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.
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 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 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 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 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 units which at any time during the reference period was ‘enterprise’, as defined in 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 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 Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 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 Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 table 33).
3.7. Reference area
The Netherlands
3.8. Coverage - Time
3 Year in this set-up. The former set-up is availeble in the timeseries 2008-2020. Since reference year 2021 there had been a complete make over of the statistical proces. From population determination to validating and publication.
3.9. Base period
2021
Number of enterprises and employment variables are recorded in absolute figures.
Monetary data of enterprises are recorded in thousands Euro and disseminated on Eurostat database in millions Euro.
2023
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Confidentiality was determined by using tau-argus. We determined primary confidentiality by calculating p% value on enterprise level. Critical P was set at 10%. We calculated confidentiality for following characteristics:
Net turnover
Gross investment in tangible non-current assets
Number of employees and self-employed persons
Employee benefits expense
Number of enterprises
For confidentiality we use the following codes:
M PRIMARY CONFIDENTIAL
D SECUNDARY CONFIDENTIAL
Please see Table 7.2 in the Annex at the bottom.
8.1. Release calendar
A calendar is available and acceseble on internet see 8.2
We use several means to ensure and increase quality. CBS is ISO certified. Specifically for this process we use peer review, time series analysis, for discrepancies we use a list to get insight and track resulting actions.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Not available
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Users of outward FATS are: European Commission services, international organisations, ministries, chambers of commerce, trade unions, journalists, researchers, etc.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not available
12.3. Completeness
The survey covers all the variables required by European regulations and Eurostat guidelines (Completeness in a percentage of the number of required cells = 100%).
12.3.1. Data completeness - rate
Please see Table 12.3.1 in the Annex at the bottom.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
All data is definitive
13.1.1. Use of residual geographic codes (Extra EU-27 not allocated, etc.)
Please see Table 13.1 in the Annex at the bottom.
13.1.2. Use of residual activity codes (NACE activity “not allocated”)
No not alocated values on NACE activity
Please see Table 13.1.in the Annex at the bottom.
13.1.3. Comments on the Extra EU-27 not allocated and on the Activity “not allocated”
Not allocated code is used for subsidiaries in branches out off scope for outward FATS but still reported by the enterprices.
13.1.4. UCI Approach applied to identify the relevant population of reporting units
UCI approach is applied to identify the relevant statistical units. The most important sources to determine the UCI are the Statistics on Finance of enterprise groups (Survey), the EuroGroups Register (EGR), the Statistics on Investments (Survey), the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) and the Business Register/Chamber of Commerce (NSBR). In case of inconsistencies in the UCI for large companies, a manual check is performed using annual reports and other online sources to determine the UCI. All companies which are not included in the above mentioned sources are labelled as countries with UCI in the Netherlands.
For the enterprises for which a source/UCI is available, the percentage of each source is as follows:
EGR: 60%
Survey: 18%
Manual: 15%
NFIA: 4%
NSBR: 3%
13.1.5. Update date (or frequency of updates) of the information regarding the country of the UCI by the “source administration”
UCI and EGR are updated once a year.
13.2. Sampling error
Not available
13.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Not available
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not available
13.3.1. Coverage error
Not available
13.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
Not available
13.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
Not available
13.3.1.3. Misclassification errors
Not available
13.3.1.4. Under- and over-coverage problems
Not available
13.3.2. Measurement error
Not available
13.3.3. Non response error
Unit non-response occurs when not all the reporting units in the sample participate in the survey.
Item non-response occurs when a respondent provides some, but not all, of the information requested or if the information reported is unusable (note that entirely unusable questionnaires are already counted in the unit non-response).
13.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate
See Table 13.3.3 in the Annex at the bottom.
13.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate
See Table 13.3.3 in the Annex at the bottom.
13.3.4. Processing error
Not available
13.3.5. Model assumption error
Not available
14.1. Timeliness
OFATS statistics are calculated annually for reference year T.
Data collection takes place at t+8 months after the end of the reference period.
Data transmission to Eurostat takes place at t+20 months.
Data dissemination at national level takes place at t+22 months.
14.1.1. Time lag - first result
16 months
14.1.2. Time lag - final result
20 months
14.2. Punctuality
Data is published on time
14.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
Data is published on time
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Not applicable
15.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not applicable
15.2. Comparability - over time
There has been an complete overhaul of the process of the outward FATS in 2021.
15.2.1. Length of comparable time series
Length of time series: 3 years. There has been an complete overhaul of the process of the outward FATS.
Length of comparable time series: 3 years. There has been an complete overhaul of the process of the outward FATS.
15.2.2. Reasons and differences in concepts and measurement methods for breaks in time series
The outward FATS process had been completely redesigned. From population determination, through to data collection, data correction, weighing and output.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
The population determination uses more inputs than just EGR, TAX and survey data is also used.
15.3.1. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics
Not applicable
15.3.2. Coherence - National Accounts
Not applicable
15.3.3. Coherence – Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
Not available
15.3.4. Coherence – EuroGroups Register (EGR)
The population determination uses more inputs than just EGR, TAX and survey data is also used.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Not applicable
Not available
17.1. Data revision - policy
No special revision policy for OFATS
17.2. Data revision - practice
See Table 17.2. in the Annex at the bottom.
17.2.1. Data revision - average size
No special revision policy for OFATS
18.1. Source data
Main data sources used for UCI:
EGR
Statistics on Finance of Enterprise Groups
Statistics on Investments
Chamber of commerce
Private databases
18.1.1. Methodological approach
For determining the population different sources are combined. The sources are EGR, TAX-register, UCI, Financial statistics. If one (or more) of the sources indicate a Dutch company has foreign subsidiaries, this company is added to the population.
18.1.2. Use of cut-off thresholds
Enterprices in the population which have more than two foreign subsidiaries are all included in teh survey. For the remaining enterprices had a sample been taken. In total about one third of teh population is in the sample for the survey.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Data is collected starting end of August T+1 and ends in July T+2.
18.3. Data collection
Survey
18.4. Data validation
Survey data is checked where there is a big difference with the previous year. For new company's there is a percentual cut of for the sector. Before transmitting the data wil be checked in comparence to last year. Any big differences will be looked into and corrected or validated.
18.5. Data compilation
The used tool for this is MS SQL Management Studio.
18.5.1. Imputation - rate
Not applicable
18.5.2. Use of a method to deal with non-response (both unit and item non-response)
In both unit and item non response weighing is used.
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 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 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
2 September 2025
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 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 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 units which at any time during the reference period was ‘enterprise’, as defined in 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 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 Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 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 Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 table 33).
The Netherlands
2023
All data is definitive
Number of enterprises and employment variables are recorded in absolute figures.
Monetary data of enterprises are recorded in thousands Euro and disseminated on Eurostat database in millions Euro.
The used tool for this is MS SQL Management Studio.
Main data sources used for UCI:
EGR
Statistics on Finance of Enterprise Groups
Statistics on Investments
Chamber of commerce
Private databases
Annual
OFATS statistics are calculated annually for reference year T.
Data collection takes place at t+8 months after the end of the reference period.
Data transmission to Eurostat takes place at t+20 months.
Data dissemination at national level takes place at t+22 months.
Not applicable
There has been an complete overhaul of the process of the outward FATS in 2021.
