1. ESSnet Culture 1 Luxembourg, Eurostat DSS meeting, 22.09.2011 1
Ministère de la Culture
Grand-Duché de Luxembourg
Luxembourg, Eurostat DSS meeting, 1 1

2. ESSnet on culture statistics 2009-2011
General ESSnet objective: to establish a permanent system of coherent and comparable statistical information on culture
With specific themes on:
Framework and definitions (TF1): delimitation of cultural statistics;
Financing and expenditure (TF2): measure of public and private funding for culture;
Cultural industries (TF3): economic indicators and employment;
Participation and social aspects (TF4): studies of cultural practices and social impacts of culture. 2

3. TF1: framework and definitions
On the basis of the LEG 2000 framework, structured on:
cultural domains: common for the productive dimensions as well as for the demand and social side;
crossed by economic functions (creation, production, etc.)
Aims = the production of data, hence:
use of statistical classifications (firstly economic ones, NACE, ISCO);
review of existing sources (mainly harmonized EU surveys for pragmatism and to enhance comparability);
list of future debates (creativity, spill-over effects, EU2020 strategy, etc.)
Consider openings: a «core framework of cultural activities» and «related cultural activities» 3

4. Economic layer: the visual matrix of cultural activities
From the LEG to ESSnet:
+ 2 domains (advertising and art crafts)
+ 1 function (management/
regulation)
Main choices are justified by:
i) focusing on creation
ii) production of data
Compared with the FCS2009 of UNESCO: coherency but more restricted boundaries
(exclusion of software, telecoms, recreation, sports, natural heritage, supporting materials) 4

5. From theoretical activities to statistical ones
The conceptual cultural framework: to start from a list of theoretical cultural activities
The operational cultural framework: to identify the statistical classification (NACE & CPA, 2008) codes and agree on them 5

6. The operational framework
Situation and complexities:
Cultural activities are often scattered and disintegrated in several statistical classes: performing arts creation in both (e.g. actors) and (e.g. composers);
Often only spotted with product level (CPA): advertising creation, only in detailed CPA code /13;
Some statistical activities include non cultural content ( architectural and engineering activities).
29 classes at 4-digits level of NACE Rev.2 to collect EU economic data on cultural activities: 22 totally cultural, 7 mainly
But only 6 groups (at 3-digits level): 591, 592, 601, 602, 741, 900) and 3 divisions (at 2-digits) entirely cultural (59, 60, 90) 6

7. The operational framework
Some of the statistical cultural activities included: 7

8. To TF3 cornerstones: economic indicators and employment
Harmonize data collection for ‘cultural industries’
specify the vocabulary used for the economic characteristics of the cultural sector
Propose relevant indicators for the production of a core data set concerning the socio-economic development
Focus on employment
While meeting policy needs, cultural sector’s contribution to:
Smart growth – indicators that reflect how culture contributes to the education, research and innovation, digital society;
Sustainable growth – what is the business environment of the cultural industries and how cultural sector influences the economic environment as a whole;
Inclusive growth – what is the role of culture in creating jobs, growing welfare and social inclusion 8

9. Availability of cultural data
Existing data sources: harmonised (e.g. EU-LFS, SBS, COMEXT), national data
Though limits, for instance:
SBS - only market-oriented
limited coverage of cultural domains:
No EU coverage of Heritage (except museums) neither of Visual arts, nor of Performing arts
E.g.: SBS: no data on some classes (90 Creative arts, 91 Heritage)
or too aggregated level of classification (as NACE or ISCO in the EU-LFS) while detailed class is necessary for the correct measuring of the cultural sector 9

10. Employment matrix Based on TF1 cultural framework of activities
Methodology with 2 main components:
the whole employment of the cultural sector (all occupations in cultural activities defined in NACE codes) (A + C),
the cultural occupations in the other economic activities (B) 10

11. > for production of regular annual data
Indicators manual
In the short run: necessity to update the present methodology on employment with NACE Rev.2 and ISCO-08 classifications:
> for production of regular annual data
Indicators proposed on the basis of already existing Eurostat statistical data sources:
> short list of 11 key indicators related to:
entrepreneurship, employment, import and export of the cultural goods as well as ICT in the cultural sector 11

12. TF2: financing and consumption
Main objectives achieved through:
Inventory of the data sources: mapping and analysis of national data on public financing and HBS expenditure, more specifically:
> gross consolidated expenditure, direct receipts and HBS expenditure
Compilation of the methodology and suggestions for improving statistics on public and HBS expenditure on culture 12

13. Public financing
Pilot survey based on gross consolidated public expenditure on culture:
disparate availability of data in Member States
unconsolidated data in some countries
various national practices of breakdown by cultural domains
difficulties to split data by central/regional/local level
considerable divergences as concerns the implementation of COFOG classification
Conclusions:
national practices and context hinder a lot comparability of data
proposal for using a shortened table to collect data in the near future
need for assessment of the quality and comparability of data on cultural sector collected by Eurostat (public finance) 13

14. Private financing
Household Budget Survey: harmonized survey using the COICOP-HBS (Classification of individual consumption by purpose)
identification of relevant codes
national methodologies (HBS in general) still vary and harmonization is to be emphasized
Conclusions:
imperfections in describing cultural spendings
more analysis on cultural consumption possible thanks to HBS 14

15. TF4: cultural practices and social participation
Political context: growing interest in well-being and quality of life and need for indicators for well-being
(Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi report; GDP and beyond; inclusive society, etc.)
Major changes in cultural practices (ICT) to be assessed
Analysis of European Surveys:
Eurobarometers (2001 and 2003), EU-SILC (2006), AES (2007), ICT, HETUS; ESS 15

16. TF4: cultural practices and social participation
Results on cultural participation are difficult to compare - between European surveys and in comparison with specific national surveys:
cultural practices overestimated;
main cause is the so called ‘output harmonization’, considerable variation in phrasing the questions in national languages; different modes of data collections.
But a solution proposed: more ‘input harmonization’
- checking the translation of questions in national languages; harmonizing the modes of data collection as much as possible. 16

17. National cultural practices
Inventories of 17 national surveys:
many methodological differences (mode of data collection and sampling methods);
most countries distinguish between visits to different kinds of performing arts and different kinds of heritage (museums, monuments, archaeological sites etc.);
amateur practices and ‘informal’ cultural events are usually considered;
media habits are not always included (national time use survey instead);
seven national surveys also include questions on civic participation.
TF4 output:
> a comprehensive questionnaire of cultural practices
> the related list of indicators on cultural participation 17

18. TF4 proposal: a module on cultural practices
Domains of cultural participation to be covered:
performing arts; heritage; visual arts and crafts; books and press; libraries; film and video; radio, television and internet
3 aspects of cultural practices to be taken into account:
attending/receiving,
amateur practices,
social participation/volunteering
Methodological guidelines to smooth differences:
population, reference period, data collection, sampling design and size, measurement errors 18

19. TF4 conclusions
The questionnaire - or a selection from it - should be used in a European survey which also covers civic participation.
In the short term: new 2014 EU-SILC: a chance to collect reliable and comparable data on cultural and civic participation in the European Union:
to ensure reliability and comparability, ‘input harmonization’ should be used in this survey and the data collection modes used in different Member States should be harmonized as much as possible;
TF4 experts should be involved in the preparation of this module. 19

20. TF4 specific recommendation
In the long term: a common European survey on cultural practices which also includes sports, civic and social participation:
if repeated periodically such survey is the best way to measure social progress in the EU
TF4 realizes the problems to conduct such a large survey in the near future.
Nevertheless, a pilot project, could be supported by the European Commission and carried out by a limited number of interested Member States. 20

21. ESSnet general conclusions and recommendations
Priority of producing European data on culture depends on:
their availability
their comparability
Organize norms for European cultural statistics:
acknowledge the ESSnet framework and developments so that EU common standards be effective
develop a larger statistical programme for culture
(see Priority F in Work plan for culture )
Better coverage in the EU harmonized surveys of cultural sector (e.g. in the SBS)
To limit the best we can differences between MS = to have a comparable set of data 21 21

22. ESSnet general conclusions and recommendations
Request for a more detailed level of classifications used in harmonized surveys (e.g. of NACE and ISCO in the EU-LFS)
Specific workshops to be organised:
on employment estimates,
but also on non-market oriented units active in cultural sector, on international trade in cultural goods and services, on copyrights
In the long run, developments of the cultural satellite accounts and improvement of statistical classifications as regards cultural items.
Thank you for your attention. 22