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Session 25

Data Integration

4 June 2026
14:15 – 15:45
ŠIBENIK VI

Presentation title
Microdata linking and harmonisation for enhanced quality in statistics: evidence from group affiliation analysis
Microdata linking (MDL) is increasingly acknowledged as a powerful technique for producing new statistics without increasing the administrative burden on respondents.

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In the field of business and trade statistics, business registers serve as the backbone of most MDL initiatives.

For many years, Eurostat has been collaborating with EU and EFTA countries on a range of microdata linkage projects aimed at developing methodologies and sharing national practices. The overarching goal has been to generate new statistical indicators that enhance the understanding of business performance and improve the overall quality, coherence, and interpretability of statistics through cross-country harmonisation of methods and data linkages.

In 2021, Eurostat launched an MDL project using microdata from the EuroGroups Register (EGR), with the objective to derive new SBS breakdown by group status. In this context, the Structural Business Statistics (SBS) data is disaggregated according to the type of control over enterprises, for a selection of structural indicators (employment, value added, gross operating surplus, wages and salaries, etc.) and two performance indicators (apparent labour productivity and average wages and salaries).

The first round, carried out in 2021 involved seven countries. In 2023, during the second round of the exercise already 15 countries transmitted their data, while the third round is currently ongoing.

Building on these developments, Eurostat launched the MDL work programme in 2025 to develop indicators on globalisation, trade and enterprise group dynamics. Within this framework, the MDL syntax provides a harmonised procedure for linking microdata across Member States and statistical domains, ensuring methodological consistency, reproducibility and comparability, and improving the quality and coherence of European business and trade statistics.

For the 2021–2024 reference years, data from 19 countries will be transmitted, while 12 countries are developing the MDL syntax. The work, expected to conclude by end-2026, will deliver harmonised outputs, demonstrating how the MDL framework contributes to better-quality, integrated and cost-effective official statistics.

This paper presents the results of a series of analyses based on data provided by EU-EFTA countries integrating SBS, EGR, and national Business Register (BR) data.

The primary aim, however, is not to highlight differences across national economic structures, but to demonstrate the explanatory value of the newly introduced breakdown of group status and the benefits of the MDL framework for improving statistical quality.

In addition, an analysis was carried out on the impact that group status may have on the economic performance of SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises).

Main author / Presenter
Francesco Borrelli
Eurostat

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Francesco Borrelli holds a degree in Statistics and has over 25 years of experience in official statistics. He began his career at the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), where he worked in several domains including statistical methodology, population statistics, agriculture, and business statistics. His work has covered both methodological development and the production of official data. Since 2023, he has been working at Eurostat as a Seconded National Expert (SNE) in the Directorate for Business and Trade Statistics, Unit G1 – Infrastructures and Short-Term Business Indicators. In parallel with his professional activities, he has been actively involved in training and capacity building. He has taught at La Sapienza University of Rome and regularly delivers courses on statistical software for staff of the Italian National Institute of Statistics.

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Presentation title
Next steps in developing and implementing national data standards in Ireland
The paper will describe CSO’s approach to, and experience with, the early stages in the development and implementation of national data standards as part of the NSI’s role as data steward and champion of data as a national strategic asset.

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The CSO approach is based around the idea of harmonisation of data concepts, data collection and data classification using a DDI compliant platform (Colectica) for dissemination of new standards in an accessible way that supports interoperability.

The CSO has set out an approach that aims at balancing the ideals of perfection of standardisation with the reality of different operational and systems constraints by providing frameworks for key concepts in a manner that is accessible for people within the NSI and outside the NSI. The CSO has engaged with the wider system across multiple forums and uses DDI (delivered using the Colectica software package) to make data standards humans readable and machine readable.

The CSO has begun to build pathways to common data standards by promoting the benefits of common data standards, by providing real examples and by making these easily accessible. The ultimate aim is to encourage data owners across the system of the benefits of making data more comparable, consistent and coherent which increases the potential for matching data so that it gives deeper insight to support policy development, analysis and operations.

The CSO has published ten new data standards to date and has collaborated with different agencies to begin incorporating these into departmental datasets. There has been some good engagement with other government departments, but further work is required to expand the use of these standards. The presentation will also reference some of the problems encountered in developing the standards and bringing them into a DDI metadata package as well as proposed future actions to support wider engagement with the development of further data standards.

Main author / Presenter
Don Forde
Central Statistics Office

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Don Forde is a graduate of University College Cork and previously worked in education and retail banking. Working in the Central Statistics Office since 2000 across Prices statistics, STS, SBS and Project Management, he introduced an innovative approach to statistical quality assurance in the CSO in 2019 and produced a guide to statistical quality assurance in 2021. He is currently responsible for classifications management and data standards development in the CSO.

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Presentation title
Partnerships with data holders for producing Spanish SDG indicators: ensuring quality through the European Statistics Code of Practice
A global commitment such as the 2030 Agenda, with its measurable targets, demands a substantial volume of statistical information.

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The National Statistical Institute of Spain (INE) is committed to the production of high-quality indicators that ensure effective monitoring and reporting of the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda.

The production of SDG indicators requires the integration of diverse data sources, often extending beyond statistics of the national statistical plans. INE has established crucial data partnerships with various data holders (e.g., government ministries, regulatory bodies) to fill data gaps and produce official SDG indicators. This paper examines the methodological and operational framework developed by INE to ensure the quality and fitness-for-purpose of these indicators derived from partnerships with entities outside the National Statistical System.

The paper focuses on how the principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice (CoP) are applied and adapted within the context of these external data agreements. Specifically, we detail the procedures for establishing data governance, metadata standards, and quality assessment protocols that bridge the gap between partners' data systems and the quality demands of official statistics.

In a complex data ecosystem with multiple stakeholders at all levels, coordination and cooperation are essential. Leveraging existing legal and organizational institutions, such as the National Statistical Plan or the collegiate coordination bodies, has proven an effective approach.

A main tool for addressing the challenges posed by these partnerships has been the implementation of a National Reporting Platform (NRP), which serves as the central means for collecting SDG data and metadata from providers. The NRP has proven to be a robust coordination tool.

This paper shows that a proactive application of the CoP principles, tailored for collaborative data production, is essential for maintaining the credibility and fitness-for-purpose of Spanish SDG indicators.

Main author / Presenter
Pedro Revilla
National Statistics Institute (INE)

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Senior Advisor to the President, National Statistics Institute (INE), Spain. Previously, he served as Director-General of Methodology, Quality, and Information Technology, and as Director of Industrial Statistics at INE. Associate Professor at Carlos III University of Madrid and the University of Salamanca. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Alcalá, Madrid, and completed the Advanced Course on Quality Management in Statistical Agencies under the European Statistical Training Programme. As a Spanish delegate, he has participated in various EU committees and working groups (e.g., the Sponsorship on Quality). He is the author of several research papers on survey methodology, time series modelling, and Total Quality Management, published in journals such as the Journal of Official Statistics and Optimization. Additionally, he has presented numerous papers at international conferences, including the European Conference on Quality in Official Statistics (Q2001, Q2004, Q2006, Q2008, Q2012, Q2022, and Q2024).

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Presentation title
Integrating administrative data to estimate energy fiscal interventions in government finance statistics.
In recent years, government interventions in the energy sector have become increasingly relevant, encompassing subsidies, compensation schemes and tax credits aimed at mitigating energy price volatility and supporting households and businesses.

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Following recent macroeconomic shocks, the scale and the complexity of these measures has grown significantly, thereby increasing the demands placed on official statistics, particularly in the compilation of Government Finance Statistics (GFS) under the European System of Accounts (ESA 2010). Consequently, it became necessary to integrate additional administrative data into the compilation process, complementing the standard data sources typically used. These administrative data, derived from tax authorities, energy regulators and other relevant institutions, provide more detailed and specific information on transfers, subsidies and tax-based measures implemented by the general government. This paper documents the methodological approach adopted by ISTAT to incorporate these sources into the GFS compilation process.

As public finance statistics are subject to rigorous verification under the Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP), the integration process requires thorough quality control and careful cross-checking to ensure that information is not duplicated from conventional sources, which may also differ in terms of recording time or valuation. This process involves identifying overlapping entries, harmonising classifications under ESA 2010 categories, and reconciling timing differences to ensure the accurate recording. Source reconciliation is therefore critical in order to prevent the under- or overestimation of fiscal aggregates, and to maintain internal consistency between the GFS and national accounts. This approach is particularly relevant within the context of the new European economic governance framework, where government net expenditure has become a key indicator for assessing a country’s fiscal position and compliance with budgetary rules.

The paper is organised as follows: Section 1 outlines the main government energy policies implemented in Italy in recent years and the sectors affected. Section 2 analyses the administrative data sources introduced for these measurement purposes. Section 3 focuses on the validation, reconciliation and integration procedures adopted for their inclusion in the National Accounts and GFS system.

Main author / Presenter
Luisa Sciandra
ISTAT

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ISTAT's senior researcher, responsible for central government accounts, has been working for over fifteen years in the public finance department of ISTAT's national accounts. She holds a Phd in Economics and a Master degree in Economic and Finance

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