1. Revision of cultural headings in COICOP
Agenda point
Agenda point 11a
European Commission - DG Eurostat
MEETING OF THE WORKING GROUP ON CULTURE STATISTICS
23-24 November 2016

2. Classification of individual consumption by purpose
COICOP
Classification of individual consumption by purpose
Developped by UN SD (last version released in 1999)
to measure the structure of expenditure of households, non-profit organisation and general government
Structure
12 broad divisions (e.g. food, clothing and footwear, housing, and gas, health, transport, communication, recreaction and culture, education, restaurant and hotels, etc.)
UN COICOP (4 digits) vs ECOICOP (5 digits)
Distinction (in principle) between expenditure on goods and expenditure on services (e.g. repair and rental of articles are not classified with physical objects – service)
International classification – it must fit to the context of developping countries (e.g. fishing ropes are not recreation articles in developing countries)
Use/implementation
HBS (Household budget surveys)
HICP (Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices)
The Classification of individual consumption by purpose, abbreviated as COICOP, is a nomenclature developed by the United Nations Statistics Division to classify and analyze individual consumption expenditures incurred by households, non-profit institutions serving households and general government according to their purpose. It includes categories such as clothing and footwear, housing, water, electricity, and gas and other fuels.

3. Revision scheme Context of the revision
Classification outdated (17 years since last revision):
Changing patterns in consumption (digital shift, new forms of communication, new ways and forms of education etc.)
Engaged bodies and organisation
Technical Sub-Group (TSG-COICOP) created under the auspices of UN SD composed of international organisation and bodies (Eurostat, FAO, ILO, IMF, WHO, ISWGNA, IWGPS, UNECE, UNSD) and representatives of few countries (Australia, Austria, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland and Philippines)
Charged to propose concrete changes in the present structure
Timetable of the revision
2012 – evaluation of the need for revision, consultation with countries
2015 – start working on the revision
Mid-May 2016 – elaboration of the first draft of the revised classification – extension to 5 digit
End of October 2016 – launching of the global consultation on the draft
Mid-November 2016 – analysis of the results of the global consultation and compilation of comments
End March 2017 – developping of the final proposal
Adoption of the new classification
Mi-March 2018 – presentation of the revised COICOP to UN Statistical Commision for endorsement
A Technical Sub-Group (TSG-COICOP) was formed and supported UNSD in preparing the survey and in analysing the results.
The survey was carried out between October and December 2012;

4. Culture in present COICOP
Division 09 'Recreation and culture'
Categories at 4 and 5 digit of disaggregation
Selected by ESSnet-Culture
Available data on cultural expenditure come from 2010 HBS (next wave – 2015)
Gaps in the present classification
Obsolete list of audio-visual , information and communication equipment
No distinction between recorded and unrecorded media
New media, on-line content, digital content, streaming services not represented
No category for video games
Not always clear boundaries between categories
Missing category for cultural amateur classes and artistic e-learning
E-books, audiobooks and other digital forms of books not identified
Press on-line and on-line subscritpions not identified
No distinction between fiction books and educational books (school, encyclopeadia)
Broad groups
Cultural goods and services
Television and radio fees, hire of equipment and accessories for culture
Fees and subscriptions
Books
Newspapers and periodicals
Books and newspapers
Information processing equipment
Reception, recording and reproduction of sound and vision
Recording media
Reception, recording and reproduction of sound
Repair of audio-visual, photographic and information processing equipment
Equipment
Cinemas, theatres, concerts
Museums, libraries, zoological gardens
Services of photographers and performing artists
Going out and entertainment
Musical instruments
Photographic and cinematographic equipment
Stationery and drawing materials
Articles for artistic expression and creation

5. Main proposals for changes in COICOP cultural headings
Sound and vision equipment merged and moved to 08 'Communication' with TV and radio fees and subscriptions
Identification of streaming and VoD services (e.g. Spotify, Netflix) - (under a separate category in the group 08 as communication and information services )
Distinction between recorded and unrecorded media
Identification of the content on physical support (CD, DVD) and downloads (from downloading platforms like i-Tunes)
Downloads of cultural content (e.g. music, films bought on I-Tunes) and physical supports (CDs, DVDs ) in one category Audio-visual media
New category for video games equipment and software
New category for video game on-line subscriptions and rentals
Identification of paper/digital version of books and paper/on-line version of newspapers
Separate categories for educational books (including digital forms) and for fiction and non-fiction books (including digital forms)
New category for amateur artistic classes

6. Pending questions:
1. To move the Audio-visual equipment, TV fees and subscriptions and Streaming services under the heading 09 Culture and Recreation – as having recreational purpose?
Impact on the content and data
2. To merge Streaming services (and rental of CDs/DVDs and VoD) with TV fees, licences and subscriptions?
3. To merge Cameras and accessories with Audio-visual equipment?
4. To keep Game software in Culture or to move to the category for Apps (08 Communication)
5. To remove Services of musicians, clowns and performers for private entertainment from the category Cinema, theatres and concerts?
6. To keep National parks, zoological and botanical gardens and aquaria with Museums and libraries?
7. To move Educational books to the division 10 'Education'?
8. To move Newspapers to the division 08 'Communication'?
9. To move Stationery and drawing material go to the division 10 'Education'?

7. Pending questions – cultural scope:
1. To keep Computers, laptops, typewriters, computer software etc. in Cultural expenditure?
2. To add Smartphones, tablets and Apps to Cultural expenditure?
3. To add Bundled communication services (telephony/Internet/television packages) to Cultural expenditure?

8. Pending questions - details

9. Main revisions – part I Pending questions PRESENT COICOP
REVISED COICOP
Pending questions
09 Culture and Recreation
08 Communication
Equipment for the reception, recording and reproduction of sound and vision
TV sets and all type of tv aerials
radio, CD, DVD – players
Satelite receivers etc
Stereo and car-stereo equipment,
E-book readers
Digital media players
To move back the Equipment, TV fees and subscriptions and Streaming services under the heading 09 Culture and Recreation – as having recreational purpose?
To merge Streaming services (and rental of CDs and DVS and VoD) with TV fees, licences and subscritpions?
To merge TV and radio fees, licences and subscriptions and Streaming services to with Audio-visual media (09) (Recorded media on physical support and downloads)?
Equipment for the reception, recording and reproduction of sound (including earphones)
Television and radio licence fees, subscriptions, hire of equipment and accessories for culture
TV and Radio licences, fees and subscriptions
- TV and Radio licenses
- subscription to cable TV, satellite TV, IPTV, and Pay-TV
Streaming services and rental
– Netflix, Spotify
- rental and downloads of CDs, DVDs - VoD

10. Main revisions – part II
PRESENT COICOP
REVISED COICOP
Pending questions
09 Culture and Recreation
Cameras and accessories for photographic and cinematographic equipment
Cameras (photographic and cinematographic equipment)
To merge Cameras and accessories with audio-visual equipment?
Accessories for photographic and cinematographic equipment
 Not distinguished
Game consoles and software
- video game consoles
- gamepads, joysticks, racing wheels and other accessories for video gaming
- electronic games
- video game software (for game consoles, computers, tablets, smartphones, download and on any media, including CD-ROMs, cartridges, DVDs, Blu-rays, flash drives, etc.)
This category includes physical objects and software to run video games no subscription to online games
Should the games software remain in Culture or should be moved to the category for Apps (08 Communication)
Repair of audio-visual, photographic and information processing equipment
Rental and repair of photographic and cinematographic equipment and optical instruments
Rental and on-line subscription of games and game software
To merge on-line game subscriptions with rental and repair of game consoles
Rental and repair of game consoles

11. Main revisions – part III
PRESENT COICOP
REVISED COICOP
Pending questions
09 Culture and Recreation
Musical instruments
Recording media (recorded and unrecorded)
Audio-visual media (recorded media and downloads)
CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, gramophone records
Dowloads of films and music
Excludes:
Streaming services (Netflix and Spotify)
video games
educational books (school, encyclopaedia, dictionaries), other books
software
Should this category cover TV and radio fees , licences and subscriptions and Streaming services?

12. Main revisions – part IV
PRESENT COICOP
REVISED COICOP
Pending questions
09 Culture and Recreation
Cinemas, theatres, concerts (excluding services of musicians, clowns, performers for private entertainments)
Cinemas, theatres, concerts
- cinemas, theatres, operas, concert and music hals, circuses and shows and other
- Services of musicians, clowns and performers for private entertainment
Should services of musicians, clowns and performers for private entertainment be included?
Museums, libraries, zoological gardens
Includes also national parcs and botanical gardens
Museums, libraries, cultural and natural sites (e.g. zoological gardens)
- museums, art galleries, exhibitions, including historical monuments and archeologic sites
- libraries
- national parks, zoological and botanical gardens, aquaria
To keep national parks, zoological and botanical gardens, aquaria?
Services of musicians, clowns, performers for private entertainers, and photographers
Photographic services
 Not distinguished
Other cultural services (artistic amateur classes, repair of musical equipment)
- services of rental and repair of musical instruments
- binding services
- music, dancing and artistic classes
Excludes: Formal education of music, dancing and art (Division 10 according to the level)
Amateur artistic classes on-line (e-learning) should be included?

13. Main revisions – part V PRESENT COICOP REVISED COICOP
Pending questions
09 Culture and Recreation
Books
Educational or text books (paper, electronic and digital)
- educational books
- educational material (encyclopaedia, dictionaries, foreign language trainers)
Should educational books go to the division 10 Education?
Other books (fiction) – paper and digital
- fiction and non-fiction (novels, poetry, travel guides, children books)
Newspapers and periodicals
Newspapers (paper and internet subscriptions)
- newspaper bought in kiosks
- subscription for newspapers (home delivery)
- Internet subscription for newspapers
Should Newspapers be moved to the division 08 Communication?
Magazines and periodicals (paper and internet subscriptions)
- lifestyle magazines
- children magazines
- hobbies, leisure magazines
- business, political magazines
- TV magazines
- subscription for magazines and periodicals (home delivery)
- Internet subscription for magazines and periodicals

14. Main revisions – part VI
PRESENT COICOP
REVISED COICOP
Pending questions
09 Culture and Recreation
Stationery and drawing materials
 Paper products
- writing pads, envelopes, account books, diaries, etc.
- drawing paper
- educational materials such as exercise books
- wrapping paper
Should these categories be moved to "Education"?...
 Other stationery and drawing materials
- pens, pencils, inks-
- paper cutters, scissors, glue, staplers, adhesive tapes
- drawing material (cards, canvas, crayons etc)
08 Communication
Information processing equipment
Computers
Software
Calculators
Typewriters and word processors
Miscellaneous accessories
Computers and laptops
Should these categories be kept in Cultural expenditure?
Peripheral equipment and its consumable components
- printers, scanners
- typewriters and word processors
- tonner and ink cartridges
- calculators
Accessories for information processing equipment
Smartphone and tablets
Should these categories be added to Cultural expenditure?
Software – Apps
- programs designed to run on mobile devices
Software – other software
computer software and packages
Bundled communication services
- telephony/Internet/television packages
- any combination of telecommunication package