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
E3: Transport
1.3. Contact name
Restricted from publication
1.4. Contact person function
Restricted from publication
1.5. Contact mail address
2920 Luxembourg 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
3 January 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
3 January 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
3 January 2025
3.1. Data description
The maritime transport domain contains quarterly and annual data.
Maritime transport data refer to gross weight of goods (in tonnes), passenger movements (in number of passengers) as well as for vessel traffic (in number of vessels and in gross tonnage of vessels). Data for transport of goods transported on Ro-Ro units or in containers are also expressed in number of units or number of TEUs (20 foot equivalent units).
Data at regional level (NUTS 2, 1 and 0) are also available.
Data are collected by the national competent authorities in the reporting countries using a variety of data sources, such as port administration systems, national maritime databases, customs databases or questionnaires to ports or shipping agents (see section 18.1).
The maritime transport data have been calculated using data collected at port level. The data are displayed at port level, regional level, Maritime Coastal Area (MCA) level and country level.
The data are presented in six collections, displaying main annual results, short sea shipping, passengers, goods vessel traffic and regional statistics.
Maritime Coastal area: the nomenclature is based on the Geonomenclature (the country nomenclature for the external trade statistics of the Community and statistics of trade between Member States, originally drawn up by the Council Regulation (EEC) N°1736/75) in force in the year to which the data refer (RAMON).
Ports: the codes used by Eurostat are the official UN/LOCODEs, when they exist. If a port does not have an official UN/LOCODE a provisional (numeric) code is attributed to the port. As soon as an official UN/LOCODE is attributed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) to the port at the request of the competent national authority, the provisional (numeric) code is replaced by the final official one. In exceptional cases (see for example one-port transport or special aggregation for minor ports) permanent numeric codes are attributed to special locations or activities. The code list of UN/LOCODE is available by country through the following website UN/LOCODE Code List by Country and Territory.
According to the Directive, Eurostat draws up a list of ports, coded and classified according to countries and maritime coastal areas. The list of ports is included in implementing legal acts and as such is published in the Official Journal of the European Union (the "official" list). The most recent list of ports published in the Official Journal is found in Commission Delegated Decision (EU) 2018/1007 of 25 April 2018. In between the publication of each new list of ports in the Official Journal, Eurostat maintains an updated list used for data collection in the reporting countries under a gentlemen's agreement in Working Group on Maritime Transport Statistics (see in annex). The list of ports contains information as well about the Trans-European Transport network (TEN-T) core and comprehensive maritime ports according to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/849amending Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
Nationality of registration of vessels: the nomenclature used is the Geonomenclature (the country nomenclature for the external trade statistics of the Community and statistics of trade between Member States, originally drawn up by the Council Regulation (EEC) N°1736/75) in force in the year to which the data refer (RAMON).
The type of ship classification is harmonised with an internationally agreed International Classification of Ship by Type (ICST).
Type of goods: the classification used is the Standard goods classification for transport statistics NST (2007), according to Regulation (EC) No 1304/2007 of 7 November 2007 amending Directive 95/64, Regulation (EC) No 1172/98, Regulations (EC) No 91/2003 and (EC) No 1365/2006 with respect to the establishment of NST 2007 as the unique classification for transported goods in certain transport modes (classification is available in RAMON).
3.3. Coverage - sector
Maritime transport is the carriage of goods and passengers by sea-going vessels, on voyages undertaken wholly or partly at sea. The data collected from National Statistical Authorities are port statistics: information on goods handled in ports, passengers embarked and disembarked and vessel traffic. Detailed information is collected on the type of cargo and passengers, geographical areas where the partner ports are located, type, size and nationality of ships used to carry out that transportation.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Within the collection of Main annual results, there is information on goods, volume (in TEUs; TEU = 20 foot equivalent unit), on passengers and on vessels, following the tables:
Country level - Gross weight of goods handled in all ports;
Country level - Gross weight of goods handled in all ports, by direction;
Country level - Gross weight of goods handled in main ports, by type of cargo;
Country level - Gross weight of goods handled in main ports, by type of goods;
Country level - Gross weight of goods transported to/from main ports;
Country level - Gross weight of goods transported to/from main ports, by type of traffic;
Country level - Volume (in TEUs) of containers handled in main ports, by loading status;
Top 20 ports - Gross weight of goods handled in each port, by direction;
Top 20 ports - Gross weight of goods handled in each port, by type of cargo (main ports);
Top 20 ports - Volume (in TEUs) of containers handled in each port, by loading status;
Country level - Passengers embarked and disembarked in all ports;
Country level - Passengers embarked and disembarked in all ports, by direction;
Country level - Passengers (excluding cruise passengers) transported to/from main ports;
Country level - Passengers (excluding cruise passengers) transported to/from main ports, by type of traffic;
Top 20 ports - Passengers embarked and disembarked in each port, by direction;
Country level - Number and Gross Tonnage of vessels in the main ports (based on inwards declarations), by type of vessel.
Within the collection of Short Sea Shipping (SSS), the following tables give information on goods transported to/from main ports, on volume (in TEU's), the top 20 ports and top 5 ports by type of cargo:
Short Sea Shipping - Country level - Gross weight of goods transported to/from main ports;
Short Sea Shipping - Country level - Gross weight of goods transported to/from main ports, by direction;
Short Sea Shipping - Country level - Gross weight of goods transported to/from main ports, by sea region of partner ports;
Short Sea Shipping - Country level - Gross weight of goods transported to/from main ports, by type of cargo;
Short Sea Shipping - EU level - Gross weight of goods transported to/from main ports, by type of cargo for each sea region of partner ports;
Short Sea Shipping - Country level - Volume (in TEU's) of containers transported to/from main ports, by loading status;
Short Sea Shipping - Top 20 ports - Gross weight of goods transported to/from main ports;
Short Sea Shipping - Top 5 ports for liquid bulk - Gross weight of liquid bulk goods transported to/from main ports;
Short Sea Shipping - Top 5 ports for dry bulk- Gross weight of dry bulk goods transported to/from main ports;
Short Sea Shipping - Top 5 ports for containers - Gross weight of goods in containers transported to/from main ports;
Short Sea Shipping - Top 5 ports for Ro-Ro units - Gross weight of goods in Ro-Ro units transported to/from main ports.
Within the collection displaying passenger's information, there are three groups containing respectively:
Maritime transport - Passengers - Annual data - All ports - by direction;
Maritime transport - Passengers - Quarterly data - Main ports - by direction and type of traffic (national and international);
Maritime transport - Passengers - Quarterly data - Main ports - One detailed table per each reporting country - by direction, partner entity and nationality of registration of vessels.
Within the Goods collection, there are five groups containing respectively:
Maritime transport - Goods (gross weight) - Annual data - All ports - by direction;
Maritime transport - Goods (gross weight) - Quarterly data - Main ports - by direction and type of traffic (national and international);
Maritime transport - Goods (gross weight) - Annual data - Main ports - One detailed table per each reporting country - by direction, partner entity, type of cargo and nationality of registration of vessels;
Maritime transport - Goods (gross weight) - Quarterly data - Main ports - One detailed table per each reporting country - by direction, partner entity and type of cargo (detailed classification);
Maritime transport - Goods (volume) - Quarterly data - Main ports - Cargo: containers only (TEU) - by direction, partner entity, container size and loading status.
Within collection displaying vessels information, there is only one table:
Maritime transport - Vessel traffic - Quarterly data - Main ports - Number and gross tonnage of vessels - by type and size of vessels - Direction: inwards only.
Within the collection Maritime transport - regional statistics (mar_rg) there are two tables:
Maritime transport of passengers by NUTS 2 regions;
Maritime transport of freight by NUTS 2 regions.
The concepts used in this domain are the following:
Port
A place having facilities for merchant ships to moor and to load and/or unload cargo or to disembark and/or embark passengers to or from vessels, usually directly to a pier.
Statistical Port
A statistical port consists of one or more ports, normally controlled by a single port authority, which is able to record ship, passenger and cargo movements.
Reporting Port
A statistical port for which statistics of inward and outward maritime transport flows are compiled.
Main port
A main port is a statistical port which has annual movements of no less than 200 000 passengers or recording more than one millions tonnes of cargo. For ports selected on the basis of only one of these cargo or passenger criteria, detailed statistics are required only for that transport.
Maritime coastal area (MCA)
A maritime coastal areais defined as a contiguous stretch of coastline, together with islands offshore. Within a country, an MCA is defined either in terms of one or more ranges of ports along its coastline, or in terms of the latitude and longitude of one or more sets of extremities of the coastal area. Riverbanks can be included. Normally the coastline of each country is allocated to a single maritime coastal area and the coastlines of more than one country may form a single maritime coastal area. There are some exceptions. For example, the USA is separated into a number of maritime coastal areas to cover its overall coastline. For some countries, two separate stretches of coastline may be counted as one maritime coastal area, as, for example, the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines of Mexico.
Carriage of goods and passengers by sea
The movement of goods and passengers using seagoing vessels, on voyage which are undertaken wholly or partly by sea.
The scope of the Maritime Directive 2009/42/EC also includes goods:
a. Shipped to offshore installations; b. Reclaimed from seabed and unloaded in ports.
Bunkers and stores supplied to vessels shall be excluded from the scope.
Short sea shipping
The maritime transport of goods over relatively short distances, as opposed to the intercontinental cross-ocean deep sea shipping. In the context of European Union (EU) transport statistics it is defined as maritime transport of goods between ports in the EU on one hand, and ports situated in geographical Europe, on the Mediterranean and Black Seas on the other hand, i.e. ports in
EU maritime countries;
EEA maritime countries (Iceland and Norway);
candidate countries;
the Baltic Sea area (Russia);
the Mediterranean Sea area (Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine*, Syria, and Tunisia);
the Black Sea area (Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine).
*this designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue
This definition is derived from Commission Communication COM (1999) 317 final of June 1999 on the development of SSS in Europe (page 2). As a result, short sea shipping also includes feeder services: a short-sea network between ports with the objective of consolidating or redistributing freight to or from a deep sea service in one of these ports, the so-called hub port.
Seagoing vessel
Floating marine structure with one or more surface displacement hulls.
In the context of the Directive, sea-going vessels are vessels other than those which navigate exclusively in inland waters or in waters within, or closely adjacent to, sheltered waters or areas where port regulations apply.
Nationality of registration of seagoing vessel (Flag state)
Every ship is entered in a registry (i.e. list) of ships. Registries are maintained by many countries, each having a set of rules regarding safety procedures, inspection schedules, manning numbers and nationalities for crew and officers, training requirements, etc. Ship-owners select which registry to use based on the balance between the relative cost implications of the rules of each registry and possible penalties from insurance assessments dependent on these rules.
Type of cargo
The type of cargo classification, set according to the UNECE - Codes for types of cargo, packages and packaging materials, Recommendation 21, Geneva, March 1986, describes how the goods are being transported in terms of the vessels being used and the port facilities required to handle them. It is therefore very different from the categories of goods classification.
Freight container
Special box to carry freight, strengthened and stackable and allowing horizontal or vertical transfers. A more formal technical definition of a container is an article of transport equipment which is:
a) Of a permanent character and accordingly strong enough to be suitable for repeated use b) Specially designed to facilitate the carriage of goods, by one or more mode of transport without intermediate reloading c) Fitted with devices permitting its ready handling, particularly its transfer from one mode of transport to another d) So designed as to be easy to fill and empty e) Having a length of 20 feet or more f) Stackable and g) Having an internal volume of 1 m3 or more
Swap bodies are excluded.
Although without internal volume flats used in maritime transport should be considered to be a special type of container and therefore are included here. For a fuller description, reference should be made to ISO 668 and 1496.
The related term "container cargo" refers to containers, with or without cargo, which are lifted on or off the vessels which carry them by sea.
Ro-Ro unit
This means wheeled equipment for carrying cargo, such as a truck, trailer or semi-trailer, which can be driven or towed onto a vessel. Port or ships' trailers are included in this definition. Classifications should follow United Nations ECE Recommendation No 21 'Codes for types of cargo, packages and packaging materials'.
Live animals on the hoof are included.
Vehicles being transported as cargo as opposed to a means of transport for freight are recorded in the separate headings of the Ro-Ro cargo classification, when they are rolled on or rolled off of a vessel on their own wheels.
Ro-Ro cargo
This means goods, whether or not in containers, on Ro-Ro units, and Ro-Ro units, which are rolled on and off the vessels, which carry them by sea.
Gross weight of goods
The gross weight of each consignment is the weight of the actual goods together with the immediate packaging in which they are being transported from origin to destination, but excluding the tare weight of containers or Ro-Ro units (e.g. containers, swap bodies and pallets containing goods as well as road goods vehicles, wagons or barges carried on the vessel). This measure of quantity is different from that used in trade statistics, namely the net weight of goods (1) and different from statistics collected on other transport modes where the tare weight is included. Where goods are transported in a road goods vehicle, in a container, or other intermodal transport unit, the gross weight of the goods does not include the tare weight (2) of the transport unit.
Gross tonnage
This means the measure of the overall size of a ship determined in accordance with the provisions of the International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969.
Passenger
Any person who makes a sea journey on a merchant ship. Service staff assigned to merchant ships is not regarded as passengers. Non-fare paying crewmembers travelling but not assigned and infants in arms are excluded.
Cruise passenger
This means a sea passenger making a sea journey on a cruise ship. Passengers on day excursions are excluded.
Cruise ship
This means a passenger ship intended to provide passengers with a full tourist experience. All passengers have cabins. Facilities for entertainment aboard are included. Ships operating normal ferry services are excluded, even if some passengers treat the service as a cruise. In addition, cargo-carrying vessels able to carry a very limited number of passengers with their own cabins are also excluded. Ships intended solely for day excursions are also excluded.
Cruise passenger excursion
This means a short visit by a cruise passenger to a tourist attraction associated with a port while retaining a cabin on board.
(1) The weight of goods in a consignment, excluding any immediate packaging. For some types of goods, (e.g. liquids in bottles) the weight of packaging can be as large as or larger than the weight of the goods.
(2) The unladen weight of an intermodal transport unit (e.g. road goods vehicle or trailer, container, swap-body, etc.).
3.5. Statistical unit
The data used in the domain are collected by the different data providers at port level.
See the definition of statistical port under item 3.4
In some countries the numerous very small ports are grouped for practical statistical reasons under a fictitious "statistical port" (for example "other ports").
3.6. Statistical population
Detailed data are provided for ports handling more than one million tonnes of goods or recording more than 200 000 passenger movements annually (Main ports). The other ports only provide summary data. However, detailed data may be included by countries also for minor ports on a voluntary basis.
3.7. Reference area
Data are transmitted to Eurostat by the Member States of the European Union, except Czechia, Luxembourg, Hungary, Austria and Slovakia that are not having maritime ports.
Iceland and Norway provide data as members of the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA country Liechtenstein has no maritime port.
Montenegro and Turkey provide data on a voluntary basis as candidate countries to the EU.
The Spanish data include Ceuta and Melilla.
The Portuguese data include Madeira and Azores.
The French data include Martinique, Guadeloupe, Reunion and French Guiana.
The United Kingdom data include Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey.
The Norwegian data include Svalbard and Jan Mayen.
The EU aggregates are calculated and disseminated.
3.8. Coverage - Time
1997 was the first year for which data were collected, however the availability of data for the participating countries varies.
The following years of coverage are available:
Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom started reporting from 1997.
Iceland started reporting from 1998.
Croatia started reporting from 2000.
Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovenia started reporting from 2001.
Cyprus, Malta and Norway started reporting from 2002.
Turkey started reporting from 2008.
Montenegro started reporting from 2012.
3.9. Base period
The relevant statistical year.
Tonnes: Gross weight of goods expressed in thousands of tonnes.
Tonnes per capita: Gross weight of goods per inhabitant.
Gross tonnage: Gross tonnage of vessels expressed in thousands of tonnes (see definition of gross tonnage under item 3.4).
Passengers: total passengers expressed in thousands.
Passengers (excluding cruise passengers): expressed in thousands.
Cruise passengers starting and ending a cruise: expressed in thousands.
Cruise passengers on excursion: expressed in thousands.
Number: Vessels.
TEUs: Twenty feet equivalent units, expressed in units or in thousands depending on the table. TEU calculation coefficients:
20-ft freight units (1 TEU);
40-ft freight units (2 TEU);
Freight units over 20-ft and under 40-ft in length (1.5 TEU);
Freight units over 40-ft long (2.25 TEU).
Growth rate on previous period: T/T-1.
Growth rate on the same quarter in the previous year.
Sum of the last 4 quarters (e.g.: for 2019Q3, it corresponds to 2019Q3+2019Q2+2019Q1+2018Q4).
Rolling 4-quarter growth rate: Sum of last 4 quarters/ Sum of the corresponding 4 quarters of the previous year.
Percentage of total.
Quarters for datasets A1, A2, C1, C2, D1, F1 and F2.
Whole calendar years for datasets A3, B1 and E1.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
The dissemination is based on the terms of Commission Decision 2001/423/EC on arrangements for publication or dissemination of the statistical data collected pursuant to Council Directive 95/64/EC on statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods and passengers by sea.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
As mentioned in Article 4 of Commission Decision 2001/423/EC, "the highest level of detail in which data may be published or disseminated is the level of port to and from maritime coastal area. The Commission may however publish at more aggregate level if the quality and/or completeness of information are not appropriate in such detail."
8.1. Release calendar
Data are disseminated according to the periodicity specified in Article 9 of Directive 2009/42/EC (within 10 months after the end of the reference period for quarterly statistics and within 16 months of the end of the reference year for annual statistics).
8.2. Release calendar access
The next release date for data is announced in the text of each Statistics Explained article (see section 10.2).
8.3. Release policy - user access
According to Directive 2009/42/EC and Commission Decision 2001/423/EC, the participating countries collect and transmit to Eurostat quarterly and annual data. In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice, Eurostat disseminates the European maritime statistics on Eurostat's website (see item 10 - 'Accessibility and clarity') with professional independence 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.
In general, data for a quarter ending in month M are released in month M+10, while annual data for a calendar year ending in December (month M of year T) are released in March fifteen months later (month M+15 in year T+2).
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
An online news release or news item is accompanying the update of the annual Statistics Explained article on Maritime ports freight and passenger statistics. News releases are issued at 11 a.m. CET on Eurostat's website.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Online publications:
Statistics Explained (SE): Several online articles are updated regularly:
The quality of data on maritime transport is determined by the data sources and compilation practices of each reporting country. In general, all countries follow the methodology and classifications specified in the legal framework on European level, but the national procedures and data sources used for compilation of maritime transport statistics are quite heterogeneous between the reporting countries (see point 3.1).
Further harmonisation of methodology and compilation practices between the reporting countries is discussed regularly in Eurostat's Working Group on Maritime Transport Statistics.
11.1. Quality assurance
Quality checks are performed each time data are received from participating countries, on quarterly and annual data (see more details on section 18.4 Data validation). Reports are produced presenting the results of these checks and are sent to the concerned countries. When quality issues are encountered, countries are required to investigate the problems and to send back to Eurostat corrections or new revised datasets as soon as possible.
Meetings of the Working Group on Maritime Transport Statistics (with participants from all reporting countries) are regularly organised in order to discuss improvements in the quality and timeliness of the statistics.
In addition to the data validation checks described in section 18.4, the maritime transport statistics is at some intervals benchmarked against statistics compiled by other organisations or agencies (for example, the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO), European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)).
11.2. Quality management - assessment
The compilation of European maritime transport statistics is based on the legal framework described in section 3.1, which defines the scopes, definitions of variables and classifications to be used by all reporting countries. Additional clarifications and principles for harmonisation of methodology and compilation practices between the reporting countries are described in the Reference Manual on Maritime Transport Statistics.
In the Rolling Review conducted in 2011 the users of European maritime transport statistics rated the accuracy, comparability and clarity of the statistics were rated highly. On the other hand, although the timeliness achieved is better than the legal requirement, users rate the performance in terms of timeliness as poor. This low rating reflects the importance of improved timeliness to users.
The Rolling Review also recommended concrete steps to be taken in order to clarify the definition of port of loading and unloading in the statistics, ensure the application of consistent methodology and compilation practices between the reporting countries and clarify the differences in scope, classifications and definitions between data collected within the framework of Commission Decision 2001/423/EC and data collected by the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO). Following the discussion of the Rolling Review in the 2012 meeting of the Working Group on Maritime Transport Statistics, all of these recommended steps have been implemented.
In addition, there are regular discussions on possible improvements in the quality and timeliness of European maritime transport statistics in the meetings of the Working Group on Maritime Transport Statistics.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
User needs are monitored in different ways. Eurostat regularly organise meetings of the Working Group on Maritime Transport Statistics, where main stakeholders are represented (including representatives from other Commission services, ports, ship-owners, the European Maritime Safety Agency). Eurostat is regularly in contact with the Commission services (especially DG MOVE). Eurostat also participates to meetings of statistical nature organised by other relevant organisations (such as UN, ITF, ESPO, ECSA and EMSA). Contact with users is also regular via the user support service of Eurostat: this activity concerns, in addition to the previous mentioned users, other categories of users such as national administrations, enterprises, researchers, universities, citizens, journalists and so on.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
An in-depth Rolling Review of the European maritime transport statistics was conducted in 2011. The Rolling Review was conducted in three parts: a user satisfaction survey, a partner satisfaction survey and the completion of a checklist by the professional staff within Eurostat, assessing all major steps within the data production cycle. In general, the users expressed satisfaction with the overall relevance and quality of the statistics, while at the same time underlining the need for better timeliness and some extensions in scope.
User requests and comments are regularly received through Eurostat’s user support service. In general, all requests are answered within one working day.
12.3. Completeness
Most EU and EEA countries report maritime statistics according to the legal acts. See section 19 for further details on data availability at country level.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The overall accuracy is considered to be good. When data are compared with other sources, such as statistics compiled by local port authorities or the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO), discrepancies are usually found to be resulting from differences in the methodology, scope or definitions used in the various data collections. However, some errors may occur in the statistics due to coverage errors, measurement errors or processing errors (see section 13.3).
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
a) Coverage errors
Data collection is not mandatory for small ports with only limited maritime transport activity (handling less than 1000 tonnes of goods or 200 passenger movements annually) for the basic annual data collection covering all EU and EEA ports. The detailed quarterly data collection is only mandatory for main EU and EEA ports, handling more than 1 million tonnes of goods or 200 000 passenger movements annually. In addition to these known coverage issues, lack of harmonization in the preparation of the national lists of maritime ports (non-exhaustiveness of the list or non-harmonized use of the concept of statistical port) can cause errors in the statistics.
b) Measurement errors
No estimates of measurement errors are available. However, some measuring errors may occur as a result of codification errors by port authorities, shipping agents and other respondents. A large share of so-called “unknown codes” instead of specific codes for type of cargo, type of goods, partner port, type of vessel, etc. is also a factor which will reduce the accuracy of the maritime statistics on the more detailed levels. The degree of such “unknown” codes on each level of detail is available in the disseminated tables.
c) Processing errors
Between data collection and the beginning of statistical analysis for the production of statistics, data must undergo a certain processing: coding, data entry, data editing, imputation, etc. In addition, some countries will need to use various estimation or modelling techniques in order to combine data sources available on national level, such as when matching customs data on goods with the type of cargo classifications used in the maritime transport statistics. There are no estimates available on the share of such processing errors in the European maritime transport statistics.
See also section 15.4 on internal coherence for more examples of possible causes for errors in the data collection.
14.1. Timeliness
Quarterly data should be transmitted by Member States to Eurostat within five months of the end of the period of observation; annual data within eight months. The Commission (Eurostat) shall disseminate appropriate statistical data with a periodicity comparable to that of the results transmitted (Directive 2009/42/EC).
14.2. Punctuality
In general, the reporting countries are able to respect the legal deadlines. Exceptions are limited to specific or abnormal situations. In consequence, Eurostat is generally able to disseminate the European maritime transport statistics within the specified deadlines. Any exceptions from these principles are documented in the official publications.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Geographical comparability is obtained via the application of common concepts and validation rules. The harmonised interpretation of the methodology is enhanced by the organisation of regular meeting of the Working Group on Maritime Transport Statistics, where all reporting countries are represented.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Methodology has been originally settled down in the now repealed Council Directive 95/64/EC on statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods and passengers by sea, which was completed and amended by Commission Decisions 98/385, 2000/363 and 2005/366. Therefore, no major changes in the methodology used to collect and process the data have taken place in this domain. The major change implemented is the specific data collection on cruise passengers and cruise ships, introduced by Commission Decision 2005/366.
Specific situations are described under item 19.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Regional data based on the NUTS classification are available in the tables under Maritime transport - regional statistics (mar_rg) in the Eurostat online database. These regional tables are aggregated from the same micro data as the other tables on European maritime transport statistics.
15.4. Coherence - internal
The quality checks include intra-dataset checks, inter-datasets checks, time series checks and mirror checks (see details under point 18.4). These quality checks detect data that could possibly be in error. Some errors are corrected before publications. Other errors, which require further investigations, are corrected later (see item 19).
Some possible explanations of mirror discrepancies have been identified so far:
A transport operation could start at the end of year N and could finish at the beginning of year N+1;
Change of ownership/registration of a ship (this concerns discrepancies related to the variable "nationality of registration of vessels");
The port of unloading may change during the course of a voyage if the cargo has been traded after the departure, or because of bad weather or congestion in the original unloading port (this is one of the arguments that lead to a "preference" for inwards declarations in case of discrepancies, when calculating "transport" aggregates for example);
Lack of harmonization in the preparation of the list of ports (non-exhaustiveness of the list and non-harmonized use of the concept of statistical port) - These problems have been identified and solutions found: these are under implementation and should improve the problem of mirror discrepancies in the medium-long term;
Heterogeneous interpretation of the classification by type of cargo (this concerns discrepancies related to the variable "type of cargo") - These problems have been identified and solutions found: these are under implementation and should improve the problem of mirror discrepancies in the medium-long term;
Excessive use of "unknown variables" in various classifications;
Non-harmonized interpretation of the concept of port of loading/unloading (port of embarkation/disembarkation) - This problem has been identified and solutions found: these are under implementation and should improve the problem of mirror discrepancies in the medium-long term;
Inconsistencies in vessel-related information (for the variable "nationality of registration of vessels");
Missing data: missing declaring ports (for example, some regional ports in Spain were not part of the system: they have started declaring data in 2010), missing declarations (particularly for "national transport", where custom documents are not available);
Omissions (for example: some bulk cargo loaded in ships may not have been registered in a loading port) and codification errors of other nature;
Estimation of weight of goods transported in Ro-Ro traffic. In transport by ferry, information about the weight of goods loaded on vehicles is often not available from original sources of information. As a result, in these cases the weight is estimated on the basis of the number of vehicles carried (subdivided by types). Different methods in the compilation of these data by different countries may result in mirror inconsistencies.
Inconsistencies between the Eurobase tables can be observed because the source for the breakdowns of data (e.g. by type of goods, by type of vessels etc) is different in the process of data collection.
The cost and burden of compiling maritime transport statistics varies widely between the reporting countries, depending on number of ports, volume of maritime transport and production practices. Different countries organise data collection in different ways, according to the national statistical organisation, usually in order to minimise burden on respondents. In many cases the data are compiled using administrative or commercial documents and registers that exist independently from the statistical requirements of Directive 2009/42/EC.
17.1. Data revision - policy
To further specify the general Eurostat revision policy, the revision policy has been established for maritime transport statistics. Revisions of data are taken into account and processed when provided by the national competent authorities.
17.2. Data revision - practice
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.
Revisions may be made by data providers as more complete information becomes available or as a result of quality checks.
Data are only published once they are deemed to be sufficiently complete for all data providers contributing to the aggregates.
Whenever new data are provided and validated, the already disseminated data are updated.
Quarterly data are in general provisional. There are routine revisions aiming at adjusting quarterly time series to have temporal consistency with the annual series. Data are usually revised for the last reporting period. More specifically, when the complete set of annual data emerges, this usually involves some revision to the previously reported quarterly data for some data providers.
18.1. Source data
Data are collected and/or compiled by the competent national statistical authorities, which can be for instance national statistical offices, ministries of transport, national maritime administrations or national port administrations, etc.
Data are collected by the national competent authorities in the reporting countries using a variety of data sources, such as port administration systems, national maritime databases, customs databases or questionnaires to ports or shipping agents.
Data are transmitted to Eurostat via eDAMIS (electronic Dataflow Administration and Management Information System) in the CSV file format. There are plans to migrate to SDMX transmission of maritime data vie eDAMIS following a country-by-country approach over the next years.
For more information on the data collection and the sources and methods used by the reporting countries, please see the Reference Manual on Maritime Transport Statistics (Part II, p48-56 and Part III, p65-115).
18.4. Data validation
Quality checks are performed each time data are received from participating countries, on quarterly and annual data. Reports are produced presenting the results of these checks and are sent to the concerned countries. When quality issues are encountered, countries are required to investigate the problems and to send back to Eurostat corrections or new revised datasets as soon as possible.
Data validation takes place at several levels of the data processing. The first step is the automatic validation at data reception, and the second step consists of the in depth quality checks when data have been integrated in the internal database.
Automatic validation
The checks include that:
the file format is correct
there are no duplicate records within the dataset
each record contains valid and correct codes
Quality checks
Three types of quality checks are made on the datasets received for national and international transport.
Intra-dataset checks (or checks within a dataset)
This check allows detecting inconsistencies within a dataset, at quarterly and annual level.
Inter-datasets check (or checks between datasets)
This check allows detecting inconsistencies between data from different datasets, at quarterly and annual level.
Consistency over time
This check is made in order to detect unlikely increase or decrease of transport at one of the reporting ports. This check is applied at annual and quarterly levels (comparison between two consecutive quarters and comparison between the same quarters of two consecutive years).
Mirror checking
These quality checks are performed in order to compare the consistency between two partner declarations. They are run both for national and international declarations at port level.
Managing Quality check errors
Possible data errors that are detected at this stage are communicated to the countries for checking purposes. Errors are corrected as soon as possible. Where necessary, data are re-supplied by the countries.
18.5. Data compilation
In order to estimate maritime transport of goods/passengers in the tables from the "Goods" and "Passengers" collections presenting data for "Main ports", the problem of "double counting" (the transport of the same cargo of goods/passengers is declared by both the port of loading/embarking - as outwards - and the port of unloading/ disembarking - as inwards) has to be addressed. This has been made, as far as possible, when estimating "Intra-MCA transport" at MCA level, "national transport" of individual countries and "international intra-EU transport" of the EU. Ideally, to calculate these aggregates, one should only take inwards declarations (or only outwards declarations). However there are inconsistencies in the mirror declarations. A specific algorithm is used in order to estimate "transport" from the collected port statistics. In practice, for instance, national transport = national inwards + "a part of" national outwards declarations, "a part of" including those national outwards declarations, for which the corresponding inwards declarations of the partner port are missing.
The figures shown as "national transport" of the EU are simply based on the sum of the national transport of the Member States.
In other words, the sum of the national and international intra-EU transport of the EU would represent the "national transport of the EU", if the EU was treated as one country.
The problem of the double counting only appears for the calculation of total transport, but not for the total inwards (respectively total outwards), which corresponds to the sum of the inwards (respectively outwards) movements at each port.
Concerning the total international extra-EU transport, the calculation consists in the sum of all the declarations of the Member States to/from all the partner countries out of the European Union, as there is no double counting.
For non-EU Member States, the intra-EU transport expresses the transport operations with EU countries and extra-EU transport expresses the international transport with non-EU countries (the national transport being excluded).
18.6. Adjustment
Not applicable.
In the tables from the "Goods" and "Passengers" collections presenting data for "Main ports", the value "total" in the dimension direction represents an estimate of the "sea transport" and does not necessary corresponds to the sum of inwards and outwards declarations. In the same tables the weight of goods handled or number of passengers handled in the "Main ports" is obtained by doing the sum of the inwards and outwards declarations.
The tables from the "Goods" and "Passengers" collections presenting data for "All ports" present data on the weight of goods or number of passengers handled in the ports.
In the tables from the "Passengers" collection presenting data for "Main ports", from 1997 to 2003 the number of passengers corresponds to the total number of passengers. From 2004 onwards, the number of passengers corresponds only to the number of non-cruise passengers ("ferry passengers").
In Bulgaria, Germany (from 1997 to 1999), Spain (from 1997 to 1999), Croatia (until 2004), Cyprus (from 2004), Latvia (until 2006), Lithuania (until 2003), Malta (until 2002), Portugal (from 1997 to 1999), Romania and Slovenia (in 2001 and 2003), no data were reported with reference to main passenger ports. In a number of those cases this reflects the actual situation.
In the tables from the "Passengers" collection presenting data for "All ports", from 2004 onwards, three variables are shown: "1000 passengers (excluding cruise passengers)", "1000 cruise passengers starting and ending a cruise" and "1000 cruise passengers on excursion" (optional). From 1997 to 2003 only the variable "1000 Passengers" (the total number of passengers) is shown. The variable "1000 passengers" (the total number of passengers) excludes the cruise passengers on excursion.
In the table from the "Vessel traffic" collection, from 2004 onwards, the category "passenger vessels" was broken down into two sub-classes: "cruise ships" and "passenger vessels - excluding cruise ships". The data for which it is not possible to distinguish the two sub-classes (for instance in general for the years before 2004) are shown under the category "passenger vessels - excluding cruise ships".
For "Vessel Traffic", some ambiguities in the instructions for recording vessel movements led to differences in the reporting of such movements between countries. At its meeting in March 2010, the Maritime Working Group agreed a common definition of vessel movements to be applied from the reference year 2010. In the agreed new methodology, a vessel movement will be recorded as the entry into port of a vessel, which then loads and/or unloads cargo or embarks and/or disembarks passengers during its stay in port.
Starting from reference year 2011 the MCA MX00 “Mexico” has been split into two MCAs MX01 “MEXICO: Atlantic” and MX02 “MEXICO: Pacific”. MX09 “MEXICO: Unknown MCA” has also been introduced.
Complementary information by countries:
Belgium (BE): Data provided by Antwerpen on number of containers are under-estimated until the 2nd quarter of 2004. In 2005 the data sources for the following ports were improved: BEOST (Oostende), BEZEE (Zeebrugge) and BEGNE (Ghent). Before 2008, the data of the port of Brussels those of the port of Brussels and those of the other ports between Brussels and Antwerp. Since 2008, the data corresponding to the ports between Brussels and Antwerpen are included in the statistical port "Zeekanaal Brussel-Schelde ports". Starting from 2022, the ports Antwerpen (BEANR) and Zeebrugge (BEZEE) have been merged and the data are reported under the new port name Antwerp-Bruges (BE003).
Bulgaria (BG): Until 2006 Bulgaria reported the gross-gross weight of goods. Since 2007, the gross weight of goods is reported. From 2004 to 2006, in the tables from the "Passengers" collection presenting data for "All ports", Bulgaria provided only the total number of passengers.
Denmark (DK): Not applicable.
Germany (DE): Starting from 2013 Q1, the quarterly figures for Germany and the tables presenting data for main ports include data for all national ports (both main ports and minor ports). From 2018, certain fluvio-maritime transport is no longer included in maritime statistics in order to avoid double counting with inland waterways statistics. Since 2020, statistics on vessels include empty vessels entering German ports to load goods.
Estonia (EE): Estonia has started to report maritime transport statistics according to the EU maritime Directive beginning with the 2002 reference year. For 2001, only aggregated data were provided. Data on vessel traffic refer to all vessels having entered or left the ports, until 2004 and only to vessels loading or unloading cargo, embarking or disembarking passengers, from 2005 onwards. For passenger statistics, national transport is not included until 2005. Data for the port of Paldiski Põhjasadam (EEPLN) are included under the code EE888.
Ireland (IE): Starting from 2017 Q1, the Irish port of Galway is no longer reporting quarterly data. Ireland started to report detailed data for Rosslare in 2009. This has an impact on the tables presenting the results for main ports. In 2008, this port accounted for approximately 5 % of the total tonnage handled in Irish ports. Figures for the port of Waterford do not include transport of live animals on the hoof.
Greece (EL): The statistical coverage of data has considerably improved between the reference years 2001 and 2002. In particular, collection of data on ferries started from the last quarter of 2001. In the tables from the "Passengers" collection, the number of passengers corresponds only to the number of non-cruise passengers ("ferry passengers") in the reference years from 1997 to 2003.
Break in time series for non-cruise passengers between 2013/2014: Please note that the data collection methodology for the two ferry links Rio/Antirio and Perama/Paloukia Salaminas was revised for 2014, resulting in a substantial reduction in the total number of passengers passing through these four ports between 2013 and 2014 - and consequently a break in the time series for non-cruise passenger both on Greek national level and EU level.
The statistical coverage of data has improved from 2019, having more ports reporting quarterly and annual detailed data.
The port of Piraeus stopped recording separately number of units for cargo type 34(freight units >40) that are included into the number of units for cargo type 32 (40 ft freight units) since 2021.
The statistical coverage of data has been further improved from 2023, having more ports reporting quarterly and annual detailed data.
Spain (ES): Data include Ceuta and Melilla. The statistical coverage was significantly improved in 2001 (inclusion of new ports). Until 2011 Q1, only data for the "central government ports" (Puertos del Estado) were reported, while data for ports under the control of regional governments were missing. Starting from 2011 Q1, a number of regional ports outside the state-controlled port system have been included in the data collection.
Data for all Spanish ports were revised in December 2015 for the reference years and quarters in the period 2000-2014. However, for most ports the impact of this revision was minor. As part of the revision, the number of TEUs for the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (ESSCT) were estimated by Eurostat for the period 2006 Q1-Q4. TEU figures for the port of Algeciras do not include empty containers for the period 2001 Q1 - 2003 Q4.
Passenger data have been partially estimated by Eurostat in the period 2015-2017.
Starting from 2018, the passenger data include data for a number ports that were not reported in the previous years.
France (FR): Data declared by France take into account goods and passenger handled in ports of the French overseas departments (Départements d'Outre Mer): Réunion, Guyane, Guadeloupe, and Martinique. Transport between those territories and mainland France is part of national transport.
Please note that the French port activity figures have been estimated by Eurostat for a number of French ports for various periods based on partial data reported by France (in period 2009 - 2015). These estimates are to be considered provisional and are likely to be revised when more complete data is available from the French authorities. In general, the estimates reduce the accuracy of the maritime transport statistics for French ports, especially on detailed levels.
Data on vessels calling in French ports in the period 2009 Q1-2015 Q4 are provisional estimates which are likely to be revised.
Starting from 2022, the ports Le Havre (FRLEH) and Rouen (FRURO) have been merged and the data are reported under the new port name HAROPA (FR001).
Croatia (HR): The statistical coverage of domestic traffic improved since 2004 data. For Gross weight of goods the ports Sibenik and Split contain data for additional non-statistical ports from 2008 onwards. For passenger data, the same is the case for the ports Sibenik, Pula, Biograd na Moru, Dubrovnik, Korcula, Makarska and Vodice.
Italy (IT): In 2005, data collection methods were partly modified. Data for 2009 for some Italian ports have a better coverage than in previous periods, due to a change in data checking and compilation, including the integration of additional results, based also on the use of supplementary sources of information; and to the gradual introduction of a new methodology in data collection. In addition, data for some ports (for ex. Napoli and Brindisi) are under-estimated for the 4th quarter 2008.
There is a break in time series for the gross weight of goods handled in the ports of La Maddalena (ITMDA) and Palau (ITPAU) starting from 2013. Due to a change in methodology, the figures for these ports from 2013 and onwards are not comparable to the preceding years.
Starting from 2014 Q1, transport to the offshore Adriatic LNG terminal is reported under the code for Italian offshore installations (IT88P). From 2009 Q3 - 2013 Q4, this transport was included in the figures for Porto Levante (ITPFO).
Starting from 2014, confindential non-cruise passenger data for all Italian ports with less than 200 000 embarkations and disembarkations annually, as well as confidential non-cruise passenger data for the main Italian ports Calasetta (ITCLS), Carloforte (ITCLF) , Isola del Giglio (ITIDG), Rio Marina (ITRMA) and Santa Teresa di Gallura (ITSTE), are aggregated under the special codes IT00IT88C (confidential aggregate - main ports) and IT00IT88D (confidential aggregate - all ports).
There is a break in series for data on vessels in 2023 due to a new methodology that improved gross tonnage and the vessel type distribution.
Cyprus (CY): In 2002 and 2003 Cyprus did not report detailed data on partner ports for data on passengers.
Latvia (LV): Latvia did not report detailed data on partner ports for 2003. Up to 2003 data concerning cargo, passengers and vessels cover international traffic only. Data concerning passengers cover international traffic only.
Lithuania (LT): For 2003 data concerning cargo, passengers and vessels cover international traffic only. For 2001 and 2002, data concerning passengers cover international traffic only. Since 2005, data concerning cargo and vessels cover international traffic only. Until 2004, data for the port of Klapeida included data for the port of Butinge.
Malta (MT): Passenger data for 2002 are based on Eurostat estimates. National transport of goods is not included in the reported data. Quarterly passenger data for Malta do not include international transport to/from the port of Valletta.
The Netherlands (NL): From 2001 to 2010, data concerning cargo, passengers and vessels covered international traffic only. From 1997 to 2003, in the tables from the "Passengers" collection presenting data for "Main ports" the number of passengers corresponds only to the number of non-cruise passengers ("ferry passengers"). In the tables from the "Passengers" collection presenting data for "All ports", the Netherlands only provide the number of non-cruise passengers ("ferry passengers").
Due to a change in production practices and data sources, detailed information on port of loading/unloading, type of cargo etc. is missing for part of the outwards tonnages between 2011 and 2020. From 2021, data quality and coverage improved due to a redesign of the maritime transport statistics in terms of methodology, data sources and software. Due to all the methodological changes, there is a break in time series from the first quarter of 2021.
Since 2015, due to the substantial change of the methodology that is an issue of future improvements, there is an undercoverage of outward data for empty containers by partner MCA/country. The total number is estimated and these data are included in ‘unknown’ partner MCA/country; as consequence, the total number of containers by partner MCA-country includes mostly the loaded containers.
Figures for the port of Amsterdam (NLAMS) includes data for the ports of Ijmuiden (NLIJM) and Velsen (NLVEL). Starting from 2015 Q1, data for the two ports of Vlissingen (NLVLI) and Terneuzen (NLTNZ) is combined in the statistical port Zeeland Seaports (NLZSP).
Poland (PL): Up to 2003 data concerning cargo, passengers and vessels cover international traffic only. Poland did not report detailed data on partner ports for 2003 and the first two quarters of 2004.
Portugal (PT): Data include the Açores and Madeira. From 2000 to 2003, in the tables from the "Passengers" collection presenting data for "Main ports" the number of passengers corresponds only to the number of non-cruise passengers ("ferry passengers").
From 1997 to 2010, in the tables from the "Passengers" collection presenting data for "All ports" in Portugal only provided the number of non-cruise passengers ("ferry passengers"). Cruise passengers have been included in the figures since 2011.
Data for Canical (PTCNL) before 2006 had been originally reported as "Zona Franca de Madeira" (PTZFM). In October 2005 port facilities in Canical were improved. As a consequence this port started receiving the greater part of goods previously received by the port of Funchal (PTFNC).
The following ports started reporting data in 2006: "PT00PTCDP (Cais do Pico), PT00PTHOR (Horta), PT00PTLAJ (Lajes das Flores), PT00PTVEL (Velas).
The number of total and empty TEUs handled in the port of Figueira da Foz has been estimated by Eurostat for the periods 2008 Q3 and 2009 Q1 – 2012 Q4, based on partial data provided by PT. Similarly, The tonnages of containerised goods handled in Figueira da Foz were estimated by Eurostat for the reference quarter 2008 Q3.
The number of total and empty TEUs handled in the port of Setúbal has been estimated by Eurostat for the period 2011 Q1 – 2011 Q4, based on partial data provided by PT.
Starting from 2018 Q1, the quarterly figures for Portugal and the tables presenting data for main ports include data for all national ports (both main ports and minor ports).
Romania (RO): Up to 2006, no data on passengers was available. Up to 2002 data concerning cargo and vessels cover international traffic only. Due to geographical characteristics, national maritime transport is not significant.
Slovenia (SI): From 2004 to 2007, Slovenia provided only the total number of passengers in the tables from the "Passengers" collection presenting data for "All ports". Since 2008 Slovenia provided the passengers breakdown into variables: - non-cruise passengers and - cruise passengers starting and ending a cruise (including cruise passengers on a cruise passenger excursion (only inwards). From 2009 onwards the country will be able to report the variable cruise passengers on cruise passenger excursions (only inwards) also separately. From 2003 data concerning cargo, passengers and vessels cover international traffic only.
Finland (FI): Until 2000, data concerning cargo, passengers and vessels cover international traffic only.
Starting from 2011, the ports Hamina (FIHMN) and Kotka (FIKTK) have been merged and the data are reported under the new port name HaminaKotka (FI002).
Sweden (SE): Starting from 2013 Q1, the quarterly figures for Sweden and the tables presenting data for main ports include data for all national ports (both main ports and minor ports). Data for a limited number of private ports are aggregated by Eurostat due to confidentiality issues.
Until 2023, freight data include inland waterway transport. The share of inland waterway transport was less than 3% of all goods handled in Swedish ports. For national transport, the share of inland waterway transport was less than 6% of the goods unloaded in Swedish ports, until 2019. This share was at 7% in 2020, 15% in 2021, 18% in 2022 and 11% in 2023.
The United Kingdom (UK): Data include Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey. Until 1999 main ports were defined as ports with cargo volumes of at least 2 million tonnes a year, plus a few selected ports with less tonnage. Since 2000, main ports are defined to be ports with cargo volumes of at least 1 million tonnes, plus a few selected ports with less tonnage. Port installations located on the Tees estuary report as 'Tees & Hartlepool'. Those located on the Humber estuary report as 'Grimsby & Immingham'. Both are located on the East coast (North Sea) of the United Kingdom. Forth refers to port installations located in the Firth of Forth, close to Edinburgh. Forth used to be amongst the top 20 cargo ports (more than 45 million tonnes were handled in 1999). All three port groups are located on the East coast (North Sea) of the United Kingdom.
Iceland (IS): Passenger data for Iceland only include ferry passengers until reference year 2021. Passenger data is missing for all Icelandic passenger ports until reference year 2008. Number of cruise passengers disembarked (inwards) actually include the total number of cruise passengers embarked or disembarked.
Norway (NO): Data are not available before 2002. The Norwegian passenger data only cover international passenger transport. In 2003, in the tables from the "Passengers" collection presenting data for "Main ports" the number of passengers corresponds only to the number of international non-cruise passengers ("ferry passengers").
Data for the port Sandefjord for 2nd quarter 2008 on number of vessels and gross tonnage are not reliable.
Montenegro(ME): Detailed maritime data are available from the reference period 2018 Q1.
Turkey (TR): Data for goods and passengers are available from 2008. Data for vessel traffic are available from 2007. In the tables of passengers data collection presenting data for "All ports", only the number of non-cruise passengers ("ferry passengers") were provided in 2019.
The maritime transport domain contains quarterly and annual data.
Maritime transport data refer to gross weight of goods (in tonnes), passenger movements (in number of passengers) as well as for vessel traffic (in number of vessels and in gross tonnage of vessels). Data for transport of goods transported on Ro-Ro units or in containers are also expressed in number of units or number of TEUs (20 foot equivalent units).
Data at regional level (NUTS 2, 1 and 0) are also available.
Data are collected by the national competent authorities in the reporting countries using a variety of data sources, such as port administration systems, national maritime databases, customs databases or questionnaires to ports or shipping agents (see section 18.1).
The maritime transport data have been calculated using data collected at port level. The data are displayed at port level, regional level, Maritime Coastal Area (MCA) level and country level.
The data are presented in six collections, displaying main annual results, short sea shipping, passengers, goods vessel traffic and regional statistics.
3 January 2025
Within the collection of Main annual results, there is information on goods, volume (in TEUs; TEU = 20 foot equivalent unit), on passengers and on vessels, following the tables:
Country level - Gross weight of goods handled in all ports;
Country level - Gross weight of goods handled in all ports, by direction;
Country level - Gross weight of goods handled in main ports, by type of cargo;
Country level - Gross weight of goods handled in main ports, by type of goods;
Country level - Gross weight of goods transported to/from main ports;
Country level - Gross weight of goods transported to/from main ports, by type of traffic;
Country level - Volume (in TEUs) of containers handled in main ports, by loading status;
Top 20 ports - Gross weight of goods handled in each port, by direction;
Top 20 ports - Gross weight of goods handled in each port, by type of cargo (main ports);
Top 20 ports - Volume (in TEUs) of containers handled in each port, by loading status;
Country level - Passengers embarked and disembarked in all ports;
Country level - Passengers embarked and disembarked in all ports, by direction;
Country level - Passengers (excluding cruise passengers) transported to/from main ports;
Country level - Passengers (excluding cruise passengers) transported to/from main ports, by type of traffic;
Top 20 ports - Passengers embarked and disembarked in each port, by direction;
Country level - Number and Gross Tonnage of vessels in the main ports (based on inwards declarations), by type of vessel.
Within the collection of Short Sea Shipping (SSS), the following tables give information on goods transported to/from main ports, on volume (in TEU's), the top 20 ports and top 5 ports by type of cargo:
Short Sea Shipping - Country level - Gross weight of goods transported to/from main ports;
Short Sea Shipping - Country level - Gross weight of goods transported to/from main ports, by direction;
Short Sea Shipping - Country level - Gross weight of goods transported to/from main ports, by sea region of partner ports;
Short Sea Shipping - Country level - Gross weight of goods transported to/from main ports, by type of cargo;
Short Sea Shipping - EU level - Gross weight of goods transported to/from main ports, by type of cargo for each sea region of partner ports;
Short Sea Shipping - Country level - Volume (in TEU's) of containers transported to/from main ports, by loading status;
Short Sea Shipping - Top 20 ports - Gross weight of goods transported to/from main ports;
Short Sea Shipping - Top 5 ports for liquid bulk - Gross weight of liquid bulk goods transported to/from main ports;
Short Sea Shipping - Top 5 ports for dry bulk- Gross weight of dry bulk goods transported to/from main ports;
Short Sea Shipping - Top 5 ports for containers - Gross weight of goods in containers transported to/from main ports;
Short Sea Shipping - Top 5 ports for Ro-Ro units - Gross weight of goods in Ro-Ro units transported to/from main ports.
Within the collection displaying passenger's information, there are three groups containing respectively:
Maritime transport - Passengers - Annual data - All ports - by direction;
Maritime transport - Passengers - Quarterly data - Main ports - by direction and type of traffic (national and international);
Maritime transport - Passengers - Quarterly data - Main ports - One detailed table per each reporting country - by direction, partner entity and nationality of registration of vessels.
Within the Goods collection, there are five groups containing respectively:
Maritime transport - Goods (gross weight) - Annual data - All ports - by direction;
Maritime transport - Goods (gross weight) - Quarterly data - Main ports - by direction and type of traffic (national and international);
Maritime transport - Goods (gross weight) - Annual data - Main ports - One detailed table per each reporting country - by direction, partner entity, type of cargo and nationality of registration of vessels;
Maritime transport - Goods (gross weight) - Quarterly data - Main ports - One detailed table per each reporting country - by direction, partner entity and type of cargo (detailed classification);
Maritime transport - Goods (volume) - Quarterly data - Main ports - Cargo: containers only (TEU) - by direction, partner entity, container size and loading status.
Within collection displaying vessels information, there is only one table:
Maritime transport - Vessel traffic - Quarterly data - Main ports - Number and gross tonnage of vessels - by type and size of vessels - Direction: inwards only.
Within the collection Maritime transport - regional statistics (mar_rg) there are two tables:
Maritime transport of passengers by NUTS 2 regions;
Maritime transport of freight by NUTS 2 regions.
The concepts used in this domain are the following:
Port
A place having facilities for merchant ships to moor and to load and/or unload cargo or to disembark and/or embark passengers to or from vessels, usually directly to a pier.
Statistical Port
A statistical port consists of one or more ports, normally controlled by a single port authority, which is able to record ship, passenger and cargo movements.
Reporting Port
A statistical port for which statistics of inward and outward maritime transport flows are compiled.
Main port
A main port is a statistical port which has annual movements of no less than 200 000 passengers or recording more than one millions tonnes of cargo. For ports selected on the basis of only one of these cargo or passenger criteria, detailed statistics are required only for that transport.
Maritime coastal area (MCA)
A maritime coastal areais defined as a contiguous stretch of coastline, together with islands offshore. Within a country, an MCA is defined either in terms of one or more ranges of ports along its coastline, or in terms of the latitude and longitude of one or more sets of extremities of the coastal area. Riverbanks can be included. Normally the coastline of each country is allocated to a single maritime coastal area and the coastlines of more than one country may form a single maritime coastal area. There are some exceptions. For example, the USA is separated into a number of maritime coastal areas to cover its overall coastline. For some countries, two separate stretches of coastline may be counted as one maritime coastal area, as, for example, the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines of Mexico.
Carriage of goods and passengers by sea
The movement of goods and passengers using seagoing vessels, on voyage which are undertaken wholly or partly by sea.
The scope of the Maritime Directive 2009/42/EC also includes goods:
a. Shipped to offshore installations; b. Reclaimed from seabed and unloaded in ports.
Bunkers and stores supplied to vessels shall be excluded from the scope.
Short sea shipping
The maritime transport of goods over relatively short distances, as opposed to the intercontinental cross-ocean deep sea shipping. In the context of European Union (EU) transport statistics it is defined as maritime transport of goods between ports in the EU on one hand, and ports situated in geographical Europe, on the Mediterranean and Black Seas on the other hand, i.e. ports in
EU maritime countries;
EEA maritime countries (Iceland and Norway);
candidate countries;
the Baltic Sea area (Russia);
the Mediterranean Sea area (Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine*, Syria, and Tunisia);
the Black Sea area (Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine).
*this designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue
This definition is derived from Commission Communication COM (1999) 317 final of June 1999 on the development of SSS in Europe (page 2). As a result, short sea shipping also includes feeder services: a short-sea network between ports with the objective of consolidating or redistributing freight to or from a deep sea service in one of these ports, the so-called hub port.
Seagoing vessel
Floating marine structure with one or more surface displacement hulls.
In the context of the Directive, sea-going vessels are vessels other than those which navigate exclusively in inland waters or in waters within, or closely adjacent to, sheltered waters or areas where port regulations apply.
Nationality of registration of seagoing vessel (Flag state)
Every ship is entered in a registry (i.e. list) of ships. Registries are maintained by many countries, each having a set of rules regarding safety procedures, inspection schedules, manning numbers and nationalities for crew and officers, training requirements, etc. Ship-owners select which registry to use based on the balance between the relative cost implications of the rules of each registry and possible penalties from insurance assessments dependent on these rules.
Type of cargo
The type of cargo classification, set according to the UNECE - Codes for types of cargo, packages and packaging materials, Recommendation 21, Geneva, March 1986, describes how the goods are being transported in terms of the vessels being used and the port facilities required to handle them. It is therefore very different from the categories of goods classification.
Freight container
Special box to carry freight, strengthened and stackable and allowing horizontal or vertical transfers. A more formal technical definition of a container is an article of transport equipment which is:
a) Of a permanent character and accordingly strong enough to be suitable for repeated use b) Specially designed to facilitate the carriage of goods, by one or more mode of transport without intermediate reloading c) Fitted with devices permitting its ready handling, particularly its transfer from one mode of transport to another d) So designed as to be easy to fill and empty e) Having a length of 20 feet or more f) Stackable and g) Having an internal volume of 1 m3 or more
Swap bodies are excluded.
Although without internal volume flats used in maritime transport should be considered to be a special type of container and therefore are included here. For a fuller description, reference should be made to ISO 668 and 1496.
The related term "container cargo" refers to containers, with or without cargo, which are lifted on or off the vessels which carry them by sea.
Ro-Ro unit
This means wheeled equipment for carrying cargo, such as a truck, trailer or semi-trailer, which can be driven or towed onto a vessel. Port or ships' trailers are included in this definition. Classifications should follow United Nations ECE Recommendation No 21 'Codes for types of cargo, packages and packaging materials'.
Live animals on the hoof are included.
Vehicles being transported as cargo as opposed to a means of transport for freight are recorded in the separate headings of the Ro-Ro cargo classification, when they are rolled on or rolled off of a vessel on their own wheels.
Ro-Ro cargo
This means goods, whether or not in containers, on Ro-Ro units, and Ro-Ro units, which are rolled on and off the vessels, which carry them by sea.
Gross weight of goods
The gross weight of each consignment is the weight of the actual goods together with the immediate packaging in which they are being transported from origin to destination, but excluding the tare weight of containers or Ro-Ro units (e.g. containers, swap bodies and pallets containing goods as well as road goods vehicles, wagons or barges carried on the vessel). This measure of quantity is different from that used in trade statistics, namely the net weight of goods (1) and different from statistics collected on other transport modes where the tare weight is included. Where goods are transported in a road goods vehicle, in a container, or other intermodal transport unit, the gross weight of the goods does not include the tare weight (2) of the transport unit.
Gross tonnage
This means the measure of the overall size of a ship determined in accordance with the provisions of the International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969.
Passenger
Any person who makes a sea journey on a merchant ship. Service staff assigned to merchant ships is not regarded as passengers. Non-fare paying crewmembers travelling but not assigned and infants in arms are excluded.
Cruise passenger
This means a sea passenger making a sea journey on a cruise ship. Passengers on day excursions are excluded.
Cruise ship
This means a passenger ship intended to provide passengers with a full tourist experience. All passengers have cabins. Facilities for entertainment aboard are included. Ships operating normal ferry services are excluded, even if some passengers treat the service as a cruise. In addition, cargo-carrying vessels able to carry a very limited number of passengers with their own cabins are also excluded. Ships intended solely for day excursions are also excluded.
Cruise passenger excursion
This means a short visit by a cruise passenger to a tourist attraction associated with a port while retaining a cabin on board.
(1) The weight of goods in a consignment, excluding any immediate packaging. For some types of goods, (e.g. liquids in bottles) the weight of packaging can be as large as or larger than the weight of the goods.
(2) The unladen weight of an intermodal transport unit (e.g. road goods vehicle or trailer, container, swap-body, etc.).
The data used in the domain are collected by the different data providers at port level.
See the definition of statistical port under item 3.4
In some countries the numerous very small ports are grouped for practical statistical reasons under a fictitious "statistical port" (for example "other ports").
Detailed data are provided for ports handling more than one million tonnes of goods or recording more than 200 000 passenger movements annually (Main ports). The other ports only provide summary data. However, detailed data may be included by countries also for minor ports on a voluntary basis.
Data are transmitted to Eurostat by the Member States of the European Union, except Czechia, Luxembourg, Hungary, Austria and Slovakia that are not having maritime ports.
Iceland and Norway provide data as members of the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA country Liechtenstein has no maritime port.
Montenegro and Turkey provide data on a voluntary basis as candidate countries to the EU.
The Spanish data include Ceuta and Melilla.
The Portuguese data include Madeira and Azores.
The French data include Martinique, Guadeloupe, Reunion and French Guiana.
The United Kingdom data include Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey.
The Norwegian data include Svalbard and Jan Mayen.
The EU aggregates are calculated and disseminated.
Quarters for datasets A1, A2, C1, C2, D1, F1 and F2.
Whole calendar years for datasets A3, B1 and E1.
The overall accuracy is considered to be good. When data are compared with other sources, such as statistics compiled by local port authorities or the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO), discrepancies are usually found to be resulting from differences in the methodology, scope or definitions used in the various data collections. However, some errors may occur in the statistics due to coverage errors, measurement errors or processing errors (see section 13.3).
Tonnes: Gross weight of goods expressed in thousands of tonnes.
Tonnes per capita: Gross weight of goods per inhabitant.
Gross tonnage: Gross tonnage of vessels expressed in thousands of tonnes (see definition of gross tonnage under item 3.4).
Passengers: total passengers expressed in thousands.
Passengers (excluding cruise passengers): expressed in thousands.
Cruise passengers starting and ending a cruise: expressed in thousands.
Cruise passengers on excursion: expressed in thousands.
Number: Vessels.
TEUs: Twenty feet equivalent units, expressed in units or in thousands depending on the table. TEU calculation coefficients:
20-ft freight units (1 TEU);
40-ft freight units (2 TEU);
Freight units over 20-ft and under 40-ft in length (1.5 TEU);
Freight units over 40-ft long (2.25 TEU).
Growth rate on previous period: T/T-1.
Growth rate on the same quarter in the previous year.
Sum of the last 4 quarters (e.g.: for 2019Q3, it corresponds to 2019Q3+2019Q2+2019Q1+2018Q4).
Rolling 4-quarter growth rate: Sum of last 4 quarters/ Sum of the corresponding 4 quarters of the previous year.
Percentage of total.
In order to estimate maritime transport of goods/passengers in the tables from the "Goods" and "Passengers" collections presenting data for "Main ports", the problem of "double counting" (the transport of the same cargo of goods/passengers is declared by both the port of loading/embarking - as outwards - and the port of unloading/ disembarking - as inwards) has to be addressed. This has been made, as far as possible, when estimating "Intra-MCA transport" at MCA level, "national transport" of individual countries and "international intra-EU transport" of the EU. Ideally, to calculate these aggregates, one should only take inwards declarations (or only outwards declarations). However there are inconsistencies in the mirror declarations. A specific algorithm is used in order to estimate "transport" from the collected port statistics. In practice, for instance, national transport = national inwards + "a part of" national outwards declarations, "a part of" including those national outwards declarations, for which the corresponding inwards declarations of the partner port are missing.
The figures shown as "national transport" of the EU are simply based on the sum of the national transport of the Member States.
In other words, the sum of the national and international intra-EU transport of the EU would represent the "national transport of the EU", if the EU was treated as one country.
The problem of the double counting only appears for the calculation of total transport, but not for the total inwards (respectively total outwards), which corresponds to the sum of the inwards (respectively outwards) movements at each port.
Concerning the total international extra-EU transport, the calculation consists in the sum of all the declarations of the Member States to/from all the partner countries out of the European Union, as there is no double counting.
For non-EU Member States, the intra-EU transport expresses the transport operations with EU countries and extra-EU transport expresses the international transport with non-EU countries (the national transport being excluded).
Data are collected and/or compiled by the competent national statistical authorities, which can be for instance national statistical offices, ministries of transport, national maritime administrations or national port administrations, etc.
Data are collected by the national competent authorities in the reporting countries using a variety of data sources, such as port administration systems, national maritime databases, customs databases or questionnaires to ports or shipping agents.
In general, data for a quarter ending in month M are released in month M+10, while annual data for a calendar year ending in December (month M of year T) are released in March fifteen months later (month M+15 in year T+2).
Quarterly data should be transmitted by Member States to Eurostat within five months of the end of the period of observation; annual data within eight months. The Commission (Eurostat) shall disseminate appropriate statistical data with a periodicity comparable to that of the results transmitted (Directive 2009/42/EC).
Geographical comparability is obtained via the application of common concepts and validation rules. The harmonised interpretation of the methodology is enhanced by the organisation of regular meeting of the Working Group on Maritime Transport Statistics, where all reporting countries are represented.
Methodology has been originally settled down in the now repealed Council Directive 95/64/EC on statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods and passengers by sea, which was completed and amended by Commission Decisions 98/385, 2000/363 and 2005/366. Therefore, no major changes in the methodology used to collect and process the data have taken place in this domain. The major change implemented is the specific data collection on cruise passengers and cruise ships, introduced by Commission Decision 2005/366.
