Annexes to COM(2020)838 - Implementation of Regulation (EU) 2018/643 on rail transport statistics - Main contents
Please note
This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2020)838 - Implementation of Regulation (EU) 2018/643 on rail transport statistics. |
|---|---|
| document | COM(2020)838  |
| date | December 18, 2020 |
-Annex B - ‘Annual statistics on goods transport (simplified reporting)’ - was removed;
-Annex C - ‘Annual statistics on passenger transport (detailed reporting)’ - was simplified by removing Tables C1 (‘Passengers transported, by type of transport - provisional data, number of passengers only’) and C2 (‘International passengers transported, by country of embarkation and by country of disembarkation - provisional data, number of passengers only’);
-Annex D - ‘Annual statistics on passenger transport (simplified reporting)’ - was removed;
-Annex H - ‘Accidents data in rail transport’ - was removed. Until 2016, Member States provided data on accidents to Eurostat and the European Union Agency for Railways. Since 2016, such data is provided only to the Agency in order to reduce the burden for Member States. The Agency then sends the data to Eurostat for dissemination through its database 6 ;
-Annex I - ‘List of undertakings (reporting on list of undertakings)’ - was removed.
Eurostat has been working to develop stronger procedures for data validation and quality checks that will provide quick feedback to Member States at a very early stage of data transmission.
According to the input collected from the questionnaire sent to the Member States in April 2020, the framework defined by Regulation (EU) 2018/643 is sufficient to accommodate user needs without putting an excessive burden on respondents. Countries consider that the data is of significant value and that the related burden and cost for respondents and statistical offices in collecting this data are justified in relation to its benefits. Member States recognise that environmentally friendly logistics are inconceivable without rail transport, a sector that needs to be modernised and strengthened. To support this process, relevant and reliable data is necessary to define and evaluate various measures.
2.4 DATA VALIDATION AND QUALITY OF THE STATISTICAL DATA RECEIVED
While Member States are responsible for the quality of rail transport statistics, the Commission takes all necessary measures to detect errors in the data it receives. Eurostat maintains a reliable IT system for data reception, validation and processing and performs several types of data checks. When errors are detected, countries are requested to send revised data.
Regarding the technical arrangements for data transmission, a high level of standardisation has been achieved. Countries send data to Eurostat via the EDAMIS portal, complying with the requested file structure and record format. A validation process, implemented by the main IT system, performs an early detection of basic errors and erroneous codes, allowing for quick integration of the information in the Eurostat production database.
Once data has been loaded into the Eurostat production database, detailed checks are applied to ensure the quality of the data that has been sent. These quality checks look at the consistency of each country’s reporting tables, the consistency of these tables over time and the coherence between different types of tables, and compare results between partner reporting countries (mirror checks).
Overall, the quality of the data is considered to be good. Nevertheless, efforts are still required to reduce the asymmetries highlighted by mirror checks, although some of these asymmetries are due to differences in national methodologies and cannot be easily removed. The reporting of transit data also needs to be improved by harmonising data collection methods in reporting countries.
2.5 METHODOLOGICAL SUPPORT TO MEMBER STATES
Eurostat provides constant methodological and technical support to the reporting countries for the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2018/643.
As part of this support, Eurostat organises country visits to discuss unclear issues. Furthermore, every 2 years Eurostat organises a meeting of national experts (the Expert Group on Rail Transport Statistics) from all Member States, EFTA countries, candidate countries and potential candidates to exchange good practices and discuss data quality, methodological issues and new projects. The implementation of the Regulation is also a regular agenda item at meetings of the Coordinating Group for Statistics on Transport.
The Reference Manual on Rail transport statistics provides guidance to Member States on implementing the Regulation. The Reference Manual is updated regularly (mostly on an annual basis) to include the most recent information, documentation and guidelines relevant to the collection of rail transport statistics.
In 2019, Eurostat, in close cooperation with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the International Transport Forum, co-published the fifth edition of the Glossary for transport statistics, which includes an updated and improved section on rail transport. The Glossary aims to standardise definitions of transport statistics at European and international level.
2.6 DATA DISSEMINATION
Eurostat releases the data collected under Regulation (EU) 2018/643 through its dissemination database that is freely accessible from the Eurostat website. There are 26 tables on rail transport, which are updated regularly and complemented by detailed metadata files.
7 8 Eurostat also produces ‘Statistics Explained’ articles that provide an analysis of the data for the media and the general public. Data is also disseminated via tailor-made data extractions for users and policymakers, Eurostat news items and Eurostat publications (e.g. the statistical book Energy, transport and environment statistics).
3. FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF RAIL TRANSPORT STATISTICS
The European Green Deal has announced a set of transformative policies across economic sectors, including transport. Rail freight and passenger transport statistics can help with setting and monitoring policy targets by providing data on volumes of goods transported, numbers of passengers, kilometres travelled, and equipment and infrastructure. Such information is collected under Regulation (EU) 2018/643 and from voluntary questionnaires.
Data confidentiality in some countries limits the potential for collecting this information under Regulation (EU) 2018/643. Eurostat, together with the Member States, will investigate if and how the constraints imposed by data confidentiality can be alleviated.
To have a wider coverage of rail transport statistics, Eurostat has signed an administrative agreement with the European Union Agency for Railways to receive and publish data on:
(I)the length of lines and tracks equipped with the European Railway Traffic Management System (ERTMS);
(II)the number of rail stations equipped with facilities for persons with reduced mobility.
The first data, published in the third quarter of 2020, is related to the length of lines equipped with the ERTMS.
Moreover, Eurostat is working on the development of a rail distance matrix to help calculate the modal split indicators by distance class without placing additional burdens on the reporting countries. The distance matrix for rail is based on the NUTS 2 level of the classification on regions, so that it matches the collection of regional data for rail transport within Annex IV of Regulation (EU) 2018/643. How the distance matrix develops will depend on the improvement of the geographical networks. Its application will mainly depend on the availability and quality of rail data at regional level.
The geographical coverage of rail transport statistics could be extended as a result of future EU enlargements and the voluntary involvement of additional countries and/or international organisations through cooperation agreements.
According to the questionnaire sent in April 2020, Member States do not currently see a need for changes or improvements to Regulation (EU) 2018/643. There are no new user needs to be addressed. However, new national, European and international policy initiatives on sustainability and on transformation of transport systems may create new data needs. Once such needs are identified, they will have to be evaluated and discussed in a timely manner within the Expert Group on Rail Transport Statistics.
4. CONCLUSIONS
Regulation (EU) 2018/643 has been implemented successfully, and the results are considered to be positive. A well-established mechanism in Eurostat and at national level makes it possible to produce statistics that are comparable and of high quality.
Eurostat is doing its utmost to help Member States to implement the Regulation and produce high-quality statistics. It has developed an IT system and has introduced communication methods that aim to minimise the burden of managing data for the reporting countries. Eurostat has also been providing guidance on how to improve the quality of data and reduce the burden of collecting and reporting data.
Rail transport statistics have an immediate application in the development, implementation and monitoring of policies at national and European level. Apart from policymakers, a number of organisations and other users, such as researchers and analysts, have shown an interest in the data, and Eurostat ensures that these rail statistics remain highly visible by disseminating them through a variety of means.
(1)
OJ L 112, 2.5.2018, p. 1.
(2)
Regulation (EC) No 91/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2002 on rail transport statistics (OJ L 14, 21.1.2003, p. 1).
(3) COM(2011) 144 final.
(4) COM(2019) 640 final.
(5)
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/29567/3217334/Reference+manual+on+Rail+Transport+Statistics+ %28Version+8.01%29/ed767b61 - 7fca - 470a - a9e2 - 582e4aabedcb (Available only in English).
(6) https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/data/database (Available in English, French and German).
(7)
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics - explained/index.php?title=Category:Rail (Available only in English).
(8)
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products - statistical - books/ - /KS - DK - 19 - 001 (Available only in English).