Eurostat

The data correspond to quarterly financial accounts for the general government sector and follows the ESA2010 methodology. The data covers financial transactions and balance sheet items for general government (consolidated and non-consolidated) and its subsectors. This includes a number of financial instruments (F.1, F.2, F.3, F.4, ...) as well as some balancing items such as net financial transactions, net financial worth and net financial assets and liabilties. Data are available in million of euro, million of national currency (average exchange rates are used for transactions and end of period exchange rates are used for stocks) and as a percentage of GDP (for transactions quarterly GDP is used; for stocks a rolling sum of the last four quarters is used). In the table gov_10a_ggfa, annualised quarterly financial accounts for general government are presented. For financial transactions, data is summed over the four quarters of each year. For the conversion from national currency into euro, the yearly average exchange rate is used. For balance sheet items (stocks), the annualised data corresponds to the data of the fourth quarter. The percentage of GDP data of annualised data uses annual GDP transmitted by the Member States. In the course of the annualisation, small rounding differences may be amplified. Geographic coverage: EU and euro area. Main data sources are the tables provided according to the European Parliament and Council Regulation (EU) N° 549/2013 of 21 May 2013 (OJ No L174/1).

Data are the result of the annual structure of government debt survey and cover the EU countries as well as Norway. The following series are available: Central government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; State government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Local government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Social security funds gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; General government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Debt by currency of issuance; Government guarantees (contingent liabilities); Average remaining maturity of debt; Apparent cost of the debt; Market value of debt.

Data are the result of the annual structure of government debt survey and cover the EU countries as well as Norway. The following series are available: Central government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; State government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Local government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Social security funds gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; General government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Debt by currency of issuance; Government guarantees (contingent liabilities); Average remaining maturity of debt; Apparent cost of the debt; Market value of debt.

Data are the result of the annual structure of government debt survey and cover the EU countries as well as Norway. The following series are available: Central government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; State government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Local government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Social security funds gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; General government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Debt by currency of issuance; Government guarantees (contingent liabilities).

Data are the result of the annual structure of government debt survey and cover the EU countries as well as Norway. The following series are available: Central government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; State government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Local government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Social security funds gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; General government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Debt by currency of issuance; Government guarantees (contingent liabilities).

20.1. Source data

Final consumption expenditure by general government includes the value of goods and services purchased or produced by general government and directly supplied to private households for consumption purposes.

Data are the result of the annual structure of government debt survey and cover the EU countries as well as Norway. The following series are available: Central government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; State government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Local government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Social security funds gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; General government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Debt by currency of issuance; Government guarantees (contingent liabilities).

Public deficit/surplus is defined in the Maastricht Treaty as general government net borrowing/lending according to the European System of Accounts. The general government sector comprises central government, state government, local government, and social security funds. The relevant definitions are provided in Council Regulation 479/2009, as amended.

Public deficit/surplus is defined in the Maastricht Treaty as general government net borrowing/lending according to the European System of Accounts. The general government sector comprises central government, state government, local government, and social security funds. The relevant definitions are provided in Council Regulation 479/2009, as amended.

The general government deficit/surplus is defined in the Maastricht Treaty as general government net lending (+)/net borrowing (-) according to the European System of Accounts. The general government sector comprises central government, state government, local government, and social security funds. The relevant definitions are provided in Council Regulation 479/2009, as amended.

These indicators present total expenditure of general government devoted to three different socio-economic functions (according to the Classification of the Functions of Government - COFOG), expressed as a ratio to GDP. The COFOG divisions covered are 'health', 'education' and 'social protection'.

General government gross fixed capital formation (ESA 2010 code P.51g) consists of resident producers' acquisitions, less disposals of fixed assets during a given period plus certain additions to the value of non-produced assets realised by the productive activity of government producer or units. Fixed assets are produced assets used in production for more than one year.

The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union defines this indicator as the ratio of government debt outstanding at the end of the year to gross domestic product at current market prices. For this calculation, government debt is defined as the total consolidated gross debt at nominal value in the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA 2010): currency and deposits (AF.2), debt securities (AF.3) and loans (AF.4). The general government sector comprises the subsectors of central government, state government, local government and social security funds. For further methodological guidance and interpretation, please refer to the Eurostat Manual on Government Deficit and Debt. Total government gross debt in million EUR is shown as well.

The indicator is defined (in the Maastricht Treaty) as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal (face) value, outstanding at the end of the year in the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA 2010): currency and deposits, debt securities and loans. The general government sector comprises the subsectors: central government, state government, local government and social security funds.

The data correspond to quarterly government debt. Public debt is defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal (face) value, outstanding at the end of the year. Data for the general government sector are consolidated between subsectors at the national level. Data are non-seasonally adjusted.

The general government gross debt is defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year in the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA 2010): currency and deposits (AF.2), debt securities (AF.3), and loans (AF.4). General government sector includes the following subsectors: central government, state government, local government and social security funds. Basic data are expressed in national currency, converted into euro using end-year exchange rates for the euro provided by the European Central Bank (ECB). The debt of the Euro area and EU aggregates is consolidated by removal of the loans that Member States have granted to other Member States. In order to reflect economic and technological developments and meet user needs, in September 2014 the new national accounting framework ESA 2010 replaced the previous framework ESA 95. This led to revisions of the time series for all Member States (please see Eurostat press release for the impact of the revisions on the government deficit and debt ratios). The changes to government debt relate to the classification of certain entities into government.

For the purpose of the Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP) in the Economic and monetary union (EMU), as well as for the Growth and Stability Pact, the current Protocol 12, annexed to the 2012 consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, provides a complete definition of government debt: debt means total gross debt at nominal value outstanding at the end of the year and consolidated between and within the sectors of general government. This definition is supplemented by Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2009, as amended by the Commission Regulation (EU) No 220/2014 (which has only updated references to ESA 2010 instruments) specifying the components of government debt with reference to the definitions of financial liabilities in ESA 2010. In this context, the stock of government debt in the Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP debt) is equal to the sum of liabilities, at the end of year, of all units classified within the general government sector (S.13) in the following categories: AF.2 (currency and deposits) + AF.3 (debt securities) + AF.4 (loans). Basic data are expressed in national currency, converted into euro using end-year exchange rates for the euro provided by the European Central Bank (ECB). The MIP headline indicator is calculated as: [GGDt/GDPt]*100. The indicative threshold is 60% of GDP. The data are expressed in millions of units of national currency and in % of GDP.

The quarterly government debt data are conceptually consistent with the corresponding annual data compiled on a national accounts (EDP and ESA 2010) basis. For the purpose of the Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP) in the Economic and monetary union (EMU), as well as for the Growth and Stability Pact, the current Protocol 12, annexed to the 2012 consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, provides a complete definition of government debt: debt means total gross debt at nominal value outstanding at the end of the year and consolidated between and within the sectors of general government. This definition is supplemented by Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2009, as amended by the Commission Regulation (EU) No 220/2014 (which has only updated references to ESA 2010 instruments) specifying the components of government debt with reference to the definitions of financial liabilities in ESA 2010. The data are expressed in million units of national currency and in % of GDP. Data are non-seasonally adjusted. The differences between the annual and quarterly debt figures may arise as a result of different timetables in the transmission on revised data. Annual EDP data notified by Member States in April and October are the subject of a thorough verification by Eurostat, which can lead to a revision of past quarterly data.

General government gross fixed capital formation (ESA 2010 code P.51g) consists of resident producers' acquisitions, less disposals of fixed assets during a given period plus certain additions to the value of non-produced assets realised by the productive activity of government producer or units. Fixed assets are produced assets used in production for more than one year.

General government output (ESA 2010 code P.1) consists of the products created by general government institutional units (i.e. units within the subsectors central government, state government, local government or social security funds). ESA 2010 category P.1 includes three types of output: market output, output for own final use and non-market output.

The indicator measures the general government total expenditure on law courts according to the classification of the functions of government (COFOG). This includes expenditure on administration, operation or support of civil and criminal law courts and the judicial system, including enforcement of fines and legal settlements imposed by the courts and operation of parole and probation systems; legal representation and advice on behalf of government or on behalf of others provided by government in cash or in services. Law courts include administrative tribunals, ombudsmen and the like, and exclude prison administrations. In computing the per capita indicator, the average National Accounts (NA) population data of the reference year is used as denominator (calculated as the arithmetic mean of the population on 1st January of two consecutive years).

Government Finance Statistics (GFS) form the basis for fiscal monitoring in Europe. Annual government deficit and debt statistics are reported to the European Commission in the framework of the Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP). Government revenue and expenditure, annual and quarterly, are reported by Member States under the ESA 95 transmission programme.  General government net borrowing/net lending (deficit/surplus), and general government debt, form two of the convergence criteria for EMU. The following series are as reported in the EDP tables:Deficit/surplus of the general government sector;General government debt;General government gross fixed capital formation;General government primary balanceIntergovernmental lending within the EU and euro area in the context of the financial crisis.  Total general government revenue and total general government expenditure annual series are reported by national authorities in ESA table 2 of the ESA 95 transmission programme.  General government deficit/surplus and general government debt quarterly series are reported by national authorities in ESA tables 25 and 28, respectively, of the ESA 95 transmission programme.

10-year government bond yields are reference rates, based on government bonds with a maturity close to 10 years.

10-year government bond yields are reference rates, based on government bonds with a maturity close to 10 years.

Government debt is defined as total gross debt at nominal value outstanding at the end of the year and consolidated between and within the sectors of general government. This definition is supplemented by Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2009, as amended by the Commission Regulation (EU) No 220/2014 (which has only updated references to ESA 2010 instruments) specifying the components of government debt with reference to the definitions of financial liabilities in ESA 2010. In this context, the stock of government debt in the Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP debt) is equal to the sum of liabilities, at the end of year, of all units classified within the general government sector (S.13) in the following categories: AF.2 (currency and deposits) + AF.3 (debt securities) + AF.4 (loans). Basic data are expressed in national currency, converted into euro using end-year exchange rates for the euro provided by the European Central Bank (ECB).

Government Finance Statistics (GFS) form the basis for fiscal monitoring in Europe, most notably for the statistics related to the Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP). The EDP is established in the Treaty and specified in the Stability and Growth Pact legislation. The Member States report data related to the EDP to the Commission (Eurostat) which, in turn, is responsible for providing the data to the Council. European GFS, including the statistics for the EDP, are produced in accordance with the European System of Accounts 2010 (ESA 2010), the EU manual for national accounts, which in September 2014 replaced the previous version of the national accounting framework ESA 95. It is supplemented by further interpretation and guidance from Eurostat, in particular the Manual on Government Deficit and Debt. Council Regulation 479/2009 as amended requires that Member States report government deficit/surplus (hereinafter deficit) and debt data related to the EDP twice per year: before 1 April and 1 October for the preceding four calendar years and a forecast for the current year. The data are reported in harmonised tables. These tables are designed specifically to provide a consistent framework, with a link to national budgetary aggregates and between the deficit and changes in the debt. They should be fully consistent with GFS data delivered to Eurostat in the ESA 2010 transmission programme. The EDP notification tables contain for general government and its sub sectors: Table 1: Summary table on deficit and debt, including auxiliary indicators (Gross Fixed Capital Formation, Interest and Gross Domestic Product - GDP)Tables 2A - 2D: Transition from the working balance to the deficit/surplus for general government sub sectorsTables 3A - 3E: Transition from the deficit/surplus to the change in debt for general government and its sub sectorsTable 4: Supplementary data. The data are presented in the Eurostat's Statistics Database in national currency, euro/ECU, and percentage of GDP. In order to reflect economic and technological developments and meet user needs, in September 2014 the new national accounting framework ESA 2010 replaced the previous framework ESA 95. This led to revisions of the time series for all Member States (please see Eurostat press release for the impact of the revisions on the government deficit and debt ratios). The main changes relate to the classification of certain entities into government and the treatment of transactions related to pension schemes. Also the concept of government deficit was changed as regards treatment of interest on swaps and forward rate agreements (Commission Regulation 220/2014 amending the Council Regulation 479/2009), according to which these flows are now recorded as financial transaction in line with the core ESA accounting framework.

Government effectiveness captures perceptions of the quality of public services, the quality of the civil service and the degree of its independence from political pressures, the quality of policy formulation and implementation, and the credibility of the government's commitment to such policies. The Worldwide Governance Indicators report on six broad dimensions of governance for 215 countries over the period 1996-2014: Voice and Accountability, Political Stability and Absence of Violence, Government Effectiveness, Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law and Control of Corruption.

Government final consumption expenditure (ESA 2010, 3.98) includes two categories of expenditures: the value of goods and services produced by general government itself other than own-account capital formation, and purchases by general government of goods and services produced by market producers that are supplied to households - without any transformation - as social transfers in kind. Values are seasonally adjusted (SA). The ESA 2010 (European System of Accounts) regulation may be referred to for more specific explanations on methodology.

Government final consumption expenditure (ESA 2010, 3.98) includes two categories of expenditures: the value of goods and services produced by general government itself other than own-account capital formation, and purchases by general government of goods and services produced by market producers that are supplied to households - without any transformation - as social transfers in kind. Data are calculated as chain-linked volumes (i.e. data at previous year's prices, linked over the years via appropriate growth rates). Growth rates 'q/q-1 (sca)' with respect to the previous quarter and 'q/q-4 (sca)' with respect to the same quarter of the previous year are calculated from calendar and seasonally adjusted figures while growth rates 'q/q-4 (nsa)' with respect to the same quarter of the previous year are calculated from raw data.

The data on contingent liabilities and potential obligations of government are collected in the context of the Enhanced Economic Governance package (the "six-pack") adopted in 2011. In particular, Council Directive 2011/85 on requirements for budgetary frameworks of the Member States requires the Member States to publish relevant information on contingent liabilities with potentially large impacts on public budgets, including government guarantees, non-performing loans, and liabilities stemming from the operation of public corporations, including the extent thereof. The liabilities are called “contingent” in the sense that they are by nature only potential and not actual liabilities. Non-performing loans could imply a potential loss for government if these loans were not repaid. This new data collection represents a step towards further transparency of public finances in the EU by giving a more comprehensive picture of EU Member States’ financial positions3 It is to be underlined that contingent liabilities are not part of the general government (Maastricht) debt as defined in the Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2009 of 25 May 2009 on the application of the Protocol on the excessive deficit procedure annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community. Eurostat collects and publishes the following indicators: government guarantees, liabilities related to public-private partnerships recorded off-balance sheet of government, liabilities of government controlled entities classified outside general government (public corporations) and non-performing loans. Regarding government controlled entities, it should be mentioned that this refers to  government controlled units, not classified in general government, and which are controlled, directly or indirectly (through other public units), by government. In cases when the government share in a corporation is lower than 50% and government does not have control over an entity, the corporation is not considered as controlled by government. Regarding the control criteria, according to ESA 2010 paragraph 20.18: “Control over an entity is the ability to determine the general policy or programme of that entity (…)”. The criteria to be used for corporations are indicated in ESA 2010 paragraphs 2.38 and further detailed in paragraph 20.309. ESA 2010 paragraph 2.38 specifies that: “General government secures control over a corpo­ration as a result of special legislation, decree or reg­ulation which empowers the government to deter­mine corporate policy. The following indicators are the main factors to consider in deciding whether a corporation is controlled by government:(a) government ownership of the majority of the voting interest; (b) government control of the board or governing body; (c) government control of the appointment and removal of key personnel;(d) government control of key committees in the entity; (e) government possession of a golden share; (f) special regulations; (g) government as a dominant customer; (h) borrowing from government. A single indicator may be sufficient to establish control, but, in other cases, a number of separate indicators may collectively indicate control.”

Main revenue and expenditure items of the general government sector, notified by national authorities in Table 2 of the ESA2010 transmission programme. Data are presented in millions of Euro, millions of national currency units and percentages of GDP. Geographic coverage: EU and euro area, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. Main sources of data: National authorities (National Statistical Institutes)

The indicator refers to Government Budget Appropriations or Outlays on R&D (GBAORD). GBAORD data measure government support to research and development (R&D) activities, or, in other words, how much priority governments place on the public funding of R&D. GBAORD data are built up using the guidelines laid out in the proposed standard practice for surveys of research and experimental development, the OECD’s Frascati Manual from 2002. GBAORD data are broken down by socio-economic objectives in accordance to the nomenclature for the analysis and comparison of scientific programmes and budgets (NABS 2007).

Data are the result of the annual structure of government debt survey and cover the EU countries as well as Norway. The following series are available: Central government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; State government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Local government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Social security funds gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; General government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Debt by currency of issuance; Government guarantees (contingent liabilities).

Within the last 12 months before the survey for private purposes. Derived variable on use of eGovernment services. Individuals used at least one of the following services: for obtaining information from public authorities websites, for downloading official forms, for submitting completed forms.

Within the last 12 months before the survey.

Data given in this domain are collected annually by the National Statistical Institutes and are based on Eurostat's annual model questionnaires on ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) usage in households and by individuals. The model questionnaire changes every year. The changes of questions in the MQ are required by the evolving situation of information and communication technologies. Large part of the data collected are used in the context of the follow up of the Digital Single Market process (Monitoring the Digital Economy & Society  2016-2021). This conceptual framework follows the 2011 - 2015 benchmarking framework, the i2010 Benchmarking Framework and the eEurope 2005 Action Plan. ICT usage data are also used in the Consumer Conditions Scoreboard (purchases over the Internet) and in the Employment Guidelines (e-skills of individuals). The aim of the European ICT surveys is the timely provision of statistics on individuals and households on the use of Information and Communication Technologies at European level. Data for this collection are supplied directly from the surveys with no separate treatment. Coverage: The characteristics to be provided are drawn from the following list of subjects: access to and use of ICTs by individuals and/or in households,use of the Internet and other electronic networks for different purposes by individuals and/or in households,ICT security and trust,ICT competence and skills,barriers to the use of ICT and the Internet,perceived effects of ICT usage on individuals and/or on households,use of ICT by individuals to exchange information and services with governments and public administrations (e-government),access to and use of technologies enabling connection to the Internet or other networks from anywhere at any time (ubiquitous connectivity).Breakdowns (see details of available breakdowns): Relating to households: by region of residence (NUTS 1, optional: NUTS 2)by geographical location: less developed regions, transition regions, more developed regionsby degree of urbanisation (till 2012: densely/intermediate/sparsely populated areas; from 2012: densely/thinly populated area, intermediate density area) by type of householdby households net monthly income (optional) Relating to individuals: by region of residence (NUTS1, optional: NUTS 2)by geographical location: less developed regions, transition regions, more developed regionsby degree of urbanisation: (till 2012: densely/intermediate/sparsely populated areas; from 2012: densely/thinly populated area, intermediate density area)by genderby country of birth, country of citizenship (as of 2010, optional in 2010)by educational level: ISCED 1997 up to 2013 and ISCED 2011 from 2014 onwards.by occupation: manual, non-manual; ICT (coded by 2-digit ISCO categories)/non-ICT (optional: all 2-digit ISCO categories)by employment situationby age (in completed years and by groups)legal / de facto marital status (2011-2014, optional) Regional breakdowns (NUTS) are available only for a selection of indicators disseminated in the regional tables in Eurobase (Regional Information society statistics by NUTS regions (isoc_reg): Households with access to the internet at homeHouseholds with broadband accessIndividuals who have never used a computerIndividuals who used the internet, frequency of use and activitiesIndividuals who used the internet for interaction with public authoritiesIndividuals who ordered goods or services over the internet for private useIndividuals who accessed the internet away from home or work

The data on contingent liabilities and potential obligations of government are collected in the context of the Enhanced Economic Governance package (the "six-pack") adopted in 2011. In particular, Council Directive 2011/85 on requirements for budgetary frameworks of the Member States requires the Member States to publish relevant information on contingent liabilities with potentially large impacts on public budgets, including government guarantees, non-performing loans, and liabilities stemming from the operation of public corporations, including the extent thereof. The liabilities are called “contingent” in the sense that they are by nature only potential and not actual liabilities and can materialise as actual government liabilities only if certain specific conditions prevail. Non-performing loans could imply a potential loss for government if these loans were not repaid by their original debtor. This new data collection represents a step towards further transparency of public finances in the EU by giving a more comprehensive picture of EU Member States’ financial positions. It is to be underlined that contingent liabilities are not part of the general government (Maastricht) debt as defined in the Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2009 of 25 May 2009 on the application of the Protocol on the excessive deficit procedure annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community. Eurostat collects and publishes the following indicators: government guarantees, liabilities related to public-private partnerships recorded off-balance sheet of government, liabilities of government controlled entities classified outside general government (public corporations) and non-performing loans (government assets). Regarding government controlled entities, it should be mentioned that this refers to  government controlled units, not classified in general government, and which are controlled, directly or indirectly (through other public units), by government. In cases when the government share in a corporation is lower than 50% and government does not have control over an entity, the corporation is not considered as controlled by government. Regarding the control criteria, according to ESA 2010 paragraph 20.18: “Control over an entity is the ability to determine the general policy or programme of that entity (…)”. The criteria to be used for corporations are indicated in ESA 2010 paragraphs 2.38 and further detailed in paragraph 20.309. ESA 2010 paragraph 2.38 specifies that: “General government secures control over a corpo­ration as a result of special legislation, decree or reg­ulation which empowers the government to deter­mine corporate policy. The following indicators are the main factors to consider in deciding whether a corporation is controlled by government:(a) government ownership of the majority of the voting interest; (b) government control of the board or governing body; (c) government control of the appointment and removal of key personnel;(d) government control of key committees in the entity; (e) government possession of a golden share; (f) special regulations; (g) government as a dominant customer; (h) borrowing from government. A single indicator may be sufficient to establish control, but, in other cases, a number of separate indicators may collectively indicate control.”

The data on contingent liabilities and potential obligations of government are collected in the context of the Enhanced Economic Governance package (the "six-pack") adopted in 2011. In particular, Council Directive 2011/85 on requirements for budgetary frameworks of the Member States requires the Member States to publish relevant information on contingent liabilities with potentially large impacts on public budgets, including government guarantees, non-performing loans, and liabilities stemming from the operation of public corporations, including the extent thereof. The liabilities are called “contingent” in the sense that they are by nature only potential and not actual liabilities. Non-performing loans could imply a potential loss for government if these loans were not repaid. This new data collection represents a step towards further transparency of public finances in the EU by giving a more comprehensive picture of EU Member States’ financial positions3 It is to be underlined that contingent liabilities are not part of the general government (Maastricht) debt as defined in the Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2009 of 25 May 2009 on the application of the Protocol on the excessive deficit procedure annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community. Eurostat collects and publishes the following indicators: government guarantees, liabilities related to public-private partnerships recorded off-balance sheet of government, liabilities of government controlled entities classified outside general government (public corporations) and non-performing loans. Regarding government controlled entities, it should be mentioned that this refers to  government controlled units, not classified in general government, and which are controlled, directly or indirectly (through other public units), by government. In cases when the government share in a corporation is lower than 50% and government does not have control over an entity, the corporation is not considered as controlled by government. Regarding the control criteria, according to ESA 2010 paragraph 20.18: “Control over an entity is the ability to determine the general policy or programme of that entity (…)”. The criteria to be used for corporations are indicated in ESA 2010 paragraphs 2.38 and further detailed in paragraph 20.309. ESA 2010 paragraph 2.38 specifies that: “General government secures control over a corpo­ration as a result of special legislation, decree or reg­ulation which empowers the government to deter­mine corporate policy. The following indicators are the main factors to consider in deciding whether a corporation is controlled by government:(a) government ownership of the majority of the voting interest; (b) government control of the board or governing body; (c) government control of the appointment and removal of key personnel;(d) government control of key committees in the entity; (e) government possession of a golden share; (f) special regulations; (g) government as a dominant customer; (h) borrowing from government. A single indicator may be sufficient to establish control, but, in other cases, a number of separate indicators may collectively indicate control.”

Data are the result of the annual structure of government debt survey and cover the EU countries as well as Norway. The following series are available: Central government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; State government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Local government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Social security funds gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; General government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Debt by currency of issuance; Government guarantees (contingent liabilities).

Long term government bond yields are calculated as monthly averages (non seasonally adjusted data). They refer to central government bond yields on the secondary market, gross of tax, with a residual maturity of around 10 years. The bond or the bonds of the basket have to be replaced regularly to avoid any maturity drift. This definition is used in the convergence criteria of the Economic and Monetary Union for long-term interest rates, as required under Article 121 of the Treaty of Amsterdam and the Protocol on the convergence criteria. Data are presented in raw form. Source: European Central Bank (ECB)

Data are the result of the annual structure of government debt survey and cover the EU countries as well as Norway. The following series are available: Central government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; State government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Local government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Social security funds gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; General government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Debt by currency of issuance; Government guarantees (contingent liabilities); Average remaining maturity of debt; Apparent cost of the debt; Market value of debt.

The data on contingent liabilities and potential obligations of government are collected in the context of the Enhanced Economic Governance package (the "six-pack") adopted in 2011. In particular, Council Directive 2011/85 on requirements for budgetary frameworks of the Member States requires the Member States to publish relevant information on contingent liabilities with potentially large impacts on public budgets, including government guarantees, non-performing loans, and liabilities stemming from the operation of public corporations, including the extent thereof. The liabilities are called “contingent” in the sense that they are by nature only potential and not actual liabilities. Non-performing loans could imply a potential loss for government if these loans were not repaid. This new data collection represents a step towards further transparency of public finances in the EU by giving a more comprehensive picture of EU Member States’ financial positions3 It is to be underlined that contingent liabilities are not part of the general government (Maastricht) debt as defined in the Council Regulation (EC) No 479/2009 of 25 May 2009 on the application of the Protocol on the excessive deficit procedure annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community. Eurostat collects and publishes the following indicators: government guarantees, liabilities related to public-private partnerships recorded off-balance sheet of government, liabilities of government controlled entities classified outside general government (public corporations) and non-performing loans. Regarding government controlled entities, it should be mentioned that this refers to  government controlled units, not classified in general government, and which are controlled, directly or indirectly (through other public units), by government. In cases when the government share in a corporation is lower than 50% and government does not have control over an entity, the corporation is not considered as controlled by government. Regarding the control criteria, according to ESA 2010 paragraph 20.18: “Control over an entity is the ability to determine the general policy or programme of that entity (…)”. The criteria to be used for corporations are indicated in ESA 2010 paragraphs 2.38 and further detailed in paragraph 20.309. ESA 2010 paragraph 2.38 specifies that: “General government secures control over a corpo­ration as a result of special legislation, decree or reg­ulation which empowers the government to deter­mine corporate policy. The following indicators are the main factors to consider in deciding whether a corporation is controlled by government:(a) government ownership of the majority of the voting interest; (b) government control of the board or governing body; (c) government control of the appointment and removal of key personnel;(d) government control of key committees in the entity; (e) government possession of a golden share; (f) special regulations; (g) government as a dominant customer; (h) borrowing from government. A single indicator may be sufficient to establish control, but, in other cases, a number of separate indicators may collectively indicate control.”

The Community Innovation Survey (CIS) is a survey of innovation activity in enterprises. The harmonised survey is designed to provide information on the innovativeness of sectors by type of enterprises, on the different types of innovation and on various aspects of the development of an innovation, such as the objectives, the sources of information, the public funding or the expenditures. The CIS provides statistics broke down by countries, type of innovators, economic activities and size classes. The survey is currently carried out every two years across the European Union, some EFTA countries and EU candidate countries. In order to ensure comparability across countries, Eurostat, in close cooperation with the countries, has developed a standard core questionnaire starting with the CIS3 data collection, along with an accompanying set of definitions and methodological recommendations. The concepts and underlying methodology of the CIS are also based on the Oslo Manual — second edition of 1997 and third edition of 2005 (see link at the bottom of the page). Up to CIS 2010, CIS results were collected under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1450/2004. A new Regulation will apply from CIS 2012 (EC No 995/2012). The data presented in these tables refer to enterprises with ‘10 employees or more’ active in the sectors to be covered under the Regulation (cf. NACE CORE). Further activities may be covered on a voluntary basis. Most statistics are based on a reference period of three years, but some use one calendar year. Since CIS 2008, the survey has included an ad-hoc module. It consists of a set of questions focusing on a special theme. The themes are different in each survey wave, allowing data to be obtained on specific issues beyond the data usually collected. Overview over time: Initially, the CIS data collection was carried out every four years. The first collection (CIS Light) was launched in 1993 as a pilot exercise and the second (CIS2) was carried out in 1997/1998 for most countries except Greece and Ireland, where it was launched in 1999. The third survey (CIS3) was conducted in 2000/2001 for most participating countries with the exception of Norway, Iceland, Luxembourg and Greece, where it was launched in 2002. As from 2004, the survey has been carried out every two years. CIS4 was conducted in the 25 EU Member States (as for 2004), Iceland, Norway, Bulgaria and Romania. The survey was launched in 2005 with a three-year reference period 2002 to 2004 for most indicators. The fifth survey CIS 2006 was carried out in all 25 EU Member States (as for 2006), Norway, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Turkey. It was launched in 2007, mostly for the reference period 2004 to 2006. As regards CIS 2008, 26 Member States (all except Greece), Iceland, Norway, Croatia and Turkey took part in the survey. CIS 2008 was launched in 2009 with a three-year reference period 2006 to 2008 for most indicators. Changes were made to the CIS 2008 questionnaire to bring it into line with the third revision of the Oslo Manual, 2005 edition, by giving greater weight to organisational and marketing innovation. CIS 2008 was complemented by an ad-hoc module on innovation with environmental benefits. The seventh Community Innovation Survey, CIS 2010, had 31 participating countries (all the EU 27 Member States (except Greece), Iceland, Norway, Croatia, Serbia and Turkey) and reported most results for the reference period 2008-2010. CIS 2010 also follows the recommendations of the Oslo Manual and reports indicators on four types of innovation: product, process, organisational and marketing. However, despite implementation of the recommendations of the third edition of the Oslo Manual, the question on innovation expenditures is still limited to product and process innovation in order to maintain continuity with earlier versions of the CIS. Furthermore, generally fewer questions are asked about organisational and marketing innovation than about product and process innovation. While the European innovation statistics use the aggregated national data, the microdata sets can be accessed by researchers via the SAFE Centre of Eurostat in Luxembourg or via the microdata on CD-ROM releases in more anonymised form; some countries also provide access to their micro-data at similar safe centres.

The Community Innovation Survey (CIS) is a survey of innovation activity in enterprises. The harmonised survey is designed to provide information on the innovativeness of sectors by type of enterprises, on the different types of innovation and on various aspects of the development of an innovation, such as the objectives, the sources of information, the public funding or the expenditures. The CIS provides statistics broke down by countries, type of innovators, economic activities and size classes. The survey is currently carried out every two years across the European Union, some EFTA countries and EU candidate countries. In order to ensure comparability across countries, Eurostat, in close cooperation with the countries, has developed a standard core questionnaire starting with the CIS3 data collection, along with an accompanying set of definitions and methodological recommendations. The concepts and underlying methodology of the CIS are also based on the Oslo Manual — second edition of 1997 and third edition of 2005 (see link at the bottom of the page). Up to CIS 2010, CIS results were collected under Commission Regulation (EC) No 1450/2004. A new Regulation will apply from CIS 2012 (EC No 995/2012). The data presented in these tables refer to enterprises with ‘10 employees or more’ active in the sectors to be covered under the Regulation (cf. NACE CORE). Further activities may be covered on a voluntary basis. Most statistics are based on a reference period of three years, but some use one calendar year. Since CIS 2008, the survey has included an ad-hoc module. It consists of a set of questions focusing on a special theme. The themes are different in each survey wave, allowing data to be obtained on specific issues beyond the data usually collected. Overview over time: Initially, the CIS data collection was carried out every four years. The first collection (CIS Light) was launched in 1993 as a pilot exercise and the second (CIS2) was carried out in 1997/1998 for most countries except Greece and Ireland, where it was launched in 1999. The third survey (CIS3) was conducted in 2000/2001 for most participating countries with the exception of Norway, Iceland, Luxembourg and Greece, where it was launched in 2002. As from 2004, the survey has been carried out every two years. CIS4 was conducted in the 25 EU Member States (as for 2004), Iceland, Norway, Bulgaria and Romania. The survey was launched in 2005 with a three-year reference period 2002 to 2004 for most indicators. The fifth survey CIS 2006 was carried out in all 25 EU Member States (as for 2006), Norway, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Turkey. It was launched in 2007, mostly for the reference period 2004 to 2006. As regards CIS 2008, 26 Member States (all except Greece), Iceland, Norway, Croatia and Turkey took part in the survey. CIS 2008 was launched in 2009 with a three-year reference period 2006 to 2008 for most indicators. Changes were made to the CIS 2008 questionnaire to bring it into line with the third revision of the Oslo Manual, 2005 edition, by giving greater weight to organisational and marketing innovation. CIS 2008 was complemented by an ad-hoc module on innovation with environmental benefits. The seventh Community Innovation Survey, CIS 2010, had 31 participating countries (all the EU 27 Member States (except Greece), Iceland, Norway, Croatia, Serbia and Turkey) and reported most results for the reference period 2008-2010. CIS 2010 also follows the recommendations of the Oslo Manual and reports indicators on four types of innovation: product, process, organisational and marketing. However, despite implementation of the recommendations of the third edition of the Oslo Manual, the question on innovation expenditures is still limited to product and process innovation in order to maintain continuity with earlier versions of the CIS. Furthermore, generally fewer questions are asked about organisational and marketing innovation than about product and process innovation. While the European innovation statistics use the aggregated national data, the microdata sets can be accessed by researchers via the SAFE Centre of Eurostat in Luxembourg or via the microdata on CD-ROM releases in more anonymised form; some countries also provide access to their micro-data at similar safe centres.

Share of EU population covered by the new Convenant of Mayors per Member State, as the ratio between the population of the cities that have signed in a country and the total population of that country.

The indicator measures confidence among EU citizens in a selection of EU institutions: the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the European Central Bank. It is expressed as the share of positive opinions (people who declare that they tend to trust) about the institutions. Citizens are asked to express their confidence levels by choosing the following alternatives: ‘tend to trust’, ‘tend not to trust’ and ‘don’t know’ or ‘no answer’. The indicator is based on the Eurobarometer, a survey which has been conducted twice a year since 1973 to monitor the evolution of public opinion in the Member States. The indicator only displays the results of the autumn survey.

Data given in this domain are collected annually by the National Statistical Institutes and are based on Eurostat's annual model questionnaires on ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) usage in households and by individuals. The model questionnaire changes every year. The changes of questions in the MQ are required by the evolving situation of information and communication technologies. Large part of the data collected are used in the context of the follow up of the Digital Single Market process (Monitoring the Digital Economy & Society  2016-2021). This conceptual framework follows the 2011 - 2015 benchmarking framework, the i2010 Benchmarking Framework and the eEurope 2005 Action Plan. ICT usage data are also used in the Consumer Conditions Scoreboard (purchases over the Internet) and in the Employment Guidelines (e-skills of individuals). The aim of the European ICT surveys is the timely provision of statistics on individuals and households on the use of Information and Communication Technologies at European level. Data for this collection are supplied directly from the surveys with no separate treatment. Coverage: The characteristics to be provided are drawn from the following list of subjects: access to and use of ICTs by individuals and/or in households,use of the Internet and other electronic networks for different purposes by individuals and/or in households,ICT security and trust,ICT competence and skills,barriers to the use of ICT and the Internet,perceived effects of ICT usage on individuals and/or on households,use of ICT by individuals to exchange information and services with governments and public administrations (e-government),access to and use of technologies enabling connection to the Internet or other networks from anywhere at any time (ubiquitous connectivity).Breakdowns (see details of available breakdowns): Relating to households: by region of residence (NUTS 1, optional: NUTS 2)by geographical location: less developed regions, transition regions, more developed regionsby degree of urbanisation (till 2012: densely/intermediate/sparsely populated areas; from 2012: densely/thinly populated area, intermediate density area) by type of householdby households net monthly income (optional) Relating to individuals: by region of residence (NUTS1, optional: NUTS 2)by geographical location: less developed regions, transition regions, more developed regionsby degree of urbanisation: (till 2012: densely/intermediate/sparsely populated areas; from 2012: densely/thinly populated area, intermediate density area)by genderby country of birth, country of citizenship (as of 2010, optional in 2010)by educational level: ISCED 1997 up to 2013 and ISCED 2011 from 2014 onwards.by occupation: manual, non-manual; ICT (coded by 2-digit ISCO categories)/non-ICT (optional: all 2-digit ISCO categories)by employment situationby age (in completed years and by groups)legal / de facto marital status (2011-2014, optional) Regional breakdowns (NUTS) are available only for a selection of indicators disseminated in the regional tables in Eurobase (Regional Information society statistics by NUTS regions (isoc_reg): Households with access to the internet at homeHouseholds with broadband accessIndividuals who have never used a computerIndividuals who used the internet, frequency of use and activitiesIndividuals who used the internet for interaction with public authoritiesIndividuals who ordered goods or services over the internet for private useIndividuals who accessed the internet away from home or work

The data correspond to quarterly financial accounts for the general government sector and follows the ESA2010 methodology. The data covers financial transactions and balance sheet items for general government (consolidated and non-consolidated) and its subsectors. This includes a number of financial instruments (F.1, F.2, F.3, F.4, ...) as well as some balancing items such as net financial transactions, net financial worth and net financial assets and liabilties. Data are available in million of euro, million of national currency (average exchange rates are used for transactions and end of period exchange rates are used for stocks) and as a percentage of GDP (for transactions quarterly GDP is used; for stocks a rolling sum of the last four quarters is used). In the table gov_10a_ggfa, annualised quarterly financial accounts for general government are presented. For financial transactions, data is summed over the four quarters of each year. For the conversion from national currency into euro, the yearly average exchange rate is used. For balance sheet items (stocks), the annualised data corresponds to the data of the fourth quarter. The percentage of GDP data of annualised data uses annual GDP transmitted by the Member States. In the course of the annualisation, small rounding differences may be amplified. Geographic coverage: EU and euro area. Main data sources are the tables provided according to the European Parliament and Council Regulation (EU) N° 549/2013 of 21 May 2013 (OJ No L174/1).

'Quarterly government debt' is defined as the total gross debt at nominal value outstanding at the end of each quarter for the general government sector (ref. Regulation  (EU) No 549/2013, Annex B transmission programme, definition of general government sector ESA 2010 §2.111). Data are measured in million Euro, million of national currency units, percentage of GDP and percentage of total consolidated debt. Data cover EU Member States and Norway. Quarterly data on government debt is provided according to the provisions of the European System of Accounts ESA 2010 (Regulation (EU) No 549/2013). Data is transmitted by national authorities (National Statistical Institutes, National Central Banks or Ministries of Finance).

The data correspond to quarterly non-financial accounts for the general government sector which are conceptually consistent with the corresponding annual data compiled on a national accounts (ESA2010) basis. The data sets contain quarterly general government total expenditure and total revenue figures, as well as their breakdowns by relevant categories and the resulting quarterly government deficit/surplus.

Data given in this domain are collected on a yearly basis by the National Statistical Institutes or Ministries and are based on the annual Eurostat Model Questionnaires on ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) usage and e-commerce in enterprises. Large part of the data collected are used in the context of the 2011 - 2015 benchmarking framework (endorsed by i2010 High Level Group in November 2009) for the Digital Agenda Scoreboard, Europe's strategy for a flourishing digital economy by 2020. This conceptual framework follows the i2010 Benchmarking Framework which itself followed-up the eEurope 2005 Action Plan. The aim of the European ICT usage surveys is to collect and disseminate harmonised and comparable information on the use of Information and Communication Technologies in enterprises and e-commerce at European level. Coverage: The characteristics to be provided are drawn from the following list of subjects: ICT systems and their usage in enterprises,use of the Internet and other electronic networks by enterprises,e-commerce,e-business processes and organisational aspects,use of ICT by enterprises to exchange information and services with governments and public administrations (e-government),ICT competence in the enterprise and the need for ICT skills,barriers to the use of ICT, the Internet and other electronic networks, e-commerce and e-business processes,ICT expenditure and investment,ICT security and trust,use of ICT and its impact on the environment (Green ICT),access to and use of the Internet and other network technologies for connecting objects and devices (Internet of Things),access to and use of technologies providing the ability to connect to the Internet or other networks from anywhere at any time (ubiquitous connectivity).Breakdowns:by size class,by NACE categories,by region (until 2010)

This collection provides users with data concerning R&D expenditure and R&D personnel broken down by following institutional sectors: business enterprise (BES), government (GOV), higher education (HES), private non-profit (PNP) with the total of sectors. All data are broken down by the above mentioned sectors of performance. The R&D expenditure is further broken down by source of funds, by type of costs, by economic activity (NACE Rev.2), by size class, by type of R&D, by fields of science, by socio-economic objectives and by regions (NUTS 2 level). Besides R&D expenditures in basic unit National currency (MIO_NAC) the following units are available: Euro (MIO_EUR), Euro per inhabitant (EUR_HAB) Purchasing Power Standard (MIO_PPS), Purchasing Power Standard at 2005 prices (MIO_PPS_KP05), Purchasing Power Standard per inhabitant at constant 2005 prices (PPS_KP05_HAB), Percentage of GDP (PC_GDP) and Percentage of total R&D expenditure (PC_TOT - for the breakdown by source of funds). R&D personnel data is available in full-time equivalent (FTE), in head count (HC), as a % of employment and as a % of labour force. The data is further broken down by occupation, by qualification, by gender, by size class, by citizenship, by age groups, by fields of science, by economic activity (NACE Rev.2) and by regions (NUTS 2 level). The periodicity of R&D data is biennial except for the key R&D indicators (R&D expenditure, R&D personnel and Researchers by sectors of performance) which are transmitted annually by the EU Member States on the basis of a legal obligation from 2003 onwards. Some other breakdowns of the data may appear on annual basis based on voluntary data provisions. The data are collected through sample or census surveys, from administrative registers or through a combination of sources. R&D data are available for following countries and country groups: - All EU Member States, plus Candidate Countries, EFTA Countries, the Russian Federation, China, Japan, the United States and South Korea. - Country groups: EU-28, EU-15 and EA-18. R&D data are compiled in accordance to the guidelines laid down in the Proposed standard practice for surveys of research and experimental development - Frascati Manual (FM), OECD, 2002 .

This collection provides users with data concerning R&D expenditure and R&D personnel broken down by following institutional sectors: business enterprise (BES), government (GOV), higher education (HES), private non-profit (PNP) with the total of sectors. All data are broken down by the above mentioned sectors of performance. The R&D expenditure is further broken down by source of funds, by type of costs, by economic activity (NACE Rev.2), by size class, by type of R&D, by fields of science, by socio-economic objectives and by regions (NUTS 2 level). Besides R&D expenditures in basic unit National currency (MIO_NAC) the following units are available: Euro (MIO_EUR), Euro per inhabitant (EUR_HAB) Purchasing Power Standard (MIO_PPS), Purchasing Power Standard at 2005 prices (MIO_PPS_KP05), Purchasing Power Standard per inhabitant at constant 2005 prices (PPS_KP05_HAB), Percentage of GDP (PC_GDP) and Percentage of total R&D expenditure (PC_TOT - for the breakdown by source of funds). R&D personnel data is available in full-time equivalent (FTE), in head count (HC), as a % of employment and as a % of labour force. The data is further broken down by occupation, by qualification, by gender, by size class, by citizenship, by age groups, by fields of science, by economic activity (NACE Rev.2) and by regions (NUTS 2 level). The periodicity of R&D data is biennial except for the key R&D indicators (R&D expenditure, R&D personnel and Researchers by sectors of performance) which are transmitted annually by the EU Member States on the basis of a legal obligation from 2003 onwards. Some other breakdowns of the data may appear on annual basis based on voluntary data provisions. The data are collected through sample or census surveys, from administrative registers or through a combination of sources. R&D data are available for following countries and country groups: - All EU Member States, plus Candidate Countries, EFTA Countries, the Russian Federation, China, Japan, the United States and South Korea. - Country groups: EU-28, EU-15 and EA-18. R&D data are compiled in accordance to the guidelines laid down in the Proposed standard practice for surveys of research and experimental development - Frascati Manual (FM), OECD, 2002 .

The indicator measures the proportion of women in national parliaments and national governments. The national parliament is the national legislative assembly and the indicator refers to both chambers (lower house and an upper house, where relevant). The count of members of a parliament includes the president/speaker/leader of the parliament. The national government is the executive body with authority to govern a country or a state. Members of government include both senior ministers (having a seat in the cabinet or council of ministers, including the prime minister) and junior ministers (not having a seat in the cabinet). In some countries state-secretaries (or the national equivalent) are considered as junior ministers within the government (with no seat in the cabinet) but in other countries they are not considered as members of the government.

The supplementary table on accrued-to-date  pension entitlements in social insurance (pensions in National Accounts) is compiled in accordance with the European System of Accounts (ESA 2010) and is transmitted by EU Member States, EEA Members (Norway, Iceland) and Switzerland following the ESA2010 transmission programme (Table 29) established by the Regulation (EU) No 549/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2013 on the European system of national and regional accounts in the European Union, annexes A and B respectively). By introducing this table, ESA 2010 added enhanced reporting on pensions, covering both entitlements of pension schemes recorded in the core national accounts, and unfunded "pay-as-you-go" pension schemes managed by general government. The latters' entitlements are excluded from the core national accounts and are considered as contingent liabilities. However, full coverage of all pension schemes in one table provides a complete overview of organisation of pension social insurance in a given country and enhances cross-country analysis of pension entitlements of households. At the same time, it should be stressed that accrued-to-date pension entitlements in social insurance are not a measure of the sustainability of public finances and not part of government debt. The European reporting system on age-related expenditure is multifaceted. National accountants focus in this dataset on already earned (accrued-to-date) pension entitlements of current persons employed and current pensioners, whereas the Economic Policy Committee (EPC) is analysing the impact of ageing on European societies from a wider angle. The EPC'S Ageing Report includes estimates for pension entitlements (and related contributions) being accrued in the future. Data are presented by means of two tables: 1.  "Accrued-to-date pension entitlements in social insurance" (nasa_10_pens1) The table gives an overview of accumulation of pension entitlements by all types of social insurance pension schemes (defined contribution vs. defined benefit schemes, private vs. general government schemes, core accounts schemes vs. social security schemes) in a given period due to pension contributions, payment of pension benefits and other changes. 2. "Sensitivity analysis of accrued-to-date pension entitlements in general government pension schemes outside of core national accounts" (nasa_10_pens2) The data on unfunded general government pension schemes outside of core national accounts are based on actuarial calculations. Thus, the results for pension entitlements depend to a large extent on the underlying assumptions. To ensure a consistent approach and cross-country data comparability, actuarial assumptions for these schemes in ESA 2010 Table 29 are aligned with those proposed by the EPC Ageing Working group (AWG), including the discount rate to calculate present value of pension entitlements. Actuarial assumptions are regularly reviewed by the AWG in the framework of 3-yearly Ageing reports. Analysis shows that the discount rate is the most important parameter that impacts on the resulting value of pension entitlements. Therefore, table 2 shows how the outcome of actuarial calculations varies based on a different choice of discount rate. Three scenarios are presented as follows under SECTOR dimension: S13_BC – base case scenario with current discount rate 5% in nominal terms (3% in real terms) S13_SC1 –scenario with discount rate 1 percentage point less than in base case S13_SC3 –scenario with discount rate 1 percentage point higher than in base case Data, as far as they are available, are expressed in national currency and millions of euro in current prices. In line with ESA2010 Transmission programme requirements data series start from 2015 and are to be transmitted on 3-yearly basis. Countries may transmit longer time series or transmit data annually on voluntary basis.

Data on Government Budget Appropriations or Outlays on Research and Development (GBAORD) refer to budget provisions, not to actual expenditure, i.e. GBAORD measures government support for R&D using data collected from budgets. The GBAORD indicator should be seen as a complement to indicators based on surveys of R&D performers, which are considered to be a more accurate but less timely way of measuring R&D activities. In this table, total GBAORD is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure.

Data are the result of the annual structure of government debt survey and cover the EU countries as well as Norway. The following series are available: Central government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; State government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Local government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Social security funds gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; General government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Debt by currency of issuance; Government guarantees (contingent liabilities).

Data are the result of the annual structure of government debt survey and cover the EU countries as well as Norway. The following series are available: Central government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; State government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Local government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Social security funds gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; General government gross debt by initital maturity and sector of debt holder; Debt by currency of issuance; Government guarantees (contingent liabilities).

This domain provides users with data concerning Government Budget Appropriations or Outlays on R&D (GBAORD). GBAORD data are measuring government support to research and development (R&D) activities, or, in other words, how much priority Governments place on the public funding of R&D. GBAORD data are built up using the guidelines laid out in the Proposed standard practice for surveys of research and experimental development - Frascati Manual, OECD, 2002 (See annex at the bottom of the page). GBAORD data are broken down by:   - Socio-economic objectives (SEOs) in accordance to the Nomenclature for the analysis and comparison of scientific programmes and budgets (NABS 2007) - (See annex at the bottom of the page).   - Funding mode into: project funding and institutional funding (non-mandatory data). Part of GBAORD, which is allocated to transnational cooperation in R&D, is further broken down into three specific categories: transnational public R&D performers; Europe-wide transnational public R&D programmes and bilateral or multilateral public R&D programmes established between Member State governments or with EFTA and candidate countries. Besides in basic unit National currency (MIO_NAC) the following units are available: Euro (MIO_EUR), Euro per inhabitant (EUR_HAB) Purchasing Power Standard (MIO_PPS), Purchasing Power Standard at 2005 prices (MIO_PPS_KP05), Purchasing Power Standard per inhabitant at constant 2005 prices (PPS_ HAB_KP05), Percentage of GDP (PC_GDP), Percentage of total GBAORD (PC_GBA - for the breakdowns by socio-economic objectives and by funding mode), Percentage of total transnationally coordinated R&D (PC_TOT - for the breakdown by category), Percentage of government expenditure (PC_GEXP). The periodicity of the GBAORD data is annual. Data are collected corresponding to the two legally established deadlines:   - June data collection: Preliminary GBAORD data are provided to Eurostat 6 months after the end of the calendar year (June). This data are targeted to be disseminated in Eurobase in September.   - December data collection: Final GBAORD data are provided to Eurostat 12 months after the end of the calendar year (December). This data are targeted to be disseminated in Eurobase in the following February. GBAORD data are available for following countries and country groups:   - All EU Member States, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland,  Turkey, the Russian Federation, Japan, the United States and South Korea.   - Country groups: EU28, EU15 and EA18.

Total general government expenditure is defined in ESA 2010 8.100 and chapter 20 by reference to a list of categories: intermediate consumption, gross capital formation, compensation of employees, other taxes on production, subsidies, payable property income, current taxes on income, wealth, etc., social benefits other than social transfers in kind, social transfers in kind - purchased market production, other current transfers, adjustments for the change in pension entitlements, capital transfers and acquisitions less disposals of non-financial non-produced assets.

Total general government revenue is defined in ESA 2010 8.100 and chapter 20 by reference to a list of categories: market output, output for own final use, payments for non-market output, taxes on production and imports, other subsidies on production, receivable property income, current taxes on income, wealth, etc., net social contributions, other current transfers and capital transfers.

Government Finance Statistics (GFS) form the basis for fiscal monitoring in Europe, most notably for the statistics related to the Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP). The EDP is established in the Treaty and specified in the Stability and Growth Pact legislation. The Member States report data related to the EDP to the Commission (Eurostat) which, in turn, is responsible for providing the data to the Council. European GFS, including the statistics for the EDP, are produced in accordance with the European System of Accounts 2010 (ESA 2010), the EU manual for national accounts, which in September 2014 replaced the previous version of the national accounting framework ESA 95. It is supplemented by further interpretation and guidance from Eurostat, in particular the Manual on Government Deficit and Debt. Council Regulation 479/2009 as amended requires that Member States report government deficit/surplus (hereinafter deficit) and debt data related to the EDP twice per year: before 1 April and 1 October for the preceding four calendar years and a forecast for the current year. The data are reported in harmonised tables. These tables are designed specifically to provide a consistent framework, with a link to national budgetary aggregates and between the deficit and changes in the debt. They should be fully consistent with GFS data delivered to Eurostat in the ESA 2010 transmission programme. The EDP notification tables contain for general government and its sub sectors:Table 1: Summary table on deficit and debt, including auxiliary indicators (Gross Fixed Capital Formation, Interest and Gross Domestic Product - GDP)Tables 2A - 2D: Transition from the working balance to the deficit/surplus for general government sub sectorsTables 3A - 3E: Transition from the deficit/surplus to the change in debt for general government and its sub sectorsTable 4: Supplementary data. The data are presented in the Eurostat's Statistics Database in national currency, euro/ECU, and percentage of GDP. In order to reflect economic and technological developments and meet user needs, in September 2014 the new national accounting framework ESA 2010 replaced the previous framework ESA 95. This led to revisions of the time series for all Member States (please see Eurostat press release for the impact of the revisions on the government deficit and debt ratios). The main changes relate to the classification of certain entities into government and the treatment of transactions related to pension schemes. Also the concept of government deficit was changed as regards treatment of interest on swaps and forward rate agreements (Commission Regulation 220/2014 amending the Council Regulation 479/2009), according to which these flows are now recorded as financial transaction in line with the core ESA accounting framework.

Government Finance Statistics (GFS) form the basis for fiscal monitoring in Europe, most notably for the statistics related to the Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP). The EDP is established in the Treaty and specified in the Stability and Growth Pact legislation. The Member States report data related to the EDP to the Commission (Eurostat) which, in turn, is responsible for providing the data to the Council. European GFS, including the statistics for the EDP, are produced in accordance with the European System of Accounts 2010 (ESA 2010), the EU manual for national accounts, which in September 2014 replaced the previous version of the national accounting framework ESA 95. It is supplemented by further interpretation and guidance from Eurostat, in particular the Manual on Government Deficit and Debt. Council Regulation 479/2009 as amended requires that Member States report government deficit/surplus (hereinafter deficit) and debt data related to the EDP twice per year: before 1 April and 1 October for the preceding four calendar years and a forecast for the current year. The data are reported in harmonised tables. These tables are designed specifically to provide a consistent framework, with a link to national budgetary aggregates and between the deficit and changes in the debt. They should be fully consistent with GFS data delivered to Eurostat in the ESA 2010 transmission programme. The EDP notification tables contain for general government and its sub sectors: Table 1: Summary table on deficit and debt, including auxiliary indicators (Gross Fixed Capital Formation, Interest and Gross Domestic Product - GDP)Tables 2A - 2D: Transition from the working balance to the deficit/surplus for general government sub sectorsTables 3A - 3E: Transition from the deficit/surplus to the change in debt for general government and its sub sectorsTable 4: Supplementary data. The data are presented in the Eurostat's Statistics Database in national currency, euro/ECU, and percentage of GDP. In order to reflect economic and technological developments and meet user needs, in September 2014 the new national accounting framework ESA 2010 replaced the previous framework ESA 95. This led to revisions of the time series for all Member States (please see Eurostat press release for the impact of the revisions on the government deficit and debt ratios). The main changes relate to the classification of certain entities into government and the treatment of transactions related to pension schemes. Also the concept of government deficit was changed as regards treatment of interest on swaps and forward rate agreements (Commission Regulation 220/2014 amending the Council Regulation 479/2009), according to which these flows are now recorded as financial transaction in line with the core ESA accounting framework.

Data given in this domain are collected annually by the National Statistical Institutes and are based on Eurostat's annual model questionnaires on ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) usage in households and by individuals. The model questionnaire changes every year. The changes of questions in the MQ are required by the evolving situation of information and communication technologies. Large part of the data collected are used in the context of the follow up of the Digital Single Market process (Monitoring the Digital Economy & Society  2016-2021). This conceptual framework follows the 2011 - 2015 benchmarking framework, the i2010 Benchmarking Framework and the eEurope 2005 Action Plan. ICT usage data are also used in the Consumer Conditions Scoreboard (purchases over the Internet) and in the Employment Guidelines (e-skills of individuals). The aim of the European ICT surveys is the timely provision of statistics on individuals and households on the use of Information and Communication Technologies at European level. Data for this collection are supplied directly from the surveys with no separate treatment. Coverage: The characteristics to be provided are drawn from the following list of subjects: access to and use of ICTs by individuals and/or in households,use of the Internet and other electronic networks for different purposes by individuals and/or in households,ICT security and trust,ICT competence and skills,barriers to the use of ICT and the Internet,perceived effects of ICT usage on individuals and/or on households,use of ICT by individuals to exchange information and services with governments and public administrations (e-government),access to and use of technologies enabling connection to the Internet or other networks from anywhere at any time (ubiquitous connectivity).Breakdowns (see details of available breakdowns): Relating to households: by region of residence (NUTS 1, optional: NUTS 2)by geographical location: less developed regions, transition regions, more developed regionsby degree of urbanisation (till 2012: densely/intermediate/sparsely populated areas; from 2012: densely/thinly populated area, intermediate density area) by type of householdby households net monthly income (optional) Relating to individuals: by region of residence (NUTS1, optional: NUTS 2)by geographical location: less developed regions, transition regions, more developed regionsby degree of urbanisation: (till 2012: densely/intermediate/sparsely populated areas; from 2012: densely/thinly populated area, intermediate density area)by genderby country of birth, country of citizenship (as of 2010, optional in 2010)by educational level: ISCED 1997 up to 2013 and ISCED 2011 from 2014 onwards.by occupation: manual, non-manual; ICT (coded by 2-digit ISCO categories)/non-ICT (optional: all 2-digit ISCO categories)by employment situationby age (in completed years and by groups)legal / de facto marital status (2011-2014, optional) Regional breakdowns (NUTS) are available only for a selection of indicators disseminated in the regional tables in Eurobase (Regional Information society statistics by NUTS regions (isoc_reg): Households with access to the internet at homeHouseholds with broadband accessIndividuals who have never used a computerIndividuals who used the internet, frequency of use and activitiesIndividuals who used the internet for interaction with public authoritiesIndividuals who ordered goods or services over the internet for private useIndividuals who accessed the internet away from home or work