1. ESTP course on International Trade in Goods Statistics
2-6 February 2015
10. Quality

2. Outline Data quality: framework, stakeholders and definition
Quality indicators and targets
Quality reporting and assessment
Quality actions
Out of scope: Validation of Doc MET 400 data files and related error reports

3. Data quality - Framework
European statistics Code of Practice
Commitment of ESS members in data quality
15 principles covering the institutional environment, the statistical production and output
European Statistical Law (EC 223/2009)
European statistics to meet quality criteria
Member States to provide quality reports
Eurostat to assess the data quality and publish reports
Intrastat and Extrastat legislations
 ITGS compilers bound by specific quality requirements

4. Data quality - Stakeholders
Member States' role:
To provide Eurostat with statistics complying with quality criteria: a legal obligation laid down by the European Statistical Law and the ITGS legislation
Eurostat's mission and role:
To be the leading provider of high quality statistics on Europe (acting as the EU Statistical Office)
To ensure that transmitted statistics comply with the EU legislation (acting as the European Commission)

5. Data quality - Definition
A larger scope than the intuitive one
Not only accurate data
Quality criteria to be met listed in EU legal acts
European Statistical Law
Intrastat and Extrastat legislations

6. Quality indicators and targets
Quantitative vs qualitative indicators
Quantitative indicators to answer questions about things that are inherently expressed in numbers: How many? How often? How much?
Qualitative indicators to demonstrate, describe or measure that something has happened: How? When? Who? Where? Which? What? Why?
Hard, soft and aspirational targets
Hard targets: targets corresponding to legal requirements
Soft targets: targets agreed with Member States and included in the methodological guidelines
Aspirational targets: probably unattainable targets but an ideal towards which Member States should aim

7. Quality reporting A legal obligation 28 national quality reports
 European statistical law & Intrastat/Extrastat legislations
28 national quality reports
Standard structures and contents (ESQRS)
Quality indicators agreed with the MSs (ITGS Steering Group)
Communication restricted to Eurostat (no publication)
Metadata to users
User Guide on European ITGS
Quality report on European ITGS
Documentation linked to data dissemination (ESMS)

8. Link between quality and compliance
Quality targets fixed by the legislation
 Target not reached = issue of non-compliance with a specific article
In fine, any quality issue is an issue of non- compliance with the EU legislation as data provided to Eurostat shall be reliable.

9. Quality assessment A legal obligation Individual detailed assessment
 European statistical law & Intrastat/Extrastat legislations
Individual detailed assessment
All quality criteria covered
All quality targets assessed
Clarifications or actions requested if necessary
Overall assessment
Metadata for users
BSDG compliance report (P/N/G/VG)
Eurostat compliance exercise

10. Actions – Reacting to quality issues
Eurostat
To choose the communication channel: between a simple message to the Court of Justice
To ask for national actions: between the correction of one single record to deep changes in data collection or compilation
Member States
To carry out the necessary actions
To ensure that the same issue cannot pop up again
Administrative letter
Formal notice letter
EU PILOT

11. Further actions
Cooperation with Member States through working groups or task forces
Development of guidelines
Elaboration of recommendations and encouragements to promote best practices
Specific actions on intra-EU asymmetries
Annual reconciliation round
Bilateral reconciliation exercises

12. Conclusions
Quality reporting and assessment - A tool to better meet users' needs and expectations
Quality management – Not only the detection and correction of erroneous observations but also any necessary measures impacting the whole statistical process
Recommendations for Member States
Quality measures in all parts of the statistical process (the sooner, the better)
Regular reporting to users and stakeholders (transparency principle)
Meet quality legal requirement and react to issues communicated by Eurostat

13. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. Anne BERTHOMIEU Eurostat – Unit G5 Anne
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION ! Anne BERTHOMIEU Eurostat – Unit G