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.
The (road_if) group of tables provides data on the road transport infrastructure:
the length of roads by country according to certain characteristics (road_if_motorwa for the motorways and E-roads; road_if_roadsc, road_if_barea, road_if_bsurfa for roads other than motorways);
the number of recharging points for electric vehicles and their power output by country (road_if_rchev, road_if_rchevpow);
the number of recharging points for electric vehicles by NUTS 3 region and the travel time between them (road_if_rchtot, road_if_rchcat, road_if_rchtrat - experimental statistics).
This metadata file does not describe the experimental statistics on the recharging points by NUTS 3 region (please read the specific metadata on road_if_rchtot).
Only aggregated national data are reported by the participating countries; no micro data or confidential data are transmitted.
The Common Questionnaire is not supported by a legal act, but is based on a goodwill agreement with the participating countries; its completeness may therefore vary from country to country. Eurostat, UNECE and ITF cooperate for the coordination and streamlining of the data collection at international level with the aim of reducing the administrative burden on national administrations, as many of the about 50 reporting countries are members of more than one of the organisations.
Data is generally provided by the national statistical institutes (NSIs), which may delegate this responsibility to other national authorities in charge of specific fields, e.g. the Ministry of Transport or specialized agencies.
Eurobase tables based on the Common Questionnaire cover annual data from the EU Member States, EFTA countries, candidate countries and potential candidates to the EU. Data from other participating countries are available through the ITF and the UNECE websites. In total, comparable transport data collected through the Common Questionnaire are available for close to 50 countries worldwide.
The Common Questionnaire is organised by datasets, typically a dataset by mode of transport (Rail, Road, Inland Waterways, Oil pipelines). Each dataset is usually structured by chapters (I Infrastructure, II Transport Equipment (vehicles), III Enterprises, investment and maintenance, IV Traffic, V Transport Measurements, VI Accidents). This organisation of the Common Questionnaire is consistent with the structure of the Glossary for transport statistics, published since 1994 (1st edition) with the purpose of assisting countries during this data collection.
The scope of the road networks covered by the Common Questionnaire is defined by entry B.I-01 of the Glossary for Transport Statistics, 6th edition, i.e. an entire surface of any way or street open to public traffic, using a stabilised base other than rails or airstrips. Included are paved roads and other roads with a stabilised base, such as gravel roads. Roads also include streets, bridges, tunnels, supporting structures, junctions, crossings and interchanges. Toll roads and independent cycle tracks are also included.
The inclusion of independent cycle tracks was new in the 6th edition, and is only effective since reference year 2025.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
The definitions used in the Common Questionnaire are specified in the Glossary for transport statistics. The Glossary is an official publication in EN, FR and DE. The UNECE produces also a version in Russian.
As for road transport infrastructure, the definitions are listed between entries B.I-01 and B.I-30 in the Glossary.
3.5. Statistical unit
The statistical units observed are the different kinds of road networks and their recharging or refuelling equipments.
3.6. Statistical population
The road transport infrastructure on the national territory, including cycle network and communal unpaved roads, is observed on the 31st December of the year.
3.7. Reference area
Member States of the European Union; EFTA states; European Union Candidate countries and potential candidate(s). Other countries are covered by the ITF and UNECE.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Most series go back to 1970.
The data collection related to recharging or refuelling pools, stations and points is very recent (figures requested since 2019).
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Kilometres of road is the most typical.
Recharging or refuelling pools, stations or points are measured in numbers, power output or capacity per day.
Data are collected on a yearly basis.
The reference period is the end of the year (31st December).
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
The Common Questionnaire is not supported by any legal acts; it is a voluntary data collection, based on a goodwill agreement with the participating countries.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Data are shared with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the International Transport Forum (ITF) at the OECD.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
The Common Questionnaire is a voluntary data collection of aggregated national data. No confidential data are reported by the participating countries. Therefore, no confidentiality policy applies.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Not applicable.
8.1. Release calendar
The intention of Eurostat is to publish all data on reference year N by the end of year N+1. The data release calendar for transport domain is available on the Eurostat website
Datasets checked for consistency are available free of charge through Eurostat’s Eurobase dissemination database, available through Eurostat’s website, under the theme ‘Transport statistics.
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice Eurostat disseminates European statistics on Eurostat's website (see item 10 - 'Accessibility and clarity') respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably. The detailed arrangements are governed by the Eurostat protocol on impartial access to Eurostat data for users.
Annually. An intermediate update can occur 1 or 2 months after first release when late data are transmitted, or if data are revised.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
News articles usually accompany Statistics Explained articles, published in same time as CQ data are released.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
There is no dedicated publiction on these road transport infrastructure datasets.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
The 6 datasets road_if_motorwa, road_if_roadsc, road_if_barea, road_if_bsurfa, road_if_rchev and road_if_rchevpow checked for consistency are available free of charge through Eurostat’s Eurobase dissemination database, under the theme ‘Transport’, node 'Road transport', folder 'Road transport infrastructure (road_if)'. Only aggregated annual data at national level are available.
Similar Common Questionnaire transport data for countries other than EU/EFTA/candidate countries and potential candidates are available from ITF and UNECE.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Not applicable; only aggregated national data are reported.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Not applicable.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
The Glossary for transport statistics provides the definitions used for the Common Questionnaire data collection. The Glossary is available on the websites of the three organisations.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Not available.
11.1. Quality assurance
The Common Questionnaire is a voluntary data collection, not supported by legal acts. It is completed by the competent national authorities, who are responsible for the main quality assurance. National data are reported through EDAMIS portal. Upon transmission of a file, a validation process takes place in EDAMIS which contains a number of data checks and controls in two validation systems:
EDAMIS notifies the file sender if errors are found in the overall structure of transmitted Common Questionnaire file. This validation system is called Struval (structural validation).
EDAMIS notifies the file sender if errors are found in the content/data of the file (mainly differences between totals and the sum of their breakdown values). This validation system is called Conval (content validation).
All files transmitted to EDAMIS are first validated by Struval and then by Conval. In case a file fails to pass the level of Struval, it does not reach Conval. The data provider is notified about the error(s) at Struval level and needs to resubmit a corrected file. Similarly, if a file succeeds in passing Struval but is rejected at Conval level, the data provider is again notified about the error(s) and has to submit a corrected file.
Further plausibility checks, growth rate checks and data validation control are carried out by Eurostat in the form of quality reports by theme sent to the countries shortly after their data submission.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Eurostat routinely assesses timeliness, completeness and accuracy and follows this up with the data providers.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Key users of the statistics are: the European Commission, Directorate-General Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE); the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE); and the International Transport Forum (ITF/OECD). These users are strongly involved in the design and development of the Common Questionnaire, thus user needs are generally considered to be well covered and integrated in the development process. Indicators for policy needs are constantly extracted from the Common Questionnaire, such as the indicators on rail and road infrastructure.
Completeness for this group of indicators in Common Questionnaire is average for EU Member States at the end of year N+1 (54%), but becomes relatively high (62%) 1 year later. The completion rate is notably lower for the length of roads inside (or outside) built-up areas (33%) and for unpaved roads (41%).
22 among 27 EU MS provide some data on electric vehicles (EV) recharging points. The other 5 countries are imputed by EAFO estimates.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The length of roads is generally an administrative data, very accurate.
The number of electric vehicles recharging pools, stations and points is more delicate as these equipments are developing very fast, the notions of pools, stations, points and connectors can be confused, and the public accessibility misunderstood.
13.2. Sampling error
There is no sampling issue.
13.3. Non-sampling error
There can be some conceptual issues (when does a path become an unpaved communal road and/or a cycle track? which stations are publicly accessible? what is the exact difference between pools, stations, points and connectors?).. .
14.1. Timeliness
The deadline for the data transmission is 9-10 months after the end of the reference period (calendar year). The expected deadline for the data dissemination is less than 12 months after the end of the reference period, i.e. about mid-December N+1. .
14.2. Punctuality
The data on road length can be available after a certain delay.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Geographical comparability is generally high but harmonised definitions are more obvious for motorways than for communal roads or cycle tracks.
Comparability over time is often compromised by conceptual issues or administrative decisions in the case of roads by administrative category.
Time series breaks that cannot be avoided are flagged.
The comparability over time of the numbers and characteristics of recharging pools, stations and points is very high.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
There is some discrepancy between the data collected from Eco-movement (experimental statistics) and the data provided by the National Statistical Institutes or the ministeries of transport (ESTAT-ITF-UNECE Common Questionnaire for inland transport statistics).
15.4. Coherence - internal
There is a good internal coherence, due to Conval rules.
Each time a new data collection is launched on reference year N, normally in April N+1:
the CQ template of the reference year is pre-filled with the "static data" of the previous 5 years, which helps the countries to identify breaks or gaps in series, or only the need to revise some figures;
pre-filled CQ templates are availabe for revision for all reference years since 2013.
When Eurostat observes an inconsistency in time series, it encourages the countries to revise data since reference year 2013.
All reported errors (once validated) result in corrections of the disseminated data, as soon as possible.
A country can also ask for an ad hoc revision, so that nationally published data are consistent with data disseminated by Eurostat.
18.1. Source data
Data for the Common Questionnaire are collected and compiled by the competent national authorities (national statistical institutes or transport administrations). Only aggregated national annual data are reported to Eurostat.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual.
18.3. Data collection
Apart the experimental data collected from Eco-movement, the data collection methodology is determined by the competent national authorities and may vary from country to country.
These national authorities send Excel files (1 per country, theme and year) to EDAMIS portal.
18.4. Data validation
Data validation is first carried out by the competent national authorities. Only aggregated national data are reported to Eurostat. National data are reported through the EDAMIS portal, which contains a number of data checks and controls (Struval rules for the structure validation, Conval rules for the content validation). Further plausibility checks, growth rate checks and data validation controls are carried out by Eurostat in the form of quality reports / requests for clarifications addressed to countries.
18.5. Data compilation
The data collection and compilation methodology is determined by the competent national authorities and varies from country to country.
The (road_if) group of tables provides data on the road transport infrastructure:
the length of roads by country according to certain characteristics (road_if_motorwa for the motorways and E-roads; road_if_roadsc, road_if_barea, road_if_bsurfa for roads other than motorways);
the number of recharging points for electric vehicles and their power output by country (road_if_rchev, road_if_rchevpow);
the number of recharging points for electric vehicles by NUTS 3 region and the travel time between them (road_if_rchtot, road_if_rchcat, road_if_rchtrat - experimental statistics).
This metadata file does not describe the experimental statistics on the recharging points by NUTS 3 region (please read the specific metadata on road_if_rchtot).
Only aggregated national data are reported by the participating countries; no micro data or confidential data are transmitted.
The Common Questionnaire is not supported by a legal act, but is based on a goodwill agreement with the participating countries; its completeness may therefore vary from country to country. Eurostat, UNECE and ITF cooperate for the coordination and streamlining of the data collection at international level with the aim of reducing the administrative burden on national administrations, as many of the about 50 reporting countries are members of more than one of the organisations.
Data is generally provided by the national statistical institutes (NSIs), which may delegate this responsibility to other national authorities in charge of specific fields, e.g. the Ministry of Transport or specialized agencies.
Eurobase tables based on the Common Questionnaire cover annual data from the EU Member States, EFTA countries, candidate countries and potential candidates to the EU. Data from other participating countries are available through the ITF and the UNECE websites. In total, comparable transport data collected through the Common Questionnaire are available for close to 50 countries worldwide.
The Common Questionnaire is organised by datasets, typically a dataset by mode of transport (Rail, Road, Inland Waterways, Oil pipelines). Each dataset is usually structured by chapters (I Infrastructure, II Transport Equipment (vehicles), III Enterprises, investment and maintenance, IV Traffic, V Transport Measurements, VI Accidents). This organisation of the Common Questionnaire is consistent with the structure of the Glossary for transport statistics, published since 1994 (1st edition) with the purpose of assisting countries during this data collection.
3 June 2026
The definitions used in the Common Questionnaire are specified in the Glossary for transport statistics. The Glossary is an official publication in EN, FR and DE. The UNECE produces also a version in Russian.
As for road transport infrastructure, the definitions are listed between entries B.I-01 and B.I-30 in the Glossary.
The statistical units observed are the different kinds of road networks and their recharging or refuelling equipments.
The road transport infrastructure on the national territory, including cycle network and communal unpaved roads, is observed on the 31st December of the year.
Member States of the European Union; EFTA states; European Union Candidate countries and potential candidate(s). Other countries are covered by the ITF and UNECE.
Data are collected on a yearly basis.
The reference period is the end of the year (31st December).
The length of roads is generally an administrative data, very accurate.
The number of electric vehicles recharging pools, stations and points is more delicate as these equipments are developing very fast, the notions of pools, stations, points and connectors can be confused, and the public accessibility misunderstood.
Kilometres of road is the most typical.
Recharging or refuelling pools, stations or points are measured in numbers, power output or capacity per day.
The data collection and compilation methodology is determined by the competent national authorities and varies from country to country.
Eurostat compiles EU totals only.
Data for the Common Questionnaire are collected and compiled by the competent national authorities (national statistical institutes or transport administrations). Only aggregated national annual data are reported to Eurostat.
Annually. An intermediate update can occur 1 or 2 months after first release when late data are transmitted, or if data are revised.
The deadline for the data transmission is 9-10 months after the end of the reference period (calendar year). The expected deadline for the data dissemination is less than 12 months after the end of the reference period, i.e. about mid-December N+1. .
Geographical comparability is generally high but harmonised definitions are more obvious for motorways than for communal roads or cycle tracks.
