For micro-level output: It is not foreseen to disseminate STEC microdata to users, as STEC is an analytics statistic whose main input is a macroeconomic statistic (ITS) elaborated from different sources.
8.1. Release calendar
Following the INE's dissemination policy for structural statistics, the advance release calendar that shows the foreseen release month for STEC is dissseminated at the beginning of the year. However, the advance release calendar that shows the precise release date is disseminated two months before releasing.
The data are released simultaneously according to the advance release calendar to all interested parties by issuing the press release. At the same time, the data are posted on the INE's Internet website almost immediately after the press release is issued. Also some predefined tailor-made requests could be sent to registered users. Some users could receive partial information under embargo as it is publicly described in the European Statistics Code of Practice
Annual.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
The results of the statistical operations are normally disseminated by using regular press releases that can be accessed via both the corresponding menu and the Press Releases Section.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
The results of STEC are disseminated through the INE website on a yearly basis.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
INEbase is the system the INE uses to store statistical information on the Internet. It contains all the information the INE produces in electronic formats. The primary organisation of the information follows the theme-based classification of the Inventory of Statistical Operations of the State General Administration . The basic unit of INEbase is the statistical operation, defined as the set of activities that lead to obtaining statistical results on a determined sector or subject based on the individually collected data. Also included in the scope of this definition are synthesis preparation.
10.3.1. Data tables - consultations
Not applicable.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
A lot of statistical operations disseminate public domain anonymized files, available free of charge for downloading in the INE website Microdata Section.
However, no direct access is provided to the STEC microdata on the web, in line with the INE micro-data dissemination policy on enterprise surveys.
Quality assurance framework for the INE statistics is based on the ESSCoP, the European Statistics Code of Practice made by EUROSTAT. The ESSCoP is made up of 16 principles, gathered in three areas: Institutional Environment, Processes and Products. Each principle is associated with some indicators which make possible to measure it. In order to evaluate quality, EUROSTAT provides different tools: the indicators mentioned above, Self-assessment based on the DESAP model, peer review, user satisfaction surveys and other proceedings for evaluation.
The STEC statistic follows the Statistics Code of Practices. All phases of the statistical process of STEC (and their sources ITS and QITSS) are subject to controls to ensure the quality of these statistical operations. The cleaning phases are exhaustive, implementing algorithms for the detection of completeness and statistical consistency errors in all the collection and recording tools. The phases of imputation and grossing-up of the QITSS sample information are governed by scientific principles of the theory of sampling in finite populations.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Eurostat assessed the completeness and accessibility of the 2023 dataset by evaluating the proportion of mandatory cells reported and the extent of confidentiality.
All mandatory cells across all tables were fully reported (100%), while approximately 7% of the dataset was flagged as confidential.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Eurostat.
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise.
Banco de España.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
The INE has carried out general user satisfaction surveys in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019 and it plans to continue doing so every three years. The purpose of these surveys is to find out what users think about the quality of the information of the INE statistics and the extent to which their needs of information are covered. In addition, additional surveys are carried out in order to acknowledge better other fields such as dissemination of the information, quality of some publications...
On the INE website, in its section Methods and Projects / Quality and Code of Practice / INE quality management / User surveys are available surveys conducted to date.(Click next link)
STEC, as a very recent statistic, has not been assessed yet by users.
12.3. Completeness
STEC meets the requirements of the EU legislation, as regards this statistic, going even beyond compulsory data.
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
R1. Ratio of available European statistics = 100% . All requested mandatory valiables are provided.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
STEC is estimated by using several sources: ITS (BoP), QITSS (Quarterly International Trade in Services Survey) and NSBR (National Statistical Business Register). It is not possible to give an overall measure of accuracy, as it will depend on its sources' accuracy.
As regards QITSS that is one of the main statitstical sources for ITS and so for STEC, its sample design attempts to minimise sampling errors; the different processes of the survey are aimed at eliminating or reducing, as far as possible, non-sampling errors, both in the collection phase (response rate and cleaning control) and in the subsequent editing and imputation phases. The collection process, coverage control, cleaning of errors and imputation of non-response allows to obtain a high degree of reliability.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
STEC is estimated by using several sources: ITS (BoP), QITSS and NSBR. It is not possible to give an overall measure of non-sampling error, as it will depend on its sources'.
As regards QITSS, that is one of the main statitstical sources for ITS and so for STEC, non-sampling errors are minimised at each stage of the statistical process. In general, ITS questionnaires in all formats (paper, electronic or web) are designed with an explanatory annex to limit as much as possible errors on the part of respondents. In the case of recorders and cleaners, controls are established that do not allow recording a questionnaire that does not pass these controls or warnings appear on the screen and even provide information on the types of services traded by these units in the past, in order to limit recording errors and lack of consistency. They are also given ranges of temporal variation of exports and imports based on historical information.
The processes of imputation of non-response use historical information of the unit that does not answer, as long as it is available, and in its absence, the "next neighbour" technique is used. In addition, there is a range of solutions for the treatment of field events arising from closures, mergers, divisions, unreachable, etc. of the companies surveyed so that the final process of grossing-up and estimation is not affected.
13.3.1. Coverage error
The target population for STEC is made up of the resident market producer enterprises who export or import services, at least for the STEC distributable part.
STEC must be elaborated from ITSS_BoP whose target population is comprised of resident institutional units who export or import services. So, STEC distributable part has a more reduced target population than ITSS (only the enterprises of ITSS ). Accordingly, QITSS as a main input for most of ITSS "Other services" EBOPS items covers institutional units trading services. However by using MDL to NSBR we are able to isolate just the market enterprises trading services through the institutional sector code (S11 and S12 are the ones for enterprises) available in NSBR. Thanks to that, there is no divergence between the STEC distributable target population and the frame population of ITSS/QITSS.
Another different issue is whether QITSS statistical framework has some coverage error with respect to STEC target population. Any sample business survey can have some coverage error, especially if there is not a full consistent business register for the phenomenon to be measured. The existence of a complete and regularly updated register of services exporters/importers is not very common. In the case of QITSS, we use the VIES register of intra-EU services operators as a starting point, given that most of these operators also trade in services with extra-EU countries. To supplement this framework, we use historical and current information from ITRS operators who declared extra-EU receipts/payments, exclusively. We also use as an additional framework, Customs information from INTRASTAT/EXTRASTAT on the operators/operations with NoT (nature of transaction) codes 4 and 5, to identify potential manufacturing services and repairing services traders. By using al these statistical frames we minimise the QITSS coverage error.
13.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
Not applicable.
13.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
Not applicable.
13.3.2. Measurement error
See item 13.3. Non-sampling error.
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
See item 13.3. Non-sampling error.
13.3.5. Model assumption error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
Annual STEC data are released 26 months after the reference period.
14.1.1. Time lag - first result
Not applicable.
14.1.2. Time lag - final result
Two years.
14.2. Punctuality
All data were delivered before the official deadline.
14.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
Not applicable.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
STEC is a European and national statistic and therefore not designed to provide regional information.
The use of international and European definitions and classifications contained in the commonly accepted international manuals on STEC, international trade in services and balance of payments, allows geographical comparability not only at European but also at international level.
15.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not applicable.
15.2. Comparability - over time
CC2=2
15.2.1. Length of comparable time series
Not applicable.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
STEC is elaborated from ITS (BoP) so is fully coherent with BoP Services statistics.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
Not applicable.
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
There is no problem of internal coherence in the data of STEC. All STEC tables (STEC01, STEC02, STEC03) are internally consistent.
44.64 thousand euros (INE's 2025 Budget)
17.1. Data revision - policy
The EU legislation does not foresee data revision for STEC, however Benchmark Revisions of ITSS (BoP) data and the change of economic activity classifications as NACE will lead to a revision of STEC data.
17.2. Data revision - practice
STEC 2022 is the first year of the time series. Data revision expected:
1. STEC 2022 (June 2025: based on ITS benchmark in September 2024).
2. STEC 2022-2025 (based on new NACE classification).
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
Not applicable.
18.1. Source data
STEC is a result of a multisource process. The sources are:
1. QITSS (Quarterly International Trade in Services Survey):
Elaborated by INE for BoP/NA ("Other services") purposes.
Stratified random sampling survey on services operators mainly belonging to VIES population (EU VAT Information Exchange System) restricted to intra-EU services operators, and to the INE's NSBR, plus other supplementary frameworks. The stratification variables are: activity, size, control and VIES taxable figure for services declarations.
QITSS estimates of exports and imports of "Other services" BoP account by EBOPS item, partner country and MoS, are obtained by grossing up the figures directly reported by the sample of services operators.
2. ITSS_BoP (International Trade in Services Statistics):
Elaborated by Banco de España for BoP purposes on a yearly basis from different basic statistical sources, administrative registers and additional information. As regards "Other services" item, the main input is QITSS.
It estimates exports and imports of Services BoP account by EBOPS item and partner country according to BoP international standards.
3. NSBR (National Statistical Business Register):
Elaborated and regularly updated by INE from different tax, administrative registers and business surveys.
It includes both independent enterprises and a precise profiling of Enterprise Groups (GEG) made up of Statistical Enterprises (ENT) that, in turn, are comprised of legal units (LEU) together with relevant information of the aforementioned units aimed at serving as a framework for business surveys.
STEC is elaborated from ITSS_BoP data by EBOPS item and partner country, as STEC figures must be equal to ITSS figures by EBOPS and partner country. In turn, ITSS_BoP "Other services" is mainly obtained from QITSS that includes the reporters's activity and size. So, we are able to identify by EBOPS and country the ITS part who comes directly from QITSS (linkable/distributable) from the part who does not (non-linkable/non-distributable). For the linkable part (QITSS) we know the enterprise identity code, activitiy and size, and we use the id.code to link QITSS to the NSBR at microdata level (MDL) to obtain the variable control. NSBR also provides us with the institutional sector code of the unit to ensure that we include only market producer enterprises in the linkable part.
The STEC non-linkable part resulting from ITSS mainly comes from sources different to QITSS who do not allow to apply microdata linking techniques as they are aggregated data or macro adjustments for BoP purposes. Linkable QITSS units not being market producer enterprises are also part of the non-linkable STEC.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual.
18.3. Data collection
1. QITSS (Quarterly International Trade in Services Survey): There are two main different formats for QITSS questionnaires (paper_PAPI and web_CAWI), however some large enterprises with many quarterly transactions are allowed to use an excel spreadsheet. The respondent can choose the format that best suits their needs and transmit the information by ordinary mail, fax, e-mail or, like the vast majority of reporters, through the INE web platform for collecting economic data (IRIA). The access to IRIA and the link to the QITSS questionnaire in paper are in Concept's annexes.
INE tries to minimise the non-response through telephone or e-mail contact with the respondents and, once the submission deadline has expired, through the sanctioning procedure. Moreover, the CAWI questionnaire has implemented an online editing system to detect errors and make respondents correct them just in time. A similar editing system is also implemented in the software that fieldwork agents use to record and debug the non-CAWI questionnaires. If the questionnaire is not received in a given quarter, its information is imputed on the basis of the latest data of the unit that does not respond by updating it with the information of the units in its stratum that did respond in the reference quarter. If there is no historical information, it is imputed by the "next neighbour" procedure.
2. ITS_BoP (International Trade in Services): These figures come directly from Banco de España through a secure channel of data transmission.
3. NSBR (National Statistical Business Register): These figures are produced by INE and are made available for different business/trade surveys like QITSS.
Being STEC a multisource statistic, STEC data validation is linked to the data validation of sources involved.
The INE's own collection and recording application for the QITSS makes it possible to implement validation rules for the information contained in the questionnaires. These rules are divided into serious and weak errors. The first are usually basic errors of completeness and consistency, which do not allow recording the questionnaire and require the recorders to contact the statistical unit. The weak ones are controls that have to do more with the statistical coherence of the information (that there are no outliers, etc.) and although they allow to continue with the recording of the questionnaire they send a warning message. In the case of the electronic questionnaire (CAWI), it is the questionnaire itself that implements these validation rules, so that it is the respondent himself who corrects the error in the event of a mistake.
Also, in a second phase of cleaning and validation there are rules for controlling variation ranges in exports and imports declared by respondents who report in the event that these quarterly and annual variations are outside the established ranges. This control is prioritised for the most important statistical units in terms of exported or imported value, since by their weight they have a greater influence on the totals.
18.5. Data compilation
Being STEC a multisource statistic, STEC data compilation is linked to the data compilation of the different sources involved. QITSS is a sample survey (direct reporting) but ITSS, that uses QITSS like main input, is a macroeconomic statistic (BoP) fed with some other different sources. Finally, NSBR is a business register.
Given this multifactorial nature of STEC and of some of its sources, it is not possible to describe a generic procedure for STEC imputation, and its impact on figures or adjustments for non-response (when even value "unknown" is allowed in STEC) nor calculations and corrections on design weights. This would be only possible for a direct reporting source as QITSS but not for the rest of sources who feed STEC.
So, in the context of data compilation we can just include the procedure for combining the input data from the above different sources to obtain STEC:
1. ITSS provided by EBOPS and partner country is the starting point to produce STEC figures, as STEC figures must be equal to ITSS figures. However, ITSS has no information on the activity, size and control of services traders.
2. QITSS is a sample survey on legal units (LEU) used as a main input for most of the ITSS EBOPS items. However, some EBOPS items like Travel, Freight, Insurance and pensions and FISIM among others less significant, are estimated based on different sources where microdata linking (MDL) to QITSS or NSBR is not possible. For the rest of EBOPS items, QITSS figures are directly used for ITSS.
After all the statistical process (cleaning, recording, editing and validation, imputation), QITSS sample figures must be grossed up to total population. As the collection unit for QITSS is the LEU but for STEC the statistical unit is the ENT, we impute data for those LEU being also part of a sample ENT that were not selected and therefore not surveyed. Finally, the sample figures for each sample enterprise are obtained, either from the surveyed LEU or from the imputed LEU, just to get the total sample value of the ENT. The final estimates at ENT level are calculated by using "indirect sampling techniques" based on the methodology presented by Lavallée and Labelle-Blanchet in the paper: “Indirect Sampling applied to Skewed Population”, Survey Methodology, junio 2013, Vol 39, Statistics Canada. The final QITSS microdata with their weights are transmitted to Banco de España to estimate ITSS.
QITSS is stratified by activity, size, control and taxable VIES intra-EU services declarations. For the sake of STEC, activity and size are collected in QITSS questionnaire, but control is obtained from NSBR by MDL. Moreover, the STEC statistical unit is the market producer enterprise, so only the data from those ENT whose institutional sector code is S11 or S12 in NSBR will be used for STEC.
Finally, for STEC data compilation we start from the final ITSS figures by EBOPS and partner country transmitted by Banco de España. Most of ITSS EBOPS items are directly estimated from QITSS, and so the ITSS figures are distributed by activity, size and control according to QITSS figures for market producer enterprises. The rest, will go to the non-distributable part. Both parts (distributable + non-distributable) will add up to the ITSS totals. As ITSS total figures for Travel, Freight, Insurance and pensions and FISIM among others less significant, cannot be distributed by the three STEC variables as they are estimated from other sources different to QITSS, all the value will be non-distributable.
18.5.1. Imputation - rate
Not applicable to STEC as it is a multisource statistical product elaborated from a sample survey, a macro economic statistic and a business register what makes not possible to calculate an overall imputation rate.
18.6. Adjustment
Not applicable.
18.6.1. Seasonal adjustment
Not applicable.
Services Trade by Enterprise Characteristics (STEC) statistics provide information on the types of enterprises engaged in international trade in services and show how enterprises in different industries supply services and how this relates to their primary activity. STEC disclose additional insights into trade statistics, by allowing the profiling of the enterprises according to selected characteristics such as number of employees, type of ownership and economic activity.
A+B - Agriculture, forestry, and fishing; mining and quarrying,
D+E - Electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply; water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities,
I+L+O+P+Q+R+S+T+U - Accommodation and food service activities; real estate activities; public administration, defence; compulsory social security; education; human health and social work activities; other services.
· NACE Sections:
C - Manufacturing,
F - Construction,
G - Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles,
H - Transportation and storage,
J - Information and communication,
K - Financial and insurance activities,
M - Professional, scientific, and technical activities,
N - Administrative and support service activities.
1. Manufacturing services on physical inputs owned by others
2. Maintenance and repair services n.i.e.
3. Transport
4. Travel
5. Construction
6. Insurance and pension services
7. Financial services
8. Charges for the use of intellectual property n.i.e.
9. Telecommunications, computer, and information services
10. Other business services
10.1. Research and development services
10.2. Professional and management consulting services
10.3. Technical, trade-related, and other business services
11. Personal, cultural and recreational services
12. Government goods and services, n.i.e.
Enterprise.
The activity breakdown covers NACE sections from A to U.
The product breakdown covers EBOPS 2010 main items.
Spain
Calendar year.
STEC is estimated by using several sources: ITS (BoP), QITSS (Quarterly International Trade in Services Survey) and NSBR (National Statistical Business Register). It is not possible to give an overall measure of accuracy, as it will depend on its sources' accuracy.
As regards QITSS that is one of the main statitstical sources for ITS and so for STEC, its sample design attempts to minimise sampling errors; the different processes of the survey are aimed at eliminating or reducing, as far as possible, non-sampling errors, both in the collection phase (response rate and cleaning control) and in the subsequent editing and imputation phases. The collection process, coverage control, cleaning of errors and imputation of non-response allows to obtain a high degree of reliability.
All data sent to Eurostat are in Thousands of Euro for Euro Area countries and in Thousands of National currency for non-Euro Area countries. The unit of dissemination is Euro.
Being STEC a multisource statistic, STEC data compilation is linked to the data compilation of the different sources involved. QITSS is a sample survey (direct reporting) but ITSS, that uses QITSS like main input, is a macroeconomic statistic (BoP) fed with some other different sources. Finally, NSBR is a business register.
Given this multifactorial nature of STEC and of some of its sources, it is not possible to describe a generic procedure for STEC imputation, and its impact on figures or adjustments for non-response (when even value "unknown" is allowed in STEC) nor calculations and corrections on design weights. This would be only possible for a direct reporting source as QITSS but not for the rest of sources who feed STEC.
So, in the context of data compilation we can just include the procedure for combining the input data from the above different sources to obtain STEC:
1. ITSS provided by EBOPS and partner country is the starting point to produce STEC figures, as STEC figures must be equal to ITSS figures. However, ITSS has no information on the activity, size and control of services traders.
2. QITSS is a sample survey on legal units (LEU) used as a main input for most of the ITSS EBOPS items. However, some EBOPS items like Travel, Freight, Insurance and pensions and FISIM among others less significant, are estimated based on different sources where microdata linking (MDL) to QITSS or NSBR is not possible. For the rest of EBOPS items, QITSS figures are directly used for ITSS.
After all the statistical process (cleaning, recording, editing and validation, imputation), QITSS sample figures must be grossed up to total population. As the collection unit for QITSS is the LEU but for STEC the statistical unit is the ENT, we impute data for those LEU being also part of a sample ENT that were not selected and therefore not surveyed. Finally, the sample figures for each sample enterprise are obtained, either from the surveyed LEU or from the imputed LEU, just to get the total sample value of the ENT. The final estimates at ENT level are calculated by using "indirect sampling techniques" based on the methodology presented by Lavallée and Labelle-Blanchet in the paper: “Indirect Sampling applied to Skewed Population”, Survey Methodology, junio 2013, Vol 39, Statistics Canada. The final QITSS microdata with their weights are transmitted to Banco de España to estimate ITSS.
QITSS is stratified by activity, size, control and taxable VIES intra-EU services declarations. For the sake of STEC, activity and size are collected in QITSS questionnaire, but control is obtained from NSBR by MDL. Moreover, the STEC statistical unit is the market producer enterprise, so only the data from those ENT whose institutional sector code is S11 or S12 in NSBR will be used for STEC.
Finally, for STEC data compilation we start from the final ITSS figures by EBOPS and partner country transmitted by Banco de España. Most of ITSS EBOPS items are directly estimated from QITSS, and so the ITSS figures are distributed by activity, size and control according to QITSS figures for market producer enterprises. The rest, will go to the non-distributable part. Both parts (distributable + non-distributable) will add up to the ITSS totals. As ITSS total figures for Travel, Freight, Insurance and pensions and FISIM among others less significant, cannot be distributed by the three STEC variables as they are estimated from other sources different to QITSS, all the value will be non-distributable.
STEC is a result of a multisource process. The sources are:
1. QITSS (Quarterly International Trade in Services Survey):
Elaborated by INE for BoP/NA ("Other services") purposes.
Stratified random sampling survey on services operators mainly belonging to VIES population (EU VAT Information Exchange System) restricted to intra-EU services operators, and to the INE's NSBR, plus other supplementary frameworks. The stratification variables are: activity, size, control and VIES taxable figure for services declarations.
QITSS estimates of exports and imports of "Other services" BoP account by EBOPS item, partner country and MoS, are obtained by grossing up the figures directly reported by the sample of services operators.
2. ITSS_BoP (International Trade in Services Statistics):
Elaborated by Banco de España for BoP purposes on a yearly basis from different basic statistical sources, administrative registers and additional information. As regards "Other services" item, the main input is QITSS.
It estimates exports and imports of Services BoP account by EBOPS item and partner country according to BoP international standards.
3. NSBR (National Statistical Business Register):
Elaborated and regularly updated by INE from different tax, administrative registers and business surveys.
It includes both independent enterprises and a precise profiling of Enterprise Groups (GEG) made up of Statistical Enterprises (ENT) that, in turn, are comprised of legal units (LEU) together with relevant information of the aforementioned units aimed at serving as a framework for business surveys.
STEC is elaborated from ITSS_BoP data by EBOPS item and partner country, as STEC figures must be equal to ITSS figures by EBOPS and partner country. In turn, ITSS_BoP "Other services" is mainly obtained from QITSS that includes the reporters's activity and size. So, we are able to identify by EBOPS and country the ITS part who comes directly from QITSS (linkable/distributable) from the part who does not (non-linkable/non-distributable). For the linkable part (QITSS) we know the enterprise identity code, activitiy and size, and we use the id.code to link QITSS to the NSBR at microdata level (MDL) to obtain the variable control. NSBR also provides us with the institutional sector code of the unit to ensure that we include only market producer enterprises in the linkable part.
The STEC non-linkable part resulting from ITSS mainly comes from sources different to QITSS who do not allow to apply microdata linking techniques as they are aggregated data or macro adjustments for BoP purposes. Linkable QITSS units not being market producer enterprises are also part of the non-linkable STEC.
Annual.
Annual STEC data are released 26 months after the reference period.
STEC is a European and national statistic and therefore not designed to provide regional information.
The use of international and European definitions and classifications contained in the commonly accepted international manuals on STEC, international trade in services and balance of payments, allows geographical comparability not only at European but also at international level.
