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.
Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Unit G6 - Trade in services; Globalisation
1.3. Contact name
Restricted from publication
1.4. Contact person function
Restricted from publication
1.5. Contact mail address
European Commission, Eurostat L-2920 Luxembourg
1.6. Contact email address
Restricted from publication
1.7. Contact phone number
Restricted from publication
1.8. Contact fax number
Restricted from publication
2.1. Metadata last certified
29 February 2024
2.2. Metadata last posted
29 February 2024
2.3. Metadata last update
29 February 2024
3.1. Data description
Foreign Affiliates Statistics (FATS) measure the commercial presence through affiliates in foreign markets.
In country-level business statisticsoutward foreign affiliates statistics (OFATS) describe the activity of domestic affiliates of every resident ultimate controlling institutional unit which has at least one foreign affiliate and the activity of foreign-controlling enterprises resident in the compiling country (Table 15 of the EBS Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197).
In statistics on international activities outward foreign affiliates statistics (OFATS) describe the activity of foreign affiliates abroad ultimately controlled by an institutional unit resident in the compiling country (Table 33 of the EBS Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197).
Variables on country-level business activities in the OFATS data category:
Number of foreign-controlling enterprises (UCI concept) and domestic affiliates
Number of employees and self-employed persons in foreign-controlling enterprises (UCI concept) and domestic affiliates
Net turnover of foreign-controlling enterprises (UCI concept) and domestic affiliates
Variables on the international activities in the OFATS data category:
Number of enterprises abroad ultimately controlled by institutional units of the reporting country
Number of employees and self-employed persons in enterprises abroad ultimately controlled by institutional units of the reporting country
Employee benefits expense in enterprises abroad ultimately controlled by institutional units of the reporting country
Gross investment in tangible non-current assets of enterprises abroad ultimately controlled by institutional units of the reporting country
Net turnover of enterprises abroad ultimately controlled by institutional units of the reporting country
3.2. Classification system
Classification systems used in the FATS are as follows:
Statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community (NACE Rev. 2);
List of 2-digit country codes (ISO 3166-1);
Currency codes (ISO 4217).
3.3. Coverage - sector
Market producers of NACE Sections B to N and P to S.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
In country-level business statisticsOutward Foreign Affiliates Statistics (OFATS) describe the activity of domestic affiliates of every resident ultimate controlling institutional unit which has at least one foreign affiliate and the activity of foreign-controlling enterprises resident in the compiling country (Table 15 of the EBS Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197).
In statistics on international activities Outward Foreign Affiliates Statistics (OFATS) describe the activity of foreign affiliates abroad ultimately controlled by an institutional unit resident in the compiling country (Table 33 of the EBS Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197).
Foreign affiliate in the framework of outward FATS is an enterprise or branch not resident in the compiling country over which an institutional unit resident in the compiling country has ultimate (direct or indirect) control.
Domestic affiliate shall mean an enterprise resident in the compiling country over which a UCI resident in the same compiling country has control.
Ultimate Controlling Institutional of a foreign affiliate (UCI) shall mean the institutional unit, proceeding up a foreign affiliate’s chain of control, which is not controlled by another institutional unit.
Control is the ability to determine the general policy of the affiliate by choosing appropriate directors, if necessary. In this context, enterprise A is deemed to be controlled by an institutional unit B when B controls, whether directly or indirectly, more than half of the shareholders' voting power or more than half of the shares.
Indirect control means that an institutional unit may have control through another affiliate which has control over enterprise A.
Active enterprise is a statistical unit which at any time during the reference period was ‘enterprise’, as defined in Council Regulation (EEC) No 696/93, and also active during the same reference period. A statistical unit is considered to have been active during the reference period if, in said period, it either realized positive net turnover or produced outputs or had employees or performed investments.
Employees and self-employed persons are persons who work for an observation unit on the basis of a contract of employment and receives compensation in the form of wages, salaries, fees, gratuities, piecework pay or remuneration in kind; and persons who are the sole owners or joint owners of the statistical unit in which they work. Family workers and outworkers, whose income is a function of the value of the outputs of the statistical unit, are also included.
Employee benefits expense contains all expenses arising in relation with employee benefits, recognized by the statistical unit during the reference period. Those are all forms of consideration given by the statistical unit in exchange for service rendered by employees or for the termination of employment.
Gross investment in tangible non-current assets includes all additions to tangible non-current assets, recognized as such by the statistical unit during the reference period, except any increases from revaluations or reversals of previously recognized impairment losses and from reclassifications (transfers) of other tangible non-current assets.
Net turnover consists of all income arising during the reference period in the course of ordinary activities of the statistical unit, and is presented net of all price reductions, discounts and rebates granted by it.
3.5. Statistical unit
The statistical unit of FATS is the enterprise as defined in line with the Regulation (EEC) No 696/93 on the statistical units for the observation and analysis of the production system in the Community.
3.6. Statistical population
Market producers of NACE Sections B to N and P to S (for the EBS regulation table 15) and market producers of NACE Sections B to N and P to S abroad (should cover the foreign affiliates of all ultimate controlling institutional units of the reporting country) (for the EBS regulation table 33).
3.7. Reference area
The data category covers EU Member States and Norway.
In cases of statistical confidentiality (i.e. where the contribution of a concrete enterprise to the published figures can be identified) Member States put a confidentiality flag on the respective data cell. Such cells are published empty with an appropriate symbol :(C). Also all other data cells which could be used to indirectly derive the value of the confidential data cell are suppressed and published empty with the same symbol. They are identified and flagged by Member States during the primary and secondary confidentiality treatment.
8.1. Release calendar
Data are published two years after the end of reference year (T+25).
EU aggregates are published one month later after the national data are published (T+26).
8.2. Release calendar access
Please consult the online release calendar on Eurostat website, under "Industry, trade and services" theme.
8.3. Release policy - user access
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice, Eurostat disseminates European FATS statistics on its website respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably.
Annual
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
News article released on the date of EU aggregates publication.
Eurostat asseses and ensures the quality of the national FATS data and EU aggregates.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
According to the information available from the national metadata reports, the national data reporters apply the recommendations available in the EU Regulations.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Users of FATS are: European Commission services, international organisations, ministries, chambers of commerce, trade unions, journalists, researchers, etc. User needs go beyond what data compilers can provide.
All transmitted non-confidential FATS data of sufficient quality is published.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
In most countries a combination of survey and administrative data is used. In a number of Member States size thresholds are applied to the survey population, i.e. only larger enterprises are surveyed exhaustively; smaller units are sampled or not included at all. If size thresholds are applied, the missing part of the population should be estimated, based on the information obtained from the sample survey or another source.
The revision practice effectively corresponds to the revision practice of the domain listed under sub‑concept 17.1 (data revision – policy).
All reported errors (once validated) result in corrections of the disseminated data. Reported errors are corrected in the disseminated data as soon as the correct data have been validated. Data are only published once they are deemed to be sufficiently complete for all data providers contributing to the EU aggregate. Whenever new data are provided and validated, the already disseminated data are updated. EU aggregates are also revised and updated.
Data are usually revised for the last 4 reference years. Aggregates and components are revised at the same time. Routine and major revisions are reported by member states in the national metadata reports.
A limited number of countries provide with revisions on national data.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
See national metadata report when available.
18.1. Source data
Data are compiled by matching different data sources according to the survey strategy adopted nationally, taking into account the costs, the quality and the response burden on enterprises. The main data source for FATS data is Structural Business Statistics survey, administrative sources, FDI survey, dedicated surveys and EuroGroups Register.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual
18.3. Data collection
Statistical surveys are the main method of data collection in FATS.
18.4. Data validation
At Eurostat level, country data are validated before publishing.
18.5. Data compilation
Data compilation is performed by Member States. Eurostat is responsible for calculating European aggregates.
18.5.1. Imputation - rate
Data compilation is performed by Member States. Eurostat is responsible for calculating European aggregates.
18.6. Adjustment
Countries provide the data in national currency. For non-euro countries, the national currency is converted in euro on the basis of euro exchange rates.
18.6.1. Seasonal adjustment
Not applicable.
Foreign Affiliates Statistics (FATS) measure the commercial presence through affiliates in foreign markets.
In country-level business statisticsoutward foreign affiliates statistics (OFATS) describe the activity of domestic affiliates of every resident ultimate controlling institutional unit which has at least one foreign affiliate and the activity of foreign-controlling enterprises resident in the compiling country (Table 15 of the EBS Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197).
In statistics on international activities outward foreign affiliates statistics (OFATS) describe the activity of foreign affiliates abroad ultimately controlled by an institutional unit resident in the compiling country (Table 33 of the EBS Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197).
Variables on country-level business activities in the OFATS data category:
Number of foreign-controlling enterprises (UCI concept) and domestic affiliates
Number of employees and self-employed persons in foreign-controlling enterprises (UCI concept) and domestic affiliates
Net turnover of foreign-controlling enterprises (UCI concept) and domestic affiliates
Variables on the international activities in the OFATS data category:
Number of enterprises abroad ultimately controlled by institutional units of the reporting country
Number of employees and self-employed persons in enterprises abroad ultimately controlled by institutional units of the reporting country
Employee benefits expense in enterprises abroad ultimately controlled by institutional units of the reporting country
Gross investment in tangible non-current assets of enterprises abroad ultimately controlled by institutional units of the reporting country
Net turnover of enterprises abroad ultimately controlled by institutional units of the reporting country
29 February 2024
In country-level business statisticsOutward Foreign Affiliates Statistics (OFATS) describe the activity of domestic affiliates of every resident ultimate controlling institutional unit which has at least one foreign affiliate and the activity of foreign-controlling enterprises resident in the compiling country (Table 15 of the EBS Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197).
In statistics on international activities Outward Foreign Affiliates Statistics (OFATS) describe the activity of foreign affiliates abroad ultimately controlled by an institutional unit resident in the compiling country (Table 33 of the EBS Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197).
Foreign affiliate in the framework of outward FATS is an enterprise or branch not resident in the compiling country over which an institutional unit resident in the compiling country has ultimate (direct or indirect) control.
Domestic affiliate shall mean an enterprise resident in the compiling country over which a UCI resident in the same compiling country has control.
Ultimate Controlling Institutional of a foreign affiliate (UCI) shall mean the institutional unit, proceeding up a foreign affiliate’s chain of control, which is not controlled by another institutional unit.
Control is the ability to determine the general policy of the affiliate by choosing appropriate directors, if necessary. In this context, enterprise A is deemed to be controlled by an institutional unit B when B controls, whether directly or indirectly, more than half of the shareholders' voting power or more than half of the shares.
Indirect control means that an institutional unit may have control through another affiliate which has control over enterprise A.
Active enterprise is a statistical unit which at any time during the reference period was ‘enterprise’, as defined in Council Regulation (EEC) No 696/93, and also active during the same reference period. A statistical unit is considered to have been active during the reference period if, in said period, it either realized positive net turnover or produced outputs or had employees or performed investments.
Employees and self-employed persons are persons who work for an observation unit on the basis of a contract of employment and receives compensation in the form of wages, salaries, fees, gratuities, piecework pay or remuneration in kind; and persons who are the sole owners or joint owners of the statistical unit in which they work. Family workers and outworkers, whose income is a function of the value of the outputs of the statistical unit, are also included.
Employee benefits expense contains all expenses arising in relation with employee benefits, recognized by the statistical unit during the reference period. Those are all forms of consideration given by the statistical unit in exchange for service rendered by employees or for the termination of employment.
Gross investment in tangible non-current assets includes all additions to tangible non-current assets, recognized as such by the statistical unit during the reference period, except any increases from revaluations or reversals of previously recognized impairment losses and from reclassifications (transfers) of other tangible non-current assets.
Net turnover consists of all income arising during the reference period in the course of ordinary activities of the statistical unit, and is presented net of all price reductions, discounts and rebates granted by it.
The statistical unit of FATS is the enterprise as defined in line with the Regulation (EEC) No 696/93 on the statistical units for the observation and analysis of the production system in the Community.
Market producers of NACE Sections B to N and P to S (for the EBS regulation table 15) and market producers of NACE Sections B to N and P to S abroad (should cover the foreign affiliates of all ultimate controlling institutional units of the reporting country) (for the EBS regulation table 33).
The data category covers EU Member States and Norway.
Data refer to the calendar year and in most cases corresponds to the fiscal year.
In most countries a combination of survey and administrative data is used. In a number of Member States size thresholds are applied to the survey population, i.e. only larger enterprises are surveyed exhaustively; smaller units are sampled or not included at all. If size thresholds are applied, the missing part of the population should be estimated, based on the information obtained from the sample survey or another source.
Number of enterprises and employment variables are recorded in absolute figures.
Monetary data of enterprises are recorded in million euro.
Data compilation is performed by Member States. Eurostat is responsible for calculating European aggregates.
Data are compiled by matching different data sources according to the survey strategy adopted nationally, taking into account the costs, the quality and the response burden on enterprises. The main data source for FATS data is Structural Business Statistics survey, administrative sources, FDI survey, dedicated surveys and EuroGroups Register.
