2003/374/EC: Commission Decision of 21 May 2003 on the implementation of Decision No 507/2001/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning a set of actions relating to the trans-European network for the collection, production and dissemination of statistics on the trading of goods within the Community and between the Community and non-member countries (Edicom) (notified under document number C(2003) 1598)
Date: 2003-05-21
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: data collection, exchange of information, extra-EU trade, information network, intra-EU trade, statistics, trans-European network

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Official Journal of the European Union

24.5.2003

COMMISSION DECISION

of 21 May 2003

on the implementation of Decision No 507/2001/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council
concerning a set of actions relating to the trans-European network for the collection, production
and dissemination of statistics on the trading of goods within the Community and between the
Community and non-member countries (Edicom)

(notified under document number C(2003) 1598)

(2003/374/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(5)

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Decision No 507/2001/EC of the European
Parliament and of the Council of 12 March 2001 concerning a
set of actions relating to the trans-European network for the
collection, production and dissemination of statistics on the
trading of goods within the Community and between the
Community and non-member countries (Edicom) (1), and in
particular Article 3 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Decision No 507/2001/EC lays down the reference
framework for an information network for the collec-
tion, production and dissemination of statistics on the
trading of goods within the Community and between
the Community and non-member countries and entrusts
the Commission with implementing it.

The measures set out in this decision meet the aims and
conditions established by Decision No 507/2001/EC and
therefore qualify for Community funding.

In order to meet the aims established by Decision No
507/2001/EC, part of the resources are directly allocated
in the form of subsidies only to national authorities or
organisms which are directly implicated in the collec-
tion, production and dissemination of statistics on the
trading of goods within the Community and between
the Community and non-member countries.

The Commission should therefore approve the annual
work programme including the distribution of annual
expenditure.

The measures set out in this decision are in accordance
with the opinion of the Committee on Statistics relating
to the Trading of Goods between Member States and the
Committee on Statistics relating to the Trading of Goods
with Non-Member Countries, established by Council
Regulation (EEC) No 3330/91 (2), as last amended by
Regulation (EC) 1624/2000 of the European Parliament
and of the Council (3), and Council Regulation (EEC) No
1172/95 (4), as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 374/
98 (5),

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

For the 2003 work programme, the measures qualifying for
Community funding are set out in Annex I up to the amounts
stated in Annex II of this Decision.

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 21 May 2003.

For the Commission

Pedro SOLBES MIRA

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 76, 16.3.2001, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 316, 16.11.1991, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 187, 26.7.2000, p. 1.
(4) OJ L 118, 25.5.1995, p. 10.
(5) OJ L 48, 19.2.1998, p. 6.

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ANNEX I

EDICOM MEASURES — GENERAL WORK PROGRAMME

Measures relating to the implementation of a higher-quality information network which is less costly and
available more quickly, in line with the requirements of Community policy

The 2003 work programme will pursue the following objectives.

1. Production of advanced estimators

The objective of the proposed measures is to produce preliminary results at European level (EU and euro zone) which
comply with the minimum quality requirements at their level of aggregation. By comparing monthly statistics, as
published initially and after revision, it will be possible to anticipate the final values of regularly revised data using
appropriate econometric modelling or other suitable methodologies. The impact of enlargement will have to be
anticipated, particularly in order to limit any effect it might have on the timetable for publication of the results for
the European Union.

2. Improvement in the quality of basic statistics in external trade

The objective of the proposed measures is to improve the quality of statistics by adapting and harmonising methods
intended to check data supplied by enterprises and those which Member States submit to Eurostat.

3. Improvement in quality measurement and control of external trade statistics

Traditionally, external flows have been measured by the customs administration, which has its own culture. In parti-
cular, as a tax administration, it makes extensive use of accounting practices, i.e. an apparently clear-cut distinction
between true values and errors. Therefore, there is no tradition of quality control, error measurement and communi-
cation on reliability of external trade statistics in many Member States.

The aim of the proposed measures is to continue the efforts to remedy this unsatisfactory situation by enhancing
quality measurement, quality control and quality assurance.

4. Improvement in the updating process for statistical results

The aim of the proposed measures is to define a harmonised updating procedure for reducing the impact of factors
affecting the quality of statistics. A high level of variability in the updating process applied to monthly data reduces
the degree of harmonisation of external trade statistics. Therefore, once the best methods have been identified by
studying the updating process applied by each Member State, a more harmonised procedure/approach at EU level will
be proposed.

5. Improvement in the methods of adjusting statistical results

In both Intrastat and Extrastat, thresholds for data collection are used by the Member States in order to limit the
burden on traders. There is currently no harmonisation of the methods or the tools used for the adjustments made
necessary by applying thresholds or to compensate for any non-responses. The objective of the proposed measures is
to adjust the statistics on the basis of the most suitable methods and to have these methods adopted by all the
Member States.

6. Dealing with asymmetries in Intrastat and reconciling data

The collection system for statistics on intra-EU trade, Intrastat, generates sets of statistics which contain some incon-
sistencies. The main reasons for this are known. The asymmetries are a very important problem because they affect
the reliability of the euro zone trade balance as well as the balance of payments and national accounts. They are not
limited to intra-EU trade and may occur with extra-EU trading partners.

In order to address these problems and improve the situation of users at European level (EU, euro zone), the aim of
the proposed measures is to compare and implement specific models to reconcile the divergent data on the basis of
several methods. At the same time, some Member States will carry out detailed ‘mirror’ comparison exercises aimed
at correcting any anomalies.

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Measures relating to the implementation of a network of information that is relevant and appropriate to users'
changing needs, within the framework of economic and monetary union and the international economic
environment

The 2003 work programme will pursue the following objectives.

1. Improvement in the management of disclosure avoidance for foreign trade statistics

The collection and dissemination of foreign trade statistics is a very detailed process. In many cases, this level of detail
is not compatible with the rules on confidentiality which protect individual data provided by enterprises. Where
necessary, the Member States apply their own rules for disguising data at national level and forward the initial data
and the relevant authorised levels of publication to the Commission (Eurostat).

The aim of the measure will be firstly, to propose more consistent rules on disclosure avoidance, and secondly, to
look at the possibility of reducing or eliminating the impact of confidentiality on the aggregated results for the
European Union's and the euro zone's trade.

2. Analysis of seasonal adjustment quality

Eurostat produces and disseminates monthly foreign trade indicators which are seasonally adjusted and corrected for
working days.

However, there are different methods of seasonal adjustment and correcting for working days and several ways of
specifying the models. There is a need to measure the quality of the indicators produced according to the main para-
meters for quality. The objectives of the proposed measures are therefore:

— to define and assess quality indicators for seasonally adjusted data, drawing a distinction between general indica-

tors and those which might be specific to foreign trade data,

— on the basis of genuine data, to test and assess the impact the main assumptions made in the seasonal adjustment

calculation have on the quality indicators defined in the previous stage,

— to provide a comprehensive assessment and detailed recommendations.

3. Improvement in the information on foreign trade indices

Eurostat and most Member States publish unit value indices. In particular, Eurostat has developed an application for
new external trade indices (NICE) enabling unit value indices to be calculated every month. Some Member States also
produce specific price indices for foreign trade.

The objectives of the proposed measures are:

— to ensure development of the NICE application continues,

— to increase the content of the accessible information by adding backward-extrapolated and, if necessary, season-

ally adjusted data,

— to conduct a comparative analysis in some Member States of unit value indices and price indices,

— to define methodological constraints that must be met in order to produce price indices for foreign trade that can

be aggregated at the level of the EU and the euro zone,

— to foster progressive implementation of price indices for foreign trade in the Member States which do not have

them.

4. Improvement in the information on the value of trade

Statistics on the trading of goods are valued on a fob (free on board) basis for dispatches/exports and on a cif basis
(cost, insurance, and freight ) for arrivals/imports. Publishing statistics on a fob basis for arrivals and imports, at least
for aggregated results, would provide users with very useful information. This method is used in the area of the
balance of payments, and the production of information on a double cif/fob basis is recommended by the United
Nations. Pilot projects will be implemented in some Member States with the aim of making this information avail-
able.

Measures relating to the implementation of an information network which is better integrated into the general
statistical system and adapted to developments in the administrative environment

The 2003 work programme will pursue the following objectives.

1. Development of trade registers and attention to globalisation

For the open economies of the EU, external trade statistics are a major source of information that is widely used by
economists, policy-makers and business associations. However, to make full use of these data, most users need them
to be linked with enterprise statistics, for which a full set of variables is already available at EU level. On the other

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hand, it is important to provide the users with additional data measuring the impact of international groups on trade
statistics. To achieve these goals, an action plan has been proposed that is divided into the two following areas: trade
registers and globalisation.

— T r a de r e g i ste r s

The objective of the proposed measures is to establish connections between the trade and business registers so
that a broad range of new analysis of external trade statistics can be carried out. For instance, it would be possible
to measure the part of trade carried out by each economic sector. The links between statistics on trade and struc-
tural business statistics could also be analysed.

— G lobali sati on

A fundamental implication of globalisation is that the activities of enterprises need to be analysed and measured
in a global as well as a national context. Traditionally, statistical data have focused on the international trade area
with much less attention to other important cross-border economic relationships such as the activities of multina-
tional firms and intra-firm flows. The result is that statistics may fail to fully capture the scope of cross-border
economic activities.

The objective of the proposed measures is to examine the extent to which existing external trade statistics can
contribute to the collection of this information and determine possible technical modifications to existing systems
which can facilitate this collection.

2. Improvement in user access to customs statistics

Eurostat has developed an application (Taristat) which provides access to some of the data in the TARIC customs
database. This tool is sufficiently operational as far as the display of specific and isolated information is concerned.
However, combining external trade statistics with customs data and using the latter data as reference data when
processing external trade data could be envisaged. This information would be very useful for those who use statistics
for analysis, particularly in the context of trade negotiations.

The objective of the measure is therefore to provide Comext database users with easy access to basic information on
tariff measures and customs duties.

3. Adaptation of Intrastat and Extrastat legislation

A plan for adapting the Intrastat system (statistics on trade in goods between Member States) is under way. Its objec-
tives are to make the rules more transparent and comprehensible, take greater account of changes in national prac-
tices in certain fields (adjustments, timetables, quality, etc.) and set system parameters to provide results that meet
Community needs in terms of quality requirements relating to coverage, reliability and availability.

A new plan for adapting the Extrastat system (statistics on trading of goods with non-member countries) is to begin
in 2003. In accordance with the guidelines for the Eurostat strategic plan 1999, its main aims are:

— to improve the content of the relevant acts, so as to render them more comprehensible and transparent,

— to take greater account of EMU requirements (particularly as regards the rapid availability of aggregate euro zone

trade data),

— to examine possible/necessary amendments in the light of the United Nations recommendations (concepts and

definitions (see documentation)),

— to examine possible/necessary amendments in the light of customs legislation developments (Customs Code),

— to focus more on users' needs (tariff statistics, globalisation, sectoral statistics, etc.).

Within this framework, the proposed measures will aim to perform the analyses needed to carry out the project and
assist Eurostat in revising legislation and preparing recommendations on their implementation.

4. Improvement of the links between statistical and customs administrations

Within Extrastat, primary information is collected from customs declarations. The collection procedures and the
extent of cooperation between the customs administrations and the authorities responsible for statistics vary
throughout the EU countries. Strengthening these ties and adapting or modernising the procedures for collecting and
transmitting the customs information are likely to improve the quality and the timeliness of the statistics. A number
of measures concerning these objectives have been proposed by Member States.

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Measures relating to the implementation of a network improving the statistical service provided to administra-
tions and users and providers of data

The 2003 work programme will pursue the following objectives.

1. Consolidation of dissemination products

The users of external trade statistics require rapid access to pertinent data. Rapid dissemination of data which are as
up to date as possible and adapted to the needs of different users will establish the European statistical system as the
preferred supplier of data on the external and intra-Community trade of the EU and euro zone. A number of projects
designed to meet this goal will be initiated or continued.

2. Improvement of service regarding product nomenclatures

Product nomenclatures are a crucial source of information for those who use statistics on the trading of goods. But
they also cause difficulties for the enterprises which must classify their products under one of the many headings of
the Combined Nomenclature, and for the national administrations responsible for dealing with respondents.

Several measures have been proposed with the aim of modernising the Combined Nomenclature, while at the same
time maintaining the precise and relevant information on the goods traded and simplifying access to the information
in the nomenclature.

3. Adapting the methods of transmitting data to Eurostat

The plans for revising Intrastat and Extrastat legislation focus particularly on satisfying users' needs better. More
specifically, it is apparent that economic and monetary union requires rapid production of aggregated euro zone
trade data, and that the content of the detailed data could be adapted in order to meet current needs better and satisfy
new requirements.

Against this background, it is proposed that the methods of transmitting information to Eurostat be re-examined at
the same time as the plans for revising the reference regulations.

Measures relating to the implementation of a network based on tools for the collection of information in the
light of the latest technological advances in order to improve functions available to information providers

The 2003 work programme aims to develop the tools for collecting statistical information

The collection of data from companies and their treatment is a fundamental component of the external trade statistic
system. One of the successes of the programme Edicom I was the development and implementation of collection tools
for the Intrastat system used by a large number of companies (electronic forms IDEP/CN8 and IRIS, and web forms).
Owing to changes in the technological environment, and in the light of the experience gained, the objectives of the
measures proposed will be to:

— ensure the continuity and development of these tools by making the necessary technological and functional modifica-

tions,

— take into account new methodological requirements,

— take into account developments in message standardisation,

— ensure the promotion of modern collection tools, especially web forms.

Measures relating to the implementation of an integrated and interoperable network

The 2003 work programme will pursue the following objectives.

The Edicom programme has methodological, organisational,
coherent, integrated and synergetic approach. The following measures are therefore proposed.

legislative and computer components which require a

1. Network modernisation

Measures will be taken to modernise the various elements of the trans-European network for the collection, produc-
tion and dissemination of statistics on the trading of goods within the Community and between the Community and
non-member countries. They will focus on the tools and methods used in:
— processing and validating data,

— communication between national administrations and Eurostat,

— user access to statistical data and metadata, including greater use of the Internet and improvements to the soft-

ware for disseminating statistics on the trading of goods (Comext).

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2. Development of an information system on methodology

All of the methodological measures proposed must be coordinated to ensure their consistency and must aim at better
integration of statistics on the trade of goods into the European statistical system. The measures must also be linked
to existing methodology (including the acquis communautaire) and accompanied by teaching guides.

Within this general context, it is proposed to continue the development of a comprehensive, coherent and consistent
documentary base to support the overall project and enable the methodological information to be disseminated inter-
actively in a user-friendly way using the latest technology.

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Official Journal of the European Union

24.5.2003

ANNEX II

EDICOM MEASURES — INDICATIVE COST BREAKDOWN

2003

Measures relating to the implementation of a higher-quality information network which is less costly and
available more quickly, in line with the requirements of Community policy

(in EUR)

— Centralised measures

— Measures to be taken in the Member States:

Belgium

Denmark

Germany

Greece

Spain

France

Ireland

Italy

Luxembourg

The Netherlands

Austria

Portugal

Finland

Sweden

United Kingdom

718 155

718 200

126 000

81 200

50 000

161 000

40 000

63 000

18 100

55 000

42 000

81 900

Measures relating to the implementation of a network of information that is relevant and appropriate to users'
changing needs, within the framework of economic and monetary union and the international economic
environment

— Centralised measures

— Measures to be taken in the Member States:

Belgium

Denmark

Germany

Greece

Spain

France

Ireland

Italy

Luxembourg

The Netherlands

Austria

Portugal

Finland

Sweden

United Kingdom

525 774

835 000

70 600

50 000

115 000

185 000

135 000

117 000

95 400

67 000

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Measures relating to the implementation of an information network better integrated into the general statistical
system and adapted to developments in the administrative environment

(in EUR)

— Centralised measures

— Measures to be taken in the Member States:

Belgium

Denmark

Germany

Greece

Spain

France

Ireland

Italy

Luxembourg

The Netherlands

Austria

Portugal

Finland

Sweden

United Kingdom

252 670

725 700

54 000

164 200

50 000

30 000

175 000

185 000

33 300

34 200

Measures relating to the implementation of a network improving the statistical service provided to administra-
tions and users and providers of data

1 132 030

163 000

103 000

60 000

— Centralised measures

— Measures to be taken in the Member States:

Belgium

Denmark

Germany

Greece

Spain

France

Ireland

Italy

Luxembourg

The Netherlands

Austria

Portugal

Finland

Sweden

United Kingdom

Measures relating to the implementation of a network based on tools for the collection of information in the
light of the latest technological advances in order to improve functions available to information providers

— Centralised measures

— Measures to be taken in the Member States:

Belgium

Denmark

Germany

Greece

590 000

2 194 912

284 000

221 400

100 600

90 000

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Spain

France

Ireland

Italy

Luxembourg

The Netherlands

Austria

Portugal

Finland

Sweden

United Kingdom

(in EUR)

157 000

240 000

335 000

7 000

213 000

60 000

186 000

127 212

173 700

Measures relating to the implementation of an integrated and interoperable network

— Centralised measures

— Measures relating to technical and administrative assistance, support measures

1 541 000

567 000

TOTAL

9 963 441