1. Administrative and statistical units
By César de Diego Díez, Eurostat E4 - GISCO
GISCO WPM, 3 March 2005

2. Structure of the presentation (I)
Administrative and statistical units
Structure of the presentation (I)
NUTS regulation
GI data developments by EC based on SABE:
Communes (LFA, DoU, Census, Population grid)
NUTS
Urban Audit
Structural Funds
FADN

3. Structure of the presentation (II)
Administrative and statistical units
Structure of the presentation (II)
Differences between administrative and statistical units.
Needs of the EC concerning administrative boundaries data

4. Administrative and statistical units
NUTS regulation

5. NUTS regulation Legal aspects:
It establishes the definition of the statistical units
Statistical units are based on local administrative units (LAU)
Legal aspects:
Entry into force: 11 July 2003
Concerns only levels 1-3
Population thresholds per level
Former NUTS 4 and 5 become LAU 1 and 2 (Local administrative units)
Changes will be reported to Eurostat
NUTS codes are frozen for 3 (+2) years
Final approval of changes by a committee

6. Basic units per country:
NUTS regulation
Basic units per country:
BE: Gemeenten/Communes
CZ: Obce
DK: Kommuner
DE: Gemeinden
EE: Vald, Linn
EL: Dimoi/Koinotites
ES: Municipios
FR: Communes
IE: Counties or county boroughs
IT: Comuni
CY: Dimoi/koinotites
LV: Pilsētas, novadi, pagasti
LT: Seniūnija
LU: Communes
HU: Települések
MT: Localities
NL: Gemeenten
AT: Gemeinden
PL: Gminy, miasta
PT: Freguesias
SI: Občina
SK: Obce
FI: Kunnat/Kommuner
SE: Kommuner
UK: Wards

7. NUTS regulation Importance of LAU boundaries for the EC:
Policies based in LAU 2: LFA, SF
Smallest administrative units for the publication of statistics in Eurostat
Often, the smallest administrative units for the collection of statistics in the Member States (e.g. census)

8. Administrative and statistical units
GI developments by EC
based on SABE

9. GI developments by EC based on SABE
Communes:
Totality of SABE + extra geometry (lakes) and attributes (LAU and NUTS code, boundary classification, population, official area).
Other datasets based on the communes dataset:
Structural Funds
Degree of Urbanisation
Less Favoured Areas
Census data
Population Disaggregation Grid

10. GI developments by EC based on SABE

11. GI developments by EC based on SABE
NUTS and statistical regions:
Dissolving polygons from SABE
Generalisations for cartographic purposes

12. GI developments by EC based on SABE
Urban Audit:
Definition of cities and Large Urban Zones (LUZ) as a sum-up of communes.
Integration of subcities with SABE boundaries

13. GI developments by EC based on SABE
Structural Funds:
Objective 1 and 2 are defined based on NUTS 2 and communes, respectively.

14. GI developments by EC based on SABE
FADN (Farm Accountancy Data Network)
Ad-hoc groups of NUTS regions.

15. Administrative and statistical units
Differences between
administrative
and statistical units.

16. Differences between administrative and statistical units.
Territory vs. activity:
Administrative units refer to territories.
Statistics refer to the population or the activities developed in a certain territory
Differences:
Territories without population (lakes and water bodies)
Activities with no defined territory (BEZZZ codes)

17. Differences between administrative and statistical units.
Territories without population: Water bodies.
Strong need of harmonised integration of water bodies and administrative boundaries

18. Differences between administrative and statistical units.
Looking for synergies:
Common modeling for similar realities, comprising:
Coding systems
Nomenclature
Classifications
Common treatment for specific features
Adapt the statistical model to the reality of the territory:
Condominiums
Lakes and other uninhabited areas
Areas excluded of the statistical system (Mount Athos)

19. administrative boundaries data
Administrative and statistical units
EC needs concerning
administrative boundaries data

20. EC needs about administrative boundaries data
Commune boundaries update:
Minimise the time between a legal change on the administrative boundaries and the availability of the updated electronic version.

21. EC needs about administrative boundaries data
Coherence of datasets along versions:
Avoid change of boundaries due to editing or generalisation processes.
Solution: Report changes instead of complete datasets.
Accelerates the production process (and data availability)
Easier integration of changes in existing systems
Reduces redundancy
Data harmonised through time versions just by the nature of the development process
Temporal analysis of changes

22. EC needs about administrative boundaries data
Geographical extent needed:
EU-25
CC (BG, HR, RO, TR)
EFTA (CH, IS, LI, NO)
CARDS (AL, BH, CS, MK)

23. EC needs about administrative boundaries data
Harmonisation of definitions:
Extension of the administrative boundaries into water bodies and sea (when applicable)
Integration of the coastline geometry into the administrative boundary.