1. The new metadata structure & Country Specific Notes
Anna BIAŁAS-MOTYL
2-3 April 2009
Meeting of the Working Group on Rail Transport Statistics
Agenda point: 11 Doc Rail _2

2. PART 1. Metadata. How to access metadata from Eurostat website?
Reference Metadata in « Euro SDMX Metadata Structure » (ESMS) format are available for each dissemination table (based on Regulation 91/2003) of the rail transport domain
Euro SDMX Metadata Structure for rail transport statistics
2-3 April 2009
Meeting of the Working Group on Rail Transport Statistics
Agenda point: 11 Doc Rail _2

3. ESMS metadata Main methodological fields covered by the ESMS format:
Metadata update
Statistical presentation
Unit of measure
Reference period
Confidentiality
Dissemination format
Data revision
Statistical processing
Accessibility of documentation
Quality management
Timeliness and punctuality
Comparability
Coherence
Relevance
Cost and burden
Additional options:
links to legal acts, classifications, documents
ESMS format:
available in English only
2-3 April 2009
Meeting of the Working Group on Rail Transport Statistics
Agenda point: 11 Doc Rail _2

4. PART 2. Country Specific Notes (CSNs)
Reason of the creation of the CSNs:
external users’ needs
methodological questions
exceptional/special cases of data provisions
Enrichment of the content of the methodological notes - ESMS
Specific methodological information by country for each dissemination table and reference year
overview of the data availability
national definitions used (e.g. for accident statistics)
documentation and explanation of any discrepancy in the data provided
2-3 April 2009
Meeting of the Working Group on Rail Transport Statistics
Agenda point: 11 Doc Rail _2

5. Characteristics of the CSNs
Compiled from two main sources:
validation rules applied to each dataset
validation process of the various publications
Available to public: Circa & ESMS
Updates can be performed in the following ways
on a country’s initiative: CSNs may be downloaded from Circa, revised/updated by the country concerned and provided to Eurostat
on Eurostat’s initiative: Eurostat may propose changes in the CSNs and ask the country concerned to validate these changes
Support for the metadata - currently prepared as Word files
In the future: linked directly with the validation rules – integration with TRIS
2-3 April 2009
Meeting of the Working Group on Rail Transport Statistics
Agenda point: 11 Doc Rail _2

6. Thank you for your attention !
Opinion and suggestions on the new metadata (ESMS) and the Country Specific Notes (CSNs) are welcome!
2-3 April 2009
Meeting of the Working Group on Rail Transport Statistics
Agenda point: 11 Doc Rail _2