Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on quarterly non-financial accounts for general government
Date: 2001-02-21
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European accounting system, data collection, public accounting, public administration

C 154 E/300

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

29.5.2001

Proposal

for a Regulation of

the European Parliament and of

the Council on quarterly

non-financial accounts for general government

(2001/C 154 E/33)

COM(2001) 100 final (cid:151) 2001/0056(COD)

(Submitted by the Commission on 21 February 2001)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION,

10 July 2000 implementing Council Regulation (EC)
No 2223/96 with respect to general government expen-
diture and revenue (2).

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 285 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Central Bank,

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article
251 of the Treaty,

Whereas:

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 2223/96 of 25 June 1996 on
the European system of national and regional accounts in
the Community (1),
reference
framework of common standards, definitions, classifications
and accounting rules for drawing up the accounts of the
the
Member States
the statistical
for
results
in order
Community,
between Member States.

to obtain comparable

requirements of

(ESA 95)

contains

the

endorsed

(2) The report by the Monetary Committee on information
Ecofin Council
on
by
requirements,
the
for the proper func-
18 January 1999, underlined that,
tioning of
the economic and monetary union and the
single market, effective surveillance and co-ordination of
economic policies are of major importance and that this
requires a comprehensive statistical
information system
providing policy makers with the necessary data on
which to base their decisions. That report also stated that
a high priority should be given to short-term public
finance statistics for Member States,
in particular those
participating in the economic and monetary union, and
simplified
that
quarterly
general
government sector resulting from a step by step approach.

the compilation of
accounts

the objective was
non-financial

the

for

(3) It is appropriate to define simplified quarterly non-financial
accounts for general government by reference to the list of
ESA 95 categories of government expenditure and revenue
defined in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1500/2000 of

(1) OJ L 310, 30.11.1996, p. 1. Last amended by Regulation (EC)

No 2516/2000 (OJ L 290, 17.11.2000, p. 1).

(4) Priority in the step by step approach was given to taxes,
actual social contributions and social benefits other than
social transfers in kind, as categories representing reliable
indicators of
trends in public finances that are already
available on time (first step).

(5) The transmission of

this first

set of categories on a
quarterly basis, from June 2000, in all Member States is
covered by Commission Regulation (EC) No 264/2000 of
3 February 2000 on the implementation of Council Regu-
lation (EC) No 2223/96 with respect to short-term public
finance statistics (3).

(6) It is necessary to supplement the first step with another set
of categories in order to obtain the full list of categories
constituting general government expenditure and revenue.

(7) The reliability of quarterly data provided under this Regu-
lation with regard to annual data should be assessed. A
report on the quality of
the quarterly data should
therefore be made before the end of 2005.

(8) Articles 2 and 3 of Regulation (EC) No 2223/96 lay down
the conditions under which the Commission may adopt
amendments to the ESA 95 methodology in order to
clarify and improve its content. The compilation of
quarterly non-financial accounts for general government
will require additional resources in Member States. Their
transmission to the Commission cannot therefore be dealt
with in a Commission Decision.

(9) The Statistical Programme Committee (SPC), set up by
the
Council Decision 89/382/EEC,
Committee on Monetary,
and Balance of
Payments Statistics (CMFB), set up by Council Decision
91/115/EEC (5), have each been consulted in accordance
with Article 3 of those Decisions,

Euratom (4),

Financial

and

(2) OJ L 172, 12.7.2000, p. 3.
(3) OJ L 29, 4.2.2000, p. 4.
(4) OJ L 181, 28.6.1989, p. 47.
(5) OJ L 59, 6.3.1991, p. 19.

29.5.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 154 E/301

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Subject matter

The purpose of this Regulation is to define the content of
quarterly non-financial accounts for general government,
to
lay down the list of the ESA 95 categories to be transmitted
by Member States from 30 June 2002, and to specify the main
characteristics of these categories.

(cid:151) Capital

taxes + Investment
transfers, payable (D.91 + D.92 + D.99)

grants + Other

capital

(b) On the revenue side:

(cid:151) Market output + Output for own final use + Payments
for the other non-market output (P.11 + P.12 + P.131)

(cid:151) Other subsidies on production, receivable (D.39)

Article 2

(cid:151) Property income (D.4)

Content of the quarterly non-financial accounts for
general government

The content of the quarterly non-financial accounts for general
government is defined in the Annex by reference to a list of
ESA 95 categories constituting general government expenditure
and revenue.

Article 3

Categories concerned by the transmission of quarterly
data

shall

States

transmit

to the Commission
1. Member
(Eurostat) quarterly data for
the categories or groups of
categories included in the list provided in the Annex, with
the exception of those categories for which data must be trans-
mitted pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 264/2000.

(cid:151) Imputed social contributions (D.612)

(cid:151) Other current transfers (D.7)

(cid:151) Investments grants + Other capital transfers, receivable

(D.92 + D.99)

3.
Transactions D.41, D.7, D.92 and D.99 are consolidated
within the general government sector. The other transactions
are not consolidated.

Article 4

2.
Quarterly data shall be transmitted for the following
categories (or groups of categories) of general government
expenditure and revenue:

Compilation of quarterly data: Sources and methods

1.
Quarterly data relating to the first quarter of 2001
onwards shall be compiled according to the following rules:

(a) On the expenditure side:

(cid:151) Intermediate consumption (P.2)

(cid:151) Gross capital formation + Acquisitions less disposals of

non-financial non-produced assets (P.5 + K.2)

(a) Quarterly data shall be based as much as possible on direct
information from basic sources, with the objective of mini-
mising,
for each quarter, differences between the first
estimates and the final figures;

(cid:151) Gross fixed capital formation (P.51)

(cid:151) Compensation of employees (D.1)

(cid:151) Other taxes on production (D.29)

(cid:151) Subsidies, payable (D.3)

(cid:151) Property income (D.4)

(cid:151) Interest (D.41)

(cid:151) Current taxes on income, wealth etc. (D.5)

(cid:151) Social

transfers

in kind related to expenditure on
products supplied to households via market producers
(D.6311 + D.63121 + D.63131)

(b) Direct

information shall be

completed by coverage
adjustments, if needed, and by conceptual adjustments in
order to bring quarterly data in line with ESA 95 concepts;

(c) The quarterly data and the corresponding annual data shall

be consistent.

2.
Quarterly data relating to the first quarter of 1999 until
the fourth quarter of 2000 shall be compiled according to
sources
ensuring consistency between the
quarterly data and the corresponding annual data.

and methods

Article 5

(cid:151) Other current transfers (D.7)

(cid:151) Adjustment for the change in net equity of households

in pension funds reserves (D.8)

Timetable for the transmission of quarterly data

1.
Quarterly data referred to in Article 3 shall be delivered
to the Commission (Eurostat) at the latest by three months
after the end of the quarter to which the data relate.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

29.5.2001

Any revision of quarterly data for previous quarters shall be
transmitted at the same time.

2.
The first transmission of quarterly data shall relate to data
for the first quarter of 2002. Member States shall deliver these
data no later than 30 June 2002.

However,
exceeding one year, concerning the date of
mission of quarterly data for
onwards,
major adaptations.

the Commission may grant a derogation, not
the first trans-
the first quarter of 2002
in so far as the national statistical systems require

Article 6

Transmission of backdata

1. Member States shall deliver to the Commission (Eurostat)
quarterly backdata for the categories referred to in Article 3,
starting from the first quarter of 1999.

2.
Quarterly data relating to the first quarter of 1999 until
the fourth quarter of 2001 shall be transmitted to the
Commission (Eurostat) no later than 30 June 2002.

the Commission may grant a derogation, not
However,
the first trans-
exceeding one year, concerning the date of
mission of quarterly data from the first quarter of 1999
onwards,
require
major adaptations.

in so far as national

statistical

systems

Article 7

Implementation

1. Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat)
with a description of the sources and methods used to compile
the quarterly data referred to in Article 3 (initial description), at
the same time as they start to transmit quarterly data according
to the timetable referred to in Article 5(2).

2.
Any revision of the initial description of the sources and
methods used to compile the quarterly data shall be provided
to the Commission (Eurostat) when the revised data is
communicated.

3.
The Commission (Eurostat) shall keep the SPC and the
CMFB informed of the sources and methods used by each
Member State.

Article 8

Report

On the basis of the results referred to in Article 3, and after
consulting the SPC, the Commission (Eurostat) by 31 December
2005 at the latest submit to the European Parliament and the
Council a report containing an assessment of the reliability of
quarterly data delivered by Member States.

Article 9

Transitional provisions

1. Member States which are not in the position to transmit,
during the transitional period provided for in paragraph 4,
quarterly data from the first quarter of 2001 onwards
according to the sources and methods provided for in Article
4(1) and to the timetable referred to in Article 5(1) shall apply
paragraph 2.

to the Commission (Eurostat)

The Member States referred to in paragraph 1 shall
2.
their (cid:145)best quarterly
transmit
incorporating all new information that
(that
estimates(cid:146)
compiling an
becomes
available during the process of
improved system of quarterly non-financial accounts
for
general government) according to the timetable referred to in
Article 5(1).

is

They shall indicate at the same time which steps still need to be
accomplished in order
to comply with the sources and
methods provided for in Article 4(1).

3.
During the transitional period provided for in paragraph
4, the Commission (Eurostat) shall examine the progress made
by Member States towards full compliance with Article 4(1).

The transitional period shall start from the date of the
4.
first transmission referred to in Article 5(2), and shall end on
31 March 2005 at the latest.

Article 10

Entry into force

This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following
that of its publication in the Official Journal of
the European
Communities.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly
applicable in all Member States.

29.5.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 154 E/303

CONTENT OF THE QUARTERLY NON-FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS FOR GENERAL GOVERNMENT

ANNEX

Quarterly non-financial accounts for general government are defined by reference to the list of government expenditure
and revenue included in Commission Regulation No 1500/2000 of 10 July 2000.

General government expenditure comprises ESA 95 categories recorded under the use side, or the changes in assets side
or the changes in liabilities and net worth side of the sequence of accounts for general government, with the exception
of D.3 which is recorded under the resource side of general government accounts.

General government revenue comprises ESA 95 categories recorded under the resource or changes in liabilities in net
worth side of the sequence of non-financial accounts for general government, with the exception of D.39 which is
recorded under the use side of general government accounts.

By definition, the difference between general government revenue and general government expenditure, as defined
above, is net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) of the general government sector.

The transactions D.41, D.7, D.92 and D.99 are consolidated within the general government sector. The other trans-
actions are not consolidated.

The table below shows ESA 95 categories constituting general government expenditure and revenue. Categories shown
in italics are already subject to transmission on a quarterly basis in the context of the Commission Regulation (EC)
No 264/2000 of 3 February 2000.

ESA 95 codes

General government expenditure

P.2

P.5 + K.2

P.51

D.1

D.29

D.3

D.4

D.41

D.5

Intermediate consumption

Gross capital formation + Acquisitions less disposals of non-financial non-produced assets

Gross fixed capital formation

Compensation of employees

Other taxes on production

Subsidies, payable

Property income

Interest

Current taxes on income, wealth etc.

D.62 + D.6311 +
D.63121 + D.63131

Social benefits other than social transfers in kind + Social transfers in kind related to expenditure
on products supplied to households via market producers

D.7

D.8

D.9

Other current transfers

Adjustment for the change in net equity of households in pension funds reserves

Capital transfers, payable

ESA 95 codes

General government revenue

P.11 + P.12 + P.131

Market output + Output for own final use + Payments for the other non-market output

D.2

D.39

D.4

D.5

D.61

D.611

D.612

D.7

D.9 (1)

D.91

B.8g

B.9

Taxes on production and imports

Other subsidies on production

Property income

Current taxes on income, wealth etc.

Social contributions

Actual social contributions

Imputed social contributions

Other current transfers

Capital transfers, receivable

Capital taxes

Saving, gross

Net lending/net borrowing

(1) Adjustments for taxes and social contributions assessed but never collected, when recorded under D.9, are considered as negative

revenue.