1. The Eurostat Metadata Handler Götzfried Eurostat (Head of Unit B6)

2. The Eurostat Metadata Handler
is the backbone of a metadata-driven harmonised statistical business process at Eurostat and in the European Statistical System;
provides one central interface for accessing different types of metadata by Eurostat staff or by members of the European Statistical System;
provides services to other IT applications within the ESS;
is the primary source for different types of harmonised metadata to be used within Eurostat and the ESS. 2

3. The components of the Eurostat Metadata Handler (Eurostat-MH)
National Metadata Editor
Emis
Ramon
Coded
The Eurostat Metadata Handler
Common user interface
Output for the Eurostat web
Output for Eurostat or external users
Metadata from the Eurostat domain manager
Eurostat as main administrator
Euro SDMX Registry
Metadata from National Statistical Administrations

4. The Euro SDMX Registry (as part of the Eurostat-MH)
The Euro SDMX Registry currently contains :
the Eurostat and ECB data structure definitions in use for GESMES-based data transmission;
the code lists currently used in the different GESMES-based data structure definitions;
the list of data and metadata flows (from countries to Eurostat);
the list of statistical concepts used in the abovementioned data structure definitions;
some additional information such as provision agreements, etc.
The Euro SDMX Registry will contain in addition:
the agreed SDMX data and metadata structure definitions used in different statistical domains for data and metadata exchange;
the harmonized code lists used in SDMX data structure definitions;
national data structure definitions and code lists used in ESS countries (if uploaded by countries). 4

5. National Statistical Authorities using the SDMX registry……
The National Statistical Authorities will have access to the Euro SDMX Registry :
for storing the data and metadata structure definitions they are using at national level;
for storing the code lists they are using at national level;
for retrieving the agreed SDMX data and metadata structure definitions used within the ESS and beyond;
for retrieving the harmonised structural metadata (code lists) used within the ESS and beyond;
for retrieving information related to data and metadata flows etc. (e.g. the concepts used, the provision agreements, etc… ) 5

6. The National Reference Metadata Editor (as part of the Eurostat-MH)
is the component dealing with national reference metadata;
will accommodate the current ESS standards for reference metadata such as the ESMS or the upcoming ESQRS (for quality reporting);
is addressed to the national producers of reference metadata, who will be able to compile their domain-specific metadata on-line and transmit them to Eurostat;
is the IT tool stimulating the harmonization of reference metadata within the ESS;
will be made available to the ESS later in 2010.

7. Business process related to a national reference metadata file

8. Accessibility of the Eurostat-MH
Eurostat Domain Managers
National Statistical Authorities
Any public user
SDMX Registry
Access rights for reading and downloading;
Central maintenance by ESTAT DB Admin.
uploading of national DSDs, MSDs also possible
Access rights for reading and downloading
National Reference Metadata Editor
Access rights for production and downloading.
Specific production rights for the files related to the NSA and the specific statistical domains (central national administrator)
No access to the application.
EMIS
Access rights for production and downloading; final dissemination of the files centralised.
No access to the application
CODED/RAMON
Access rights for production and downloading; final dissemination centralised.

9. The Eurostat-MH and the harmonisation of the ESS statistical business processes
The statistical standards and guidelines contained in the Euro SDMX Registry and in the National Reference Metadata Editor thoroughly contribute to the harmonisation and rationalisation of the statistical business processes used for data and metadata at national and international level.
Examples
The use of the Nace Rev. 2 code lists in SDMX based data structure definitions from end-to-end of the statistical business process.
The use of the ESMS for national reference metadata production and dissemination often leads to an integration of the national business processes used for producing this metadata.

10. Conclusions
The Eurostat Metadata Handler is more and more in the centre of harmonising statistical business processes and metadata within the European Statistical System.
National Statistical Authorities should increasingly use the contents and functionalities of the Eurostat Metadata Handler.
The Eurostat Metadata Handler is one of the main responses to the new Eurostat vision dealing with improvements of the production methods of EU statistics.