Report from the Commission assessing the quality of data reported by Member States in 2014 on balance of payments, international trade in services and foreign direct investment

This report from the Commission assesses the quality of data on the balance of payments (BOP), international trade in services statistics (ITSS) and foreign direct investment (FDI) that were reported by EU Member States in 2014 under Regulation (EC) No 184/2005. The Commission prepared this report with the assistance of the Balance of Payments Committee, as required under Article 4(3) of the Regulation, and based it on the results of the quality assessment undertaken by Eurostat between January and July 2015. The quality assessment also covered the European Economic Area countries of Iceland and Norway, but the Commission’s report does not analyse the results for those countries.

The report provides a short description of the principles guiding the quality assessment of official statistics. It then goes on to analyse the extent to which BOP, ITSS and FDI data comply with the quality principles underlying the European Statistical System (ESS). The report focuses primarily on the requirements of Member States to compile and transmit BOP, ITS and FDI data and on whether or not Member States comply with their legal obligations. It also provides information that can be used to assess the quality of these data, with particular emphasis on total aggregates and the major components needed to compile the aggregates.

The accompanying Commission Staff Working Document on the quality of BOP, ITSS and FDI statistics transmitted by the Member States, Iceland and Norway in 2014 presents an in-depth analysis of the results of quality assessment.

EUR-Lex: SWD(2016)68: Commission Staff Working Document on quality assessment of balance of payments, international trade in services and foreign direct investment statistics for the year 2014 transmitted by Member States http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2016:068:FIN

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