1. WORKING PARTY ON NATIONAL ACCOUNTS 12 – 15 October 2004
THE OECD QUARTERLY NATIONAL ACCOUNTS (QNA) DATABASE

2. The OECD QNA database Requirements of OECD internal users
Full scope of what is produced by National Statistical Institutes
Accuracy, comparability and timeliness
Content of the database
The set of tables of the OECD - Eurostat questionnaire
Plus most of the other accounts produced by countries
Data dissemination of a selection of aggregates
Paper publication and CD-ROM released on a quarterly basis
Electronic publication released monthly
Internet free access to components of GDP by expenditure
Internet table showing quarterly growth rates for GDP at constant prices, updated weekly

3. Data transmission to the OECD
All countries announce on Internet, in advance, the release day of their quarterly national accounts
OECD users expect the database to be updated within 24 hours of the release
Most countries now send their data on their release day, two countries had a small problem for Q and sent their data with a small delay
Table 1 of Document 19 gives information on data release and data transmission by OECD Member countries

4. Chained volume estimates and seasonal adjustment practices
Table 2 gives information on countries’ practices regarding chained volume estimates and seasonal adjustment practices
A number of countries have implemented chain volume estimates and most of the others intend to do so either in 2005 or in 2006
There is also a movement within the European Union towards the adjustment for trading-day variation

5. CONCLUSIONS
The principle governing the transmission of data is to transmit data to the OECD (and Eurostat) as early as possible on the release day of the data at national level
Could Iceland, Ireland and Mexico confirm that they have no plans to move to chain linking ?
Could countries which are not producing trading-day adjusted data give us indications about their plans to do so ?