1. Eurostat's proposed simplification of the work with the Joint Forest Sector Questionnaire
Working Group meeting of February 2015
Marilise Wolf-Crowther, Environmental statistics & accounts; Sustainable development

2. The problem
Confidentiality issues when fewer than three producers per country for any one of 43 primary wood products
The other partners in the JFSQ (UNECE, FAO and ITTO) expect to receive our validated data including our estimates, but this would be disclosive
JFSQ data are collected in parallel and to similar deadlines as official production data collected with a legal basis
Until 2008, the official production data had similar confidentiality problems as the JFSQ production data

3. The proposed solution
Combine official data from PRODCOM (Community production in mining and manufacturing) with JFSQ data
PRODCOM collated annually for the preceding year:
Provisional data are available in July from Eurostat
Final data are available in November from Eurostat
Controlled rounding for EU aggregates: confidential data are suppressed for the Member States, Norway and Iceland
Cyprus, Malta and Luxembourg below the reporting threshold (<1% of EU production)
Switzerland is not covered by PRODCOM

4. The classification of products (PRODCOM list)
Both the JFSQ and PRODCOM are based on the Harmonised System, so alignment is fairly easy
24 products already aligned
138 products, mainly paper, are more detailed in PROCOM
3 types of pulp are more aggregated in PRODCOM, but this is useful
Veneers will be aligned as of 2016 (for reference year 2015)
4 JFSQ products will be added to PRODCOM as of 2016

5. The EU-aggregates data compared
Controlled rounding is applied to PRODCOM aggregates only
Much larger numbers in PRODCOM for Veneers; Plywood; Particle board, OSB and similar board; MDF and Other fibreboard
Much smaller numbers in PRODCOM for
Sum of mechanical and semi-chemical wood pulp and pulp from fibres other than wood
Sum of sulphate bleached and unbleached pulps
Household and sanitary papers
Other paper and paperboard n.e.s

6. Discrepancies to be investigated
Eurostat to send each correspondent a link to the PRODCOM data in the database
Correspondents are asked to investigate the differences for their country for The Working Group is asked to support this measure
Deadline for reporting discrepancies to Eurostat: 31 July 2015
Correspondents are asked to compare the data and inform Eurostat in case PRODCOM data should replace JFSQ data

7. Future co-operation with the international partners
Eurostat to use PRODCOM EU-aggregates instead of calculating them from JFSQ submissions
Share JFSQ submissions with UNECE, FAO and ITTO, without confidential items
Publish JFSQ submission exactly as reported, with minimal validation
Correspondents are requested to work closely with the PRODCOM unit of their national statistical institute when reporting JFSQ production data

8. Thank you for your attention!
Published data
JFSQ time series: Production and trade in primary products since 1992
Sawnwood and panels
Pulp, paper and paperboard
Thank you for your attention!

9. The Working Group is requested to provide support and give feedback on the proposal to – Ask the country correspondents to investigate the differences found between JFSQ data and PRODCOM data going back to 2008 – Use the EU aggregates from PRODCOM instead of calculating them from the JFSQ submissions – Share the JFSQ submissions with UNECE, FAO and ITTO, without the confidential items – Make correspondents aware that their JFSQ submissions will be published by Eurostat exactly as reported