1. EGSS results of 2013 data collection (point 3.1 of the agenda)
Eurostat Unit E2
Working Group on Environmental Expenditure Statistics, Luxembourg, February

2. Overview Progress made since the meeting of the WG 2013
Further actions for 2014 in the area
Questions
Amendment R.691/2011
2013 data collection
Activities in other Commission services
EU aggregates estimation

3. Progress made since the WG 2013
Proposal for amendment of Regulation 691/2011:
three new modules of environmental accounts:
environmental protection expenditure
environmental goods and services sector
energy flow accounts
20 February 2014 – EP Committee on the Environment adopted legal text
entering into force hopefully in 2014
first year obligatory reporting

4. Progress made since the WG 2013
2013 EGSS data collection:
according to the requirements set out in the legal proposal + detailed voluntary information
launched in February 2013 to EU, EFTA and candidate countries; deadline end June
slightly improved response rate: BG, CZ, DE, EL, FI, FR, LV, LT, MT, NL, AT, PT, RO and SE
new countries reporting(BG, EL and MT)
timely data from 6 countries; delay of 1.5 months for the rest

5. Progress made since the WG 2013
2013 EGSS data collection:
situation will improve with pilot projects (grants - BE, DK, DE, EE, HR, IT, LV, LT, LU, HU, NL, PL, PT, RO, SI, UK and NO)
data by variables (output, gross value added, employment and exports)
half of the reporting countries (plus old replies from ES, IT, NO and PL) for all
no data on value added - five countries
exports sheet - four did not fill in
no information on employment – 2 countries

6. Progress made since the WG 2013
2013 EGSS data collection:
data by environmental domain:
CEPA – most of the countries (wastewater management, waste management and protection of soil and ground water)
CReMA – few (renewable energy and water management); overall coverage low
data validation and publication:
consistency and plausibility checks
questions sent progressively to countries; some cases of revised figures
data published on Eurobase; work on updating data previously reported- on-going

7. EGSS, market activities production, % of GDP, latest available year
AT is the most complete in terms of coverage of environmental domains and industries
IT includes only waste, wastewater and water management
DE reports partly the output related to the production of renewable energy (only the production of fuels from biomass is included)
PL includes as well non-market and ancillary activities
CZ and Fi - no breakdown by environmental protection and resource management activities is available

8. Progress made since the WG 2013
Estimation procedures for EU aggregates:
development of gap filling methods
procedures for a stepwise integration and overlay of available sources for gap filling EGSS variables
described in the EGSS practical guide.
different studies that provide an estimation of the market for the eco-industries were analysed
ESTP course on EGSS June 2013 in Vienna

9. Progress made since the WG 2013
Activities related to EGSS:
EU level:
Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on a General Union Environment Action Programme to 2020 (20/11/2013) "Living well, within the limits of our planet"
Semester reports
19th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (2-11 October 2013) adopted guidelines concerning a statistical definition of employment in the environmental sector

10. Progress made since the WG 2013
Activities in other Commission services related to EGSS - DG Environment:
Euro barometer survey ‘Attitudes of Europeans towards building the single market for green products’ (July 2013)
Euro barometer survey ‘SMES, resource efficiency and green markets’ - (December 2013)
European ETAP Fora on Eco-innovation: The 14th Forum on Eco-innovation was held in Prague, Czech Republic, May centred on exploring solution to overcome ‘barriers to achieving cleaner air in our cities’
Eco-innovation Action Plan (EcoAP) –launched in December 2011, part of the Europe 2020 strategy
Eco-innovation scoreboard – input from future CIS survey including environmental variables
'The number of Jobs dependent on the Environment and Resource Efficiency improvements'

11. Progress made since the WG 2013
Activities in other Commission services related to EGSS - DG Employment:
on 26 June thematic event - promoting pathways for the development of green skills and jobs:
politicians and policymakers play key role in developing and communicating consistent and coherent policy packages
need for more concerted efforts for coordination and strategic, joined-up thinking to ensure policy relevance and coherence
government and international authorities - critical role in: establishing and communicating the strategic vision, regulatory and fiscal frameworks, and governance structures; assuming its roles as a buyer and supplier of goods and services, investor in and owner of natural resources and funder of environmental and labour market projects

12. Further activities for 2014 in the area
Update Statistics Explained article
Regularly update and revise the EU28 data (next update in summer)
ESTP - EGSS course
22-24 October deadline for applications 22 August 2014
EGSS legal module:
continue using this more detailed questionnaire
creation of aggregates for NACE Rev. 2 sections C, E and M
Clarify/solve methodological issues related to EGSS - update of the EGSS handbook
Publication of EGSS practical guide
Next data collection: 2014?
In preparation of Legal act

13. EGSS questionnaire – breakdown by industries
A*64 for E36
More detailed than A*64 for E 37-39
Current NACE breakdown in the EGSS questionnaire
A*38 for M72 and M73-75
A*64 for M69-71

14. EGSS questionnaire – breakdown by env. domains
Breakdown by CEPA 7, 8 and 9
Breakdown by CReMA12, 15 and 16

15. Delegates are kindly requested to express their opinion on:
Further activities for 2014, in particular related to:
Continue using the current EGSS questionnaire (with mentioned small adjustments)
EGSS as annual data collection