1. August Götzfried Eurostat unit B 4
The Euro-SDMX Metadata Structure and Quality Indicators
August Götzfried
Eurostat unit B 4
Conference on Data Quality for International Organizations, Rome, 7-8 July 2008

2. Background
Eurostat was confronted with the needs of improving and extending the current structure of reference metadata in use which is based on the SDDS template. The main reasons were
the European Statistics Code of Practice and the upcoming Draft Regulation on European Statistics which create the need for more and more structured quality reporting;
the need to also offer a harmonized structure for reporting domain specific reference metadata to our Member states;
the publication of the SDMX Content-oriented Guidelines in 02/2008 that provide the basis for harmonized and internationally used statistical cross-domain concepts.
SDMX Tools can help defining data structures and metadata structures, but they do not replace the statistical conceptual work.
Conference on Data Quality for International Organizations, Rome, 7-8 July 2008

3. The Euro-SDMX Metadata Structure (ESMS)
The following 21 statistical cross-domain concepts were selected as new reporting structure for reference metadata for the European Statistical System:
SDMX Tools can help defining data structures and metadata structures, but they do not replace the statistical conceptual work.
Conference on Data Quality for International Organizations, Rome, 7-8 July 2008

4. The Euro-SDMX Metadata Structure (ESMS)
The 21 statistical concepts also cover sub-concepts which are detailed in the annex to the paper; e.g. “statistical presentation” covers “short description”, “classification system used”, “sector coverage”, etc.
The concepts 12 to 18 refer to the reporting of domain specific data quality. These concepts are aligned with the standard quality reporting defined for the European Statistical System.
A Commission Recommendation has been drawn-up recommending the ESMS to the whole European Statistical System.
In addition: Guidelines for applying and implementing the ESMS concepts are currently defined providing more details on what to insert under the various concepts. Also a number of standard quality indicators will be requested, e.g. under 14.2: the coefficient of variation.
SDMX Tools can help defining data structures and metadata structures, but they do not replace the statistical conceptual work.
Conference on Data Quality for International Organizations, Rome, 7-8 July 2008

5. Next steps
The ESMS will be finalized in autumn 2008 and then successively implemented within the European Statistical System.
Next working steps could be that also other international organizations define their reporting scheme for reference metadata based on SDMX and that a structured exchange of the reference metadata is organized between international organizations.
At the end this should lead to a reduction of the burden on national metadata provider.
SDMX Tools can help defining data structures and metadata structures, but they do not replace the statistical conceptual work.
Conference on Data Quality for International Organizations, Rome, 7-8 July 2008

6. Conclusions
In using the SDMX ‘acquis’ Eurostat defined a improved structure for reference metadata: the Euro SDMX Metadata Structure (ESMS).
This ESMS will be successively implemented within the European Statistical System which should lead to better reference metadata and better quality reporting across statistical domains.
With reference to the implementation of SDMX in other international organizations a better exchange of reference metadata (including those related to data quality) should be organized in order to reduce the burden on national metadata provider.
SDMX Tools can help defining data structures and metadata structures, but they do not replace the statistical conceptual work.
Conference on Data Quality for International Organizations, Rome, 7-8 July 2008