1. Eurostat - Your Free Access to European Statistics -

2. ‘Eurostat’s mission is to provide the European Union with a high-quality statistical information service’ 2

3. Offers comparable, reliable and objective figures on a changing Europe
Collects data from the national statistical institutes and harmonises them according to a single methodology
Publishes official harmonised statistics of European Union and the Euro-zone
Offers comparable, reliable and objective figures on a changing Europe
Presents information on regional and country level for the enlarged Union and candidate countries 3

4. Eurostat ’s Objectives
To supply the European institutions with
the statistical data they require for political decisions
To provide European citizens, enterprises and decision makers with Europe-wide statistics as a public service
To develop a partnership with other statistical services like the ECB
To co-operate with the National Statistical Institutes in the EU in the construction and development of the European Statistical System (ESS)
To co-operate with third countries on technical matters 4

5. Reasons to turn to a free-of-charge dissemination
Strategic goal of the new dissemination policy of the European Commission: ‘broadest accessibility criteria based on the principle of public service’
This implies: ‘Free and equal access to statistical data by all European citizens and other users’ 5

6. The implementation of Eurostat’s free-of-charge online offer
Basic principles
Eurostat website
Publications
Databases & Datasets
Metadata
Bulk downloads
European Statistical Data Support 6

7. I. Basic Principles 7

8. Free Dissemination Since 1st of October 2004
Data and products free of charge via the Eurostat web site:
Self-service approach = basic support
Exceptions:
Hard copy paper publications, CD-ROMs
Micro data (ECHP, LFS…) – for researchers
Labour Force Survey (detailed, cross-variables)
Single entry Via Europa or IntraComm or this URL 8

9. II. Eurostat Website 9

10. Structure
Theme pages
Tabs 10

11. Publications Alert system [Registration]
Electronic (PDF-) versions – via the web site
Paper publications /CD-ROMs/ DVDs from OPOCE
Major forthcoming publications 11

12. Search functions
Quick search
Advanced search
Keyword search 12

13. Predefined Tables 1/2 For basic use
Already available since January 2004
Limited set of indicators (around 1150)
Graphs
Link to the corresponding dataset 13

14. III. Publications 14

15. Formats
All Eurostat publications (except CD-ROMs/DVDs) are produced in PDF and available online since January 2004
Eurostat still produces paper publications, CD-ROMs and DVDs which are sold via the Publication Office sales network 15

16. Eurostat’s products & services
Press Releases
Statistics in Focus
Panorama of the EU
Pocket books
Detailed tables
Euro-Indicators
Structural indicators
Detailed database domains 16

17. IV. Databases & Datasets17

18. on the web site Available via Eurostat’s website since 1 October 2004
Two databases presented in a single navigation tree:
Dissemination database (ex New Cronos with 4500 multidimensional tables)
updated every working day at 11:00 and 23:00
External trade data base (Comext Easy), detailed data between Member States and some 250 trading partners, including > products,
updated after the 20th of the each month 18

19. unregistered users For ‘occasional’ users
Direct access to the data via the web site
Dissemination database:
Extraction tool ’Eva Light’
Max cells
External trade database (incl. production data):
Extraction tool ‘Comext Easy’
Max cells 19

20. registered users For users with more detailed requirements
Everybody can register at no cost
Same data but wider range of tools.
Web site (products) and Dissemination database:
Alerts (publications)
Extraction tools: HTML, EVA light, EVA Java
Up to cells
User queries - memory functionality for previous extractions
Bulk download
External trade database (external trade and production)
Extended functionalities
Up to cells
Needs additional registration!
Batch download cells 20

21. V. Metadata 21

22. on the web site Eurostat's Classification Server (RAMON)
Metadata in SDDS (Special Data Dissemination Standard)
Eurostat concepts and definitions database (CODED)
Methods and explanatory texts: Business methods
European system of accounts ESA 22

23. Databases / Metadata (SDDS)
Associated in the navigation tree as ‘M’ button. At the level of the data collection (following SDDS format)
Basic information for each table available at table level of the navigation tree
Accessible via homepage under ‘metadata’
For COMEXT: additional access via COMEXT Easy (Metadata buttons) 23

24. SDDS format 24

25. VI. Bulk downloads 25

26. Bulk downloads For heavy users: e.g. redistributors
Backup solution for online database
Independent technical approach
All data of the online database (former New Cronos and Comext)
in a flat file text format (.tsv for New Cronos, ASCII for Comext)
Simultaneous update
Accessible via a specific http server
User name and password need to be created 26

27. VII. European Statistical Data Support
What kind of support can users expect using Eurostat’s online offer……..? 27

28. Support function at Eurostat
Help on:
Availability of data/publications
Verification of data
Methodological requests
Technical problems
Others 28

29. What are the ‘guiding principles’ for the support organisation ?
Emphasis on ‘Product and service improvement’
Free of charge basic user support only
3 level support approach 29

30. The network of ESDS support centres
… currently 22 national statistical institutes
National ESDS FINLAND (Helsinki)
National ESDS SWEDEN (Stockholm)
National ESDS NORWAY (Oslo)
National ESDS ESTONIA (Tallinn)
National ESDS LATVIA (Riga)
National ESDS DENMARK (Copenhagen)
National ESDS UK (London)
National ESDS POLAND (Warsaw)
National ESDS LITHUANIA (Vilnius)
National ESDS NETHERLANDS (Voorburg)
National ESDS GERMANY (Berlin)
Central ESDS EUROSTAT
National ESDS SWITZERLAND (Zurich)
National ESDS CZECH (Prague)
National ESDS HUNGARY (Budapest)
National ESDS FRANCE (Paris)
National ESDS SLOVENIA (Ljubljana)
National ESDS ITALY (Rome)
National ESDS SPAIN (Madrid)
National ESDS PORTUGAL (Lisbon)
National ESDS CYPRUS (Nicosia)
National ESDS GREECE (Athens)
National ESDS MALTA (Valetta) 30

31. Do you have questions or recommendations?
Thank you for attention!