1. Integrated management of LAU based territorial classifications
Valeriya Angelova
Eurostat Unit E4
WG Regional, urban and rural development statistics
17 and 18 October 2017, Luxembourg

2. Content Evolution of the ideas for management of the LAU lists
Overview of the LAU based territorial classifications
An initiative for an easy solution for the 2018 LAU lists onwards

3. History of the LAU management 1989-2009 NPS
Eurostat created LAU codes by using a special application – Nomenclature Preparation System
Originally used in External Trade Statistics
Needs CONC/MODA files as an input (provided by the NSIs)
Continuous data about the LAU nomenclature including predecessor and successor

4. CONC/MODA file format
CONC (concordance) is a file that links the old situation of the LAU to its new situation
MODA (modification) contains all LAUs that have been modified in some way; the type of modification is indicated
A transfer of a small area between two LAU which both continue to exist after the modification involves closing both original units and then opening them after the change

5. Example for CONC/MODA file format
country
'MODA'
year
national code
month
day
'D'/ 'A'/ 'M'
label LU
MODA
1992
11001 10 28 D
LUXEMBOURG
40001 A
12001
STRASSEN
41001
country
CONC
year
national code before change
national code after change
month
day
national code of NUTS III or IV
label of NUTS III or IV LU
1992
11001
40001 10 28 40
LUXEMBOURG
41001 41
STRASSEN
12001
Example for management of small territorial transfers where upper levels are affected. NUTS 4 existing at that time – equal to LAU 1. The example shows how a LAU 2 change affected the former NUTS 4 level. A minor exchange of territory between LUXEMBOURG (11001) and STRASSEN (12001) has taken place, LUXEMBOURG and STRASSEN being parts of different NUTS IV regions. Two different plots of land were transferred in opposite directions across the NUTS IV boundary. MODA file: line one and three show that the predecessor regions, LUXEMBOURG and STRASSEN have changed. They were opened or assigned with new codes but identical name (line two and four). New NUTS codes are assigned by Eurostat. The CONC file: the communes of LUXEMBOURG (line one) and STRASSEN (line three) remain with a new code. Lines two and four indicate that a part of the commune of LUXEMBOURG (predecessor) moved to the commune of STRASSEN (successor) (line two), while a move of territory took place from STRASSEN to LUXEMBOURG (line four).

6. SIRE – Infra-regional statistical system of Europe
The 2001 Census hub - validation and upload of Census data
Annual snapshots of the LAU situation with NUTS and national code correspondences (like the EBM data)
Operated with CONC/MODA format

7. 'In-house' LAU-management tool
…Many countries were not able to deliver reliable data in the complicated structure of CONC/MODA
A half of the countries provided the information on the LAU changes in different formats including s and publications and Eurostat had to create the CONC/MODA manually.

8. The LMT was developed to make it possible to:
trace each LAU
indicate what kind of change has happened and when
extract SDMX file
be usable
for the EU Census Hub or any other SDMX based application
by Eurostat or by the NSIs

9. Results of the assessment of the tool
History tracking was too complicated
Not flexible/powerful enough
The need of data fields on LAU based typologies, area and population were not implemented
Other similar projects run in parallel – the LAU life cycle, WebIlse (reformed to the TERCET tool).

10. From 2010 to 2017 no long-term solution
After the CONC/MODA none of the developed applications became operational
The LAU-based territorial classifications remained out of the scope of the LAU lists
Eurostat and the NSIs had difficulties to ensure the match between the city list and DEGURBA (code 1)

11. LAU based territorial classifications – an overview

12. A new transmission format to be used for 2018 LAU lists onwards contains following columns
Standard LAU lists data
Correspondence to the NUTS 3 code
LAU code
LAU name national
LAU name Latin
Change (yes/no)
Population
Total area
Typologies related data
DEGURBA
Coastal (yes/no)
If applicable:
City code
City name
Greater City code
Grater City name
FUA code
FUA name
Use as a key

13. So it would look like this:
Current LAU list:
Future LAU list:

14. Timing
Provision of LAU list as governed in the NUTS Regulation
Eurostat validates data and computes typology data where missing
MSs validate final lists (particularly those MSs with data filled by Eurostat)
Publication of LAU list as governed by the NUTS Regulation

15. Main principles of the future LAU management
Keep it simple for both NSIs and Eurostat
Keep it as an annual snapshot (1 January)
Excel files via e-Damis
Always managed together with the LAU based typologies integrating correspondence tables
Eurostat validates the LAU lists sent by the NSIs
If a NSI do not provide the typology related data, Eurostat produces them based on the latest official EBM version
The NSIs validate the typology related data
Eurostat publishes the LAU list
The rules for the annual update of DEGURBA and coastal areas are already established and the rules for coding of city statistics spatial units are available and already well known at the NSIs.

16. Advantages Disadvantages
All LAU-based typology will be consistent and will refer to the same year
All related geographic datasets and layers can be updated with no time gap
This approach will make sure that the NSIs and Eurostat/the Commission are using the same classifications
It is TERCET compliant
The EBM becomes available t+1 => to guarantee consistency, preferably the NSIs produce the typologies related data
This approach doesn't allow tracking the history of the LAU changes

17. Implementation of the annual LAU lists
Coastal areas
Cities
DEGURBA
Tourism statistics
City statistics
Social surveys

18. Thank you for your attention!
Any further comments are welcome!
Do you have better ideas?
Contact: E4