1. The Environmental Goods and Services Sector: Handbook and Standard Tables
"Environmental Expenditure Statistics"
Joint Eurostat/EFTA Working Group
Meeting of May 2008
BECH Building – Room AMPERE

2. Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS
Outline
Introduction
Standard Tables
The handbook
Conclusions
Future prospects and planning
Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS

3. Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS
Introduction
Need to compile comparable statistics on Environmental Goods and Services Sector (EGSS) in EU to respond to current policy interests directed towards environmental sector
Few European countries have already produced statistics on EGSS
→ Proposition of Eurostat to develop new data collection for EGSS (WG meeting on "Environmental expenditure statistics“, May 2005)
→ Creation of standard tables and a handbook
Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS

4. Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS
Introduction
The standard tables aim at identifying important variables by different actors and activities of EGSS.
The handbook provides methods for data collection on EGSS at national level. It contains definitions, examples and recommendations to ensure that data are compiled and maintained on a consistent basis in all Member States.
Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS

5. Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS
Introduction
A Task Force of statisticians from National offices set up in 2006 to cooperate with Eurostat and the consultant.
Its mandate is to work on definitions, delimitations and methodological issues for the collection and interpretation of EGSS statistics.
Participant countries: Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom.
Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS

6. Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS
Which environmental activities?
Environmental protection and resource management activities
Which actors?
Industries (NACE Rev 2 breakdown) and General Government.
Which variables?
Turnover, value added, employment and exports
What is in addition interesting to know?
Which industries produce cleaner/ resource-efficient technologies and products
What part of the production is principal, secondary, ancillary, market and non-market
Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS

7. Standard Tables – latest version
The latest version of the standard tables consists of 11 data-sheets.
One data-sheet is provided by variable and by group of producers (7 tables to fill out):
4 data sheets for the industry group and
3 for the General Government of producers (exports of General Government is not included).
And one data sheet summarizes the different groups of producers for each variable (4 tables filled out automatically).
Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS

8. Standard Tables – latest version
Actor
Variable and Unit
Activities’ breakdown
Classifications
Footnotes
Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS

9. Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS
The handbook
Explains the scope and the reasoning behind the terms of the standard tables
Follows the principles of the OECD/Eurostat 1999 Manual (reference handbook for national statistics offices to carry out studies on EGSS)
Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS

10. Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS
The handbook
The handbook provides
An analysis of the concepts related to the EGSS, supplemented by definitions
A classification of the sector
Practical hands-on and methodological guidance for data collection
Methods and approaches to analyse and to interpret data
A great deal of effort has been put in increasing coherency and providing users of the handbook with practical recommendations.
Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS

11. Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS
The handbook
Which definition and classification for EGSS?
OECD/Eurostat definition as a starting point (1999 manual)
Each category of activities include cleaner/resource-efficient products and technologies
Classification:
Environmental Protection activities in CEPA classes
No classification adopted (yet) for Resources Management activities
Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS

12. Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS
The handbook
Which goods and services should be included?
Only goods, services and technologies PRODUCED for an environmental purpose are included
Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS

13. Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS
The handbook
How to classify statistics between environmental domains?
classification of statistics should be made to the main environmental domain and according to the main purpose and function, consistently with the SERIEE and the CEPA guidelines
Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS

14. Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS
The handbook
Which producers?
Industries and General Government
Which kind of production activities?
Market and non-market, principal, secondary and ancillary activities
How much of the chain of a certain production activity should be included?
Only the main producers (no distributors neither intermediate providers to avoid double-counting)
Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS

15. Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS
The handbook
How to find the population of EGSS?
Identification and classification of EGSS population according to existing activities or products classifications (NACE, CPA, CN, etc) to fully exploit the potentiality of a supply-side approach
How to compile data?
Examples of experiences of countries, focus on supply-side approach
Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS

16. Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS
The handbook
Latest version of the handbook: outline
Introduction
The environmental goods and services sector: concepts and definitions (new chapter 2)
Identification of the population
Framework for data collection and analysis
Standard tables
Interpretation and presentation of the results
Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS

17. Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS
The handbook
Two columns
Chapter by chapter
Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS

18. Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS
Conclusions
Standard tables reflect a compromise rather than the ideal situation
The handbook presents the weaknesses and strengths of several methods and focus on existing data. However, it can also be used as a tool to push further towards ideal solutions by identifying and recommending best practices.
Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS

19. Future prospects and planning
Selection of a classification of resources management activities
Improvement of the handbook
Provide indicative lists of examples of cleaner technologies and products for each environmental activity and sector. These examples will explain how to identify and where to classify cleaner technologies and products by environmental domain and by NACE class
Provide further explanations on how to deal with multi-end products and on how to estimate the variables by actors
Provide guidance on how to deal with special difficult examples
Final versions of standard tables and the handbook are expected to be produced by May 2009
Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS

20. Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS
Thank you for your attention! Maria José (Pepa) Lopez Céline Martin Marco Orsini
Standard Tables and Handbook on EGSS