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.
Reporting unit: The reporting unit is the municipality that issues the building permit. Observation unit(s): Building permit.
3.6. Statistical population
All authorised (by the municipality) building permits.
3.7. Reference area
All regions of Belgium are covered.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Since 1996.
3.9. Base period
Not relevant.
number of buildings
m² for area
m³ for volume
Periodicity is monthly.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
The legal basis for this indicator is described here: Link
The legal basis in Belgium is the the Royal Decree of 3 december 1962. Participation in the survey is obligatory.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Data are sent to UN.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
There is no real confidentiality problem for building permits as this info is also publicly available elsewhere, though no address and owner data are released.
The building permits data are published on the Statistics Belgium website. Every month, within 3 months after the end of the reference month, the Short Term Indicators Unit of Statistics Belgium draws up an update of results on the newly-calculated building permits in Dutch, French.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
No online database
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
No microdata access
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Data are transmitted to Eurostat to be used in calculating European aggregates and to be released as national data.
For each step of the production chain, the figures of permits that look suspicious for reasons of magnitude are checked individuallyare controlled.
Once the figures produced, they are validated by our internal validation service before publication.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Checks carried out along the production chain of the indices and these are finally validated by our validation service before diffusion
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Eurostat
Confederation of construction
National bank of Belgium
Regions
Universities
Companies
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
No measure of user satisfaction but we receive positive feedback of users by mail, phone, etc.
12.3. Completeness
All of the required data are available.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
No known problems.
13.2. Sampling error
Not relevant.
13.3. Non-sampling error
After 3 months, more then 80% of the population has answered.
Contacts by phone, reminder letters after 3 months, visit of inspection service after 6 months.
14.1. Timeliness
The data on building permits are released within 3 months after the reference period.
In theory municipalities have to deliver the forms of the permits issued in a certain month during the following month.
14.2. Punctuality
No problem of punctuality.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
European definitions are equally applied in the 3 regions of Belgium.
15.2. Comparability - over time
No break in the series.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
No regular confrontation is made, but comparisons are made on an ad-hoc basis, especially when results seem contrary to expectations.
15.4. Coherence - internal
No problems.
~14500 hours/year for our NIS.
1 person works ~7 days/month in the thematic direction to produce results.
12 persons work ~12 days/month in the collect center.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Figures of the last 3 years are recalculated every month.
Same revision policy is applied nationally + transmissions to Eurostat.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Figures of the last 3 years are recalculated every month (to include late declarations).
Those are routine revisions.
Generally, after 3 years, these revisions can be considered as final.
Aggregates & components are revised at the same time.
Revision calender can be considered the same as our national release calendar (Link).
Communication of routine revisions can be found here: Link
Communication of major revisions (if any were to occur) will also be communicated via this link: Link
Impact of past revisions:
MAR between 0 and 0.04 for all indicators.
MR between -0.01 and 0.03 for all indicators.
If any (major) revision were to occur, they will be analysed / documented / communicated via this link: Link
18.1. Source data
Type of source: Statistical surveys are conducted by municipalities. Frame on which the source is based: authorized building demands. Sample or census: Census. Criteria for stratification: Not relevant. Threshold values and percentages: None. Frequency of updating the sample: Not relevant.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Monthly
18.3. Data collection
Questionnaires used in the survey: Statistical forms on paper distributed to municipalities Planned changes in national questionnaires: None Data collection media: Forms on paper Planned changes in data collection methodology: None
18.4. Data validation
Checks are carried out at the time of data collection and throughout the production chain. These are also validated by another service before distribution.
Collected data are daily transferred from the operating system in a datawarehouse.
Then, a sas program allows to check the variation of the different variables for a statistical unit and allows to identify problems. If a problem is detected, the collect center is contacted. In function of the response of our collect center, the declaration is maintained, re-estimated or removed for the figures calculation.
Final tables and press releases are validated by our validation service : format, content, missing information, layout of press release are verified.
If results appear abnormal, the validation service recontacts the responsible for verification.
18.5. Data compilation
Estimates for non-response: Estimation of non response based on historical series and imputation.
18.6. Adjustment
Adjustments are done with JDemetra+ 2.2.2.
The model is tramo/seats .
Each release, all figures since 1996 are included.
The seasonal adjustment decomposition is additive.
Critical value outlier detection is 3.5.
Not available.
Building permits (bouwvergunningen/permis de bâtir). These figures are designed to be an indicator of the economic cycle.
Reporting unit: The reporting unit is the municipality that issues the building permit. Observation unit(s): Building permit.
All authorised (by the municipality) building permits.
All regions of Belgium are covered.
Periodicity is monthly.
No known problems.
number of buildings
m² for area
m³ for volume
Estimates for non-response: Estimation of non response based on historical series and imputation.
Type of source: Statistical surveys are conducted by municipalities. Frame on which the source is based: authorized building demands. Sample or census: Census. Criteria for stratification: Not relevant. Threshold values and percentages: None. Frequency of updating the sample: Not relevant.
Monthly
The data on building permits are released within 3 months after the reference period.
In theory municipalities have to deliver the forms of the permits issued in a certain month during the following month.
European definitions are equally applied in the 3 regions of Belgium.
