Report on the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 184/2005 on Community statistics concerning balance of payments, international trade in services and foreign direct investment

Background and further information:

The main objective of Regulation (EC) No 184/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community statistics concerning balance of payments, international trade in services and foreign direct investment is to establish a common framework and statistical quality standards for the systematic production of European Union statistics on these subjects.

Article 12 of the Regulation states that the Commission must submit a report on the implementation of the Regulation to the European Parliament and the Council by 28 February 2018 and every 5 years after that date. The report must:
(1) evaluate the quality of data on balance of payments, international trade in services and foreign direct investment;
(2) assess the benefits accruing to the European Union, its Member States and the providers and users of statistical information from the statistics produced, in relation to the costs;
(3) identify, in the light of the results, any areas that could be improved and any amendments considered necessary.

This report examines the principal aspects of the Member States’ implementation of Regulation (EC) No 184/2005 and the measures which the Commission has taken to ensure that EU-level statistics on balance of payments, international trade in services and foreign direct investment meet high quality standards.