T HE INTRASTAT S YSTEM Presentation by Eurostat - 2 - Statistics - - PDF document

UNITED NATIONS DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS STATISTICS DIVISION

ANDEAN COMMUNITY GENERAL SECRETARIAT

UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Regional Workshop on Country Practices in Compilation of International Merchandise Trade Statistics, 7-11 May 2007, Lima Agenda item No. 7: Institutional Arrangements and Data Sources Presentation Language: English

THE INTRASTAT SYSTEM

Presentation by

Eurostat

• 2 -

1

European Commission - Eurostat International Workshop on Country Practices in Compilation of International Merchandise Trade Statistics 7-11 May 2007, Lima

The Intrastat System

EUROSTAT Unit G2,

• Mr. Clemens Schröter

Clemens.Schroeter@ec.europa.eu

Statistics relating to the trading of goods by the European Community and its Member States

European Commission - Eurostat International Workshop on Country Practices in Compilation of International Merchandise Trade Statistics 7-11 May 2007, Lima

The European Communities became formally a single market on 1st January 1993

The physical frontiers were removed from between Member States Customs declarations available only for trade with non- member countries Loss of statistical data source for trade between Member States

Free movements of goods between Free movements of goods between Member States Member States

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European Commission - Eurostat International Workshop on Country Practices in Compilation of International Merchandise Trade Statistics 7-11 May 2007, Lima

Setting up two different statistical systems Intrastat

• Community goods
• Goods in free circulation
• Goods which enter/leave the

reporting Member State supplied from or bound for another Member State;

• Collected monthly directly

from companies

• Close link to the VAT

system

Extrastat

• Non-Community goods
• Special trade system
• Goods which enter from
• r leave for a non-

member country to/from the reporting Member State

• Collected from Customs

declarations

European Commission - Eurostat International Workshop on Country Practices in Compilation of International Merchandise Trade Statistics 7-11 May 2007, Lima Extra

Intra

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European Commission - Eurostat International Workshop on Country Practices in Compilation of International Merchandise Trade Statistics 7-11 May 2007, Lima

The Intrastat system

Comparability with Extrastat trade flows is kept (e.g. same detailed nomenclatures & periodicity) A threshold system exempting about 70-80% of traders from reporting A change from administrative data sources to direct data collection

European Commission - Eurostat International Workshop on Country Practices in Compilation of International Merchandise Trade Statistics 7-11 May 2007, Lima

…. and its further characteristics

Statistical reporting burden becomes apparent Reduced data collection (8 elements) Implementation of simplified reporting measures Trade data not collected has to be estimated Identification and monitoring of parties reporting for Intrastat (trader register)

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European Commission - Eurostat International Workshop on Country Practices in Compilation of International Merchandise Trade Statistics 7-11 May 2007, Lima

Ensure data quality

Exhaustiveness and quality control using fiscal information (VAT system) Asymmetries and reconciliation exercises Adjustments for trade below the threshold and late response Revisions Harmonisation of concepts, definitions, and methods Implementation of electronic data collection and validation tools Quality reporting

European Commission - Eurostat International Workshop on Country Practices in Compilation of International Merchandise Trade Statistics 7-11 May 2007, Lima

Institutional Arrangements

Distribution of responsibilities between Community and National level Supporting measures (EDICOM programme) National organisational and administrative structure concerning Intrastat data collection, processing and dissemination

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European Commission - Eurostat International Workshop on Country Practices in Compilation of International Merchandise Trade Statistics 7-11 May 2007, Lima

Intra and Extra EU-25 trade 2005

0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

C z e c h R e p u b l i c S l

• v

a k i a L u x e m b

• u

r g P

• r

t u g a l E s t

• n

i a P

• l

a n d L a t v i a B e l g i u m A u s t r i a S l

• v

e n i a H u n g a r y D e n m a r k C y p r u s S p a i n M a l t a N e t h e r l a n d s F r a n c e I r e l a n d S w e d e n G e r m a n y L i t h u a n i a F i n l a n d I t a l y U n i t e d K i n g d

• m

G r e e c e

Extra-EU-25 Intra-EU-25

European Commission - Eurostat International Workshop on Country Practices in Compilation of International Merchandise Trade Statistics 7-11 May 2007, Lima

Challenges of European trade statistics Accurate allocation of Extra-trade flows to Member States under Centralised Customs Clearance Further simplification of Intrastat reporting (e.g. diminishing the number of respondents by implementing a single flow system or increasing the exemption threshold)

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European Commission - Eurostat International Workshop on Country Practices in Compilation of International Merchandise Trade Statistics 7-11 May 2007, Lima

Preconditions to implement Intrastat

Intrastat system is only feasible when the economic integration of the Member States is well advanced. A common external Customs tariff is in general not sufficient. A well functioning fiscal (VAT) system in the Member States is essential to keep quality standards. Member States have to transfer sovereign rights to the supra-national authorities and agree on common binding concepts, definitions and

• procedures. Keeping national particularities is more difficult.

Supporting measures (financial resources) are needed for implementing the structural changes in the data collection system. Trade operators and national administration have to be well prepared and assisted during the implementation period.