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.
Forest accounts record and present data on forest resources and economic activity in the forestry and logging industry in a way that is fully compatible with the data reported under the ESA 2010. Forest accounts provide complementary information and use concepts adapted to the particular nature of forests and of the forestry and logging industry.
3.2. Classification system
For wooded land categories, FAO FRA classification is used. For economic activities, National accounts classification is used. For reporting output of non-wood forest products, CPA and CN classifications are used. For reporting wood products, CPA classification is used.
3.3. Coverage - sector
3.3.1. Sector coverage for removals:
Removals are limited to NACE A02 activity.
3.3.2. The scope of data in EFA Table B1:
Reporting for EFA Table B1 complies with the guidance. National Accounts data was used to fill table about economic activities of forestry and logging industry and it includes NACE A02 activities, except data for non-wood forest products. Estimations for previously mentioned products were made from data on export of Lithuanian origin about forest mushrooms, berries, resins and plant material.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
The construction of the EFA accounts closely follows the concepts, definitions and accounting rules of the core national accounts.
3.4.1. Definition of FAWS and FNAWS:
In Lithuania, all forest land is distributed to four functional groups, each with a specific management regime. FAWS are represented by forests in functional groups III and IV: group III represents protection forests for soil and water and group IV are exploitable forests, in these forests clear fellings are allowed and they are available for commercial wood supply. FNAWS are represented by I (forests in strict nature reserves) and II (ecosystem protection and recreational forests) groups, in which clear fellings are not allowed and their primary purpose is not wood production. 'Statistical reclassification' in tables EFA A 1a - EFA A 2b refers to Natura 2000 areas and Woodland key habitats in forests that belong to groups III and IV: in these areas clear fellings and wood supply are not allowed or very restricted despite of management regime of those forest groups, for this reason they are reclassified from FAWS to FNAWS.
3.4.2. Definition for 'Output of forest trees':
It is an estimated value, calculated from stumpage sales of State forest enterprise and private forests during specific accounting year.
3.4.3. Definition method for monetary value of timber stock in forest land:
It is estimated using layer about monetary values of forest stands from State Forest Cadaster of the Republic of Lithuania.
3.5. Statistical unit
EFA accounts present data compatible with the data reported under ESA (ESA 2010, 1.54-63). EFA use statistical units from national accounts.
3.6. Statistical population
Statistical population is not used.
3.7. Reference area
The data in all EFA tables use the entire country territory as a reference area.
3.8. Coverage - Time
The data are available for accounting period 2020 - 2023.
3.9. Base period
Not requested for this metadata collection.
For areas - hectare (ha), for timber stocks, physical supply and use of wood in the rough - cubic meter (m3), for monetary values of wooded land and timber stocks, economic aggregates of NACE A02 activity, monetary supply and use of wood in the rough - Euros (EUR), for employment - annual working units (AWU).
The reference period for EFA accounts data is the calendar year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
There is no national legal base for collecting data for forest accounts.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
There is no national policy describing confidentiality for forest accounts.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
There is no national policy describing confidentiality for data treatment for forest accounts.
8.1. Release calendar
Statistical information is published in accordance with an Official Statistics Calendar.
Forest accounts data are published in Official Statistics Portal Database of Indicators (Agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing -> Forestry and hunting -> Forest resources -> Forest accounts). Indicators described in Regulation (EU) 2024/3024 amending Regulation (EU) 691/2011 are published.
The Indicators Database page is for viewing and analyzing statistical information. For more information on the Indicators Database, see the Indicators Database User Guide.
Information on assurance of quality of statistical information and its preparation is published in the Quality Management section on the State Data Agency website.
11.1. Quality assurance
Management system that meets the requirements of the international quality management system standard ISO 14001 has been launched in 2021.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
The quality of statistical results meets the requirements of accuracy, timeliness and punctuality, comparability and compatibility. When evaluating the indicators, the quality of the received information is analyzed.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The main users of statistical information are State authorities and agencies, international organisations, the media, research and business communities, students, whose needs are satisfied without a breach of the confidentiality principle.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Since 2005, user opinion surveys have been conducted on a regular basis. The Official Statistics Portal traffic is monitored, website visitor opinion polls, general opinion poll on the products and services of the State Data Agency, target user group opinion polls and other surveys are conducted.
In 2007, the compilation of a user satisfaction index was launched. The said surveys are aimed at the assessment of the overall demand for and necessity of statistical information in general and specific statistical indicators in particular.
More information on user opinion surveys and results thereof are published in the User Surveys section on the State Data Agency website.
12.3. Completeness
All regulated indicators are published.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Statistical information is prepared on the basis of administrative sources, thus, the overall accuracy of the data is high. Data quality is ensured by searching for distinct, missing, duplicate values, analyzing the obtained results and, if necessary, editing the data.
13.2. Sampling error
Sampling is not used.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Accuracy of statistical data depend on quality of data presented in administrative sources.
14.1. Timeliness
Data are prepared and provided 21 months after the end of the reference period.
14.2. Punctuality
Statistical information is published in accordance with an Official Statistics Calendar. In case of delay, users are notified in advance by indicating the reason and a new date of publication.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Statistics are comparable between EU countries.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Time series is comparable since 2020.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Forest accounts economic aggregates of forestry and logging industry are partially comparable to national accounts data about NACE A02 economic activity.
15.4. Coherence - internal
15.4.1. Scope of data reported for EFA tables A1 and A2:
The stock of timber is aligned with area of 'Forest', FAWS and FNAWS.
15.4.2. Scope of data for Removals:
Removals are correctly reported for FAWS and FNAWS respectively.
Yearly. In pursuance of the Regulation, in each data transmission to the Commission, Member States provide annual data for the years n-2, n-1 and n, where n is the reference year.
18.1. Source data
Administrative data are used to estimate indicators of forest accounts. For table EFA A 1a - EFA A 2b: data sources are Forest State Cadaster of the Republic of Lithuania (Cadaster), declared agricultural land register, GIS database of declared agricultural land and crop areas, Joint Forest Sector Questionnaire, National Forest Inventory normatives and national legislative decision for evaluating land. For tables EFA B 1 and EFA B 2: National Accounts, financial accounts of State forest enterprise, export data about forest mushrooms, berries, rasins and plant material of Lithuanian origin, and data form general government expenditure. For tables EFA B 3a - EFA C 2: National Accounts supply and use tables, Eurostat Database about timber trade and Joint Forest Sector Questionnaire.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annually
18.3. Data collection
For EFA A 1a and EFA A 1b - EFA A 2b: data about area of forest land and its timber resources, other wooded land and their changes are estimated from Forest State Cadaster, data about areas of other land with tree cover are taken from declared agricultural land register about willow coppice plantations, 'Statistical reclassification' indicator about areas of Natura 2000 areas and their timber stocks are taken from GIS database of declared agricultural land and crop areas, 'Removals' are taken from Joint Forest Sector Questionnaire, other changes of timber stocks are estimated using Cadaster data and National Forest Inventory normatives. For EFA A 1b table, Cadaster data and forest land values for different forest soil types from national legislation document are used. For EFA B 1 and EFA B 2: National Accounts data about forestry and logging industry and data from financial accounts of State forest enterprise are used, output of non-wood forest products are estimated from export data about these products, capital transfers are taken from general government expenditure files about forestry section. For EFA B 3a - EFA C 2: data from National Accounts supply and use tables, Eurostat Database about timber trade and Joint Forest Sector Questionnaire are used.
18.4. Data validation
The results are analysed, the reasons for changes in the values are determined. The results are compared with the previous periods and administrative data sources.
Data are extensively checked by Eurostat using comprehensive validation procedures (IT tools). Checks are carried out essentially to ensure that the transmission of the requested data has been carried out satisfactorily, that datasets are complete and error-free.
Where necessary, Eurostat gap-fills missing data using national and international data sources (e.g. foreign trade statistics, agriculture statistics, energy statistics, production statistics etc.).
18.5. Data compilation
The most aggregated data is presented in table EFA B 1, the base of data is provided by National Accounts, but there was a need to break down data about output of goods and services, and intermediate consumption of serivces characteristic to forestry and logging industry, and also to calculate changes in inventory. For this data aggregation, data from financial accounts of State forest enterprise were used about output of different goods and services, this value was deducted from overall output value of forestry and logging industry value to calculate output of private sector. Percentage of goods and services was calculated from total output value of State forest enterprise and used to agreggate output values of these indicators in private forestry sector, lastly, values of different products and services were summed up. The same principal was applied to calculate changes in inventories of private forestry sector and intermediate consumption of services characteristic to this sector and also, to calculate and seperate intermediate consumption value of plant protection products and pesticides from lubricants and energy. For economic data of 2022, available preliminary data from National Accounts were used and for year 2023, values were extrapolated from data of years 2020 - 2022.
18.6. Adjustment
Data about forest land and timber resources in these questionnaires have a small differences compared to Lithuanian national data of these assets: the main difference is the size of forest land, in Lithuania, forest is at least 0,1 ha in size and lands that are overgrown with naturally regenerated forest trees that are less than 5 m tall and have potential to grow to forest requirement are not accounted as forests in Forest State Cadaster. For this reason, data about forest areas and its timber resources were adjusted to fit EFA definition - in GIS programme using Forest State Cadaster, small forest areas that are smaller than 0,5 ha in size and are not adjacent to larger forest areas were filtered out, also, areas that are larger than 0,5 ha and overgrown with naturally regenerated trees that are less than 5 m tall and can grow into forests were inlcuded. Other land categories in Cadaster: shrubs, groups or lines of trees, green junctions, parks outside cities and decorative plantations that are more than 0,5 ha in size were assigned as OWL, but there is no data about their timber stocks.
Data about areas and timber stocks in forest, FAWS, FNAWS and OWL presented in forest accounts differ from national data about mentioned indicators of wooded land because of different definitions used in forest accounts and Lithuanian forestry law.
Forest accounts record and present data on forest resources and economic activity in the forestry and logging industry in a way that is fully compatible with the data reported under the ESA 2010. Forest accounts provide complementary information and use concepts adapted to the particular nature of forests and of the forestry and logging industry.
30 January 2025
The construction of the EFA accounts closely follows the concepts, definitions and accounting rules of the core national accounts.
3.4.1. Definition of FAWS and FNAWS:
In Lithuania, all forest land is distributed to four functional groups, each with a specific management regime. FAWS are represented by forests in functional groups III and IV: group III represents protection forests for soil and water and group IV are exploitable forests, in these forests clear fellings are allowed and they are available for commercial wood supply. FNAWS are represented by I (forests in strict nature reserves) and II (ecosystem protection and recreational forests) groups, in which clear fellings are not allowed and their primary purpose is not wood production. 'Statistical reclassification' in tables EFA A 1a - EFA A 2b refers to Natura 2000 areas and Woodland key habitats in forests that belong to groups III and IV: in these areas clear fellings and wood supply are not allowed or very restricted despite of management regime of those forest groups, for this reason they are reclassified from FAWS to FNAWS.
3.4.2. Definition for 'Output of forest trees':
It is an estimated value, calculated from stumpage sales of State forest enterprise and private forests during specific accounting year.
3.4.3. Definition method for monetary value of timber stock in forest land:
It is estimated using layer about monetary values of forest stands from State Forest Cadaster of the Republic of Lithuania.
EFA accounts present data compatible with the data reported under ESA (ESA 2010, 1.54-63). EFA use statistical units from national accounts.
Statistical population is not used.
The data in all EFA tables use the entire country territory as a reference area.
The reference period for EFA accounts data is the calendar year.
Statistical information is prepared on the basis of administrative sources, thus, the overall accuracy of the data is high. Data quality is ensured by searching for distinct, missing, duplicate values, analyzing the obtained results and, if necessary, editing the data.
For areas - hectare (ha), for timber stocks, physical supply and use of wood in the rough - cubic meter (m3), for monetary values of wooded land and timber stocks, economic aggregates of NACE A02 activity, monetary supply and use of wood in the rough - Euros (EUR), for employment - annual working units (AWU).
The most aggregated data is presented in table EFA B 1, the base of data is provided by National Accounts, but there was a need to break down data about output of goods and services, and intermediate consumption of serivces characteristic to forestry and logging industry, and also to calculate changes in inventory. For this data aggregation, data from financial accounts of State forest enterprise were used about output of different goods and services, this value was deducted from overall output value of forestry and logging industry value to calculate output of private sector. Percentage of goods and services was calculated from total output value of State forest enterprise and used to agreggate output values of these indicators in private forestry sector, lastly, values of different products and services were summed up. The same principal was applied to calculate changes in inventories of private forestry sector and intermediate consumption of services characteristic to this sector and also, to calculate and seperate intermediate consumption value of plant protection products and pesticides from lubricants and energy. For economic data of 2022, available preliminary data from National Accounts were used and for year 2023, values were extrapolated from data of years 2020 - 2022.
Administrative data are used to estimate indicators of forest accounts. For table EFA A 1a - EFA A 2b: data sources are Forest State Cadaster of the Republic of Lithuania (Cadaster), declared agricultural land register, GIS database of declared agricultural land and crop areas, Joint Forest Sector Questionnaire, National Forest Inventory normatives and national legislative decision for evaluating land. For tables EFA B 1 and EFA B 2: National Accounts, financial accounts of State forest enterprise, export data about forest mushrooms, berries, rasins and plant material of Lithuanian origin, and data form general government expenditure. For tables EFA B 3a - EFA C 2: National Accounts supply and use tables, Eurostat Database about timber trade and Joint Forest Sector Questionnaire.
Yearly
Data are prepared and provided 21 months after the end of the reference period.
