1. Framework Regulation Integrating Business Statistics (FRIBS)
DSS
29-30 September 2014
Item 6
Framework Regulation Integrating Business Statistics (FRIBS)

2. Framework Regulation Integrating Business Statistics (FRIBS) FRIBS comprises the following current legal acts of business statistics:
Infrastructure legal acts (Statistical Units, BRs)
Structural Business Statistics (SBS)
Short Term Statistics (STS)
Foreign Direct Investments Statistics (FDI)
Foreign Affiliate Trade Statistics (FATS)
Research and Development (R&D) and Innovation Statistics
Information and Communication Technology Statistics (ICT) (enterprise module)
Manufactured Good Statistics (PRODCOM)
International trade in goods and services
to be integrated into one methodological and legal framework.

3. Framework Regulation Integrating Business Statistics (FRIBS)
Relevance for social statistics
Other relevant (social) statistics associated and may be included in FRIBS in a second step
Data collection via FRIBS, e.g. LCI, LCS, Job vavancies
Common use of definitions, e.g. of Variables and Statistical Units

4. What? Integration means Increasing consistency by harmonisation of:
Statistical Units definitions' application
Definition of variables (social statistics associated)
NACE coverage and breakdowns
Timeliness
Reference Periods
Integration of Business Registers with each other and with the EuroGroups Register
Enable closer cooperation between NSI, e.g. data exchange in case of mirror statistics

5. Why? (1)
Is the isolated development of the individual domains an alternative to the integration?
Risk of asymmetric implementation by domain
Difficult management of trade-offs between domains
Lack of a single framework for future development: same situation within few years
Globalisation phenomena not well addressed
Full potential of the reduction of response burden not reached
Limited efficiency gains and synergies in data compilation processes
Objective that business statistics should serve multiple purposes only partially achieved

6. Why? (2)
Make better use of existing data to cover additional information requirements
Quicker reaction to information requirements by linking data of different domains
Decrease burden on enterprises by decreasing number of questionnaires and shortening questionnaires (e.g. due to harmonised variable definition, variable has to be asked for only once)
Increase cost efficiency (e.g. optimise data linking opportunities, enable central data collection for MNEs)
Improve the quality of data (e.g. harmonised reference periods, better possibility of plausibility checks, quality standards for Business registers etc.)

7. How?
Integration of legal acts into one Framework Regulation (changes concerning one statistical area have to respect the whole Regulation, thus the possibility of inconsistency is reduced)
One manual and integration of guidelines (variables are the same for all areas of business statistics and they are all defined at the same place)
Strengthening position of NSIs towards owners of administrative data (more use of administrative data)
Enable data exchange between NSI of different Member States (Use of export data of country A as import data for country B or to check quality of import data of country B, or NSI of country A might ask Head of Enterprise Group for data of part in country B).

8. The 2009-2013 MEETS programme: input to FRIBS
MEETS projects to identify inconsistencies (incl. relevant social statistics)
between statistical areas
as regards the application in Member States
MEETS projects on
solutions for inconsistencies
proposals for better use of administrative data
proposals for other improvements in business and trade statistics (e.g. better use of mirror statistics)

9. The ESS.VIPs programme: input to FRIBS
ESBRs: Interoperability of Business Registers as backbone of European businesses statistics
Improve consistency and coherence, reduce production costs and facilitate data integration
Pioneer solutions: e.g. micro-data linking, secure transmission of confidential data, statistical services
Better statistics on globalisation and multinational enterprise groups
SIMSTAT: Creation of conditions and infrastructure for exchanging micro-data on intra-EU exports among Member States
Systematic control of the quality of the data
Additional source for import data, substantially reducing burden

10. Time schedule: a broader perspective
FRIBS is launched FRIBS implementation Impact assessment Discussion and consultation MEETS starts MEETS ends Legislative process
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2009
2018