National Statistics in Slovenia Report 2010.pdf · 2011-12-22 · public (Statistical Council of the Republic of Slovenia and statistical advisory committees, at various conferences,

National Statistics

in Slovenia

Ljubljana, 1201

Annual Report

2010

THE SLOVENIANNATIONAL STATISTICS

TRUSTWORTHYAND USER ORIENTED

REPUBLIKA SLOVENIJA

National Statistics in 2010

ANNUAL REPORT 2010

Ljubljana, 2011

National statistics in2010

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Authors: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Public Legal Records and Related Services, Bank of Slovenia, National Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Finance, Institute of Pension and Invalidity Insurance of Slovenia and Employment Service of Slovenia.

ENSION AND INVALIDITY INSURANCE INSTITUTE OF SLOVENIA

Editors: Alenka Škafar and Ana Novak

Translation: Boris Panič

Publication available at http://www.stat.si/eng/pub_porocila_letni.asp.

Issued by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia (SORS), Ljubljana, Vožarski pot 12.

Use and publication of the data is allowed provided the source is acknowledged – ISSN 1408-9475.

National statistics in 2010

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Table of contents

Introduction 1 Demographic and social statistics .......................................................................................... 7

1.1 Population ................................................................................................................................................ 7 1.2 Labour market .......................................................................................................................................... 8 1.3 Education and training ............................................................................................................................ 10 1.4 Culture .................................................................................................................................................... 11 1.5 Health ..................................................................................................................................................... 12 1.6 Level of living and housing statistics ....................................................................................................... 14 1.7 Social protection ..................................................................................................................................... 14 1.8 Crime ...................................................................................................................................................... 15 1.9 Election statistics .................................................................................................................................... 16

2 Macroeconomic statistics ................................................................................................... 17 2.1 National accounts ................................................................................................................................... 17 2.2 Financial accounts, money and finance ................................................................................................... 18 2.3 Prices ...................................................................................................................................................... 19 2.4 Trade in goods (external trade) ............................................................................................................... 20 2.5 Balance of payments and other statistics on cross-border economic relations ......................................... 21

3 Business statistics .............................................................................................................. 23 3.1 Annual and short-term business statistics ............................................................................................... 23 3.2 Energy .................................................................................................................................................... 25 3.3 Transport ................................................................................................................................................ 26 3.4 Tourism .................................................................................................................................................. 27

4 Agriculture, forestry and fisheries ....................................................................................... 28 4. 1 Farm structure and typology .................................................................................................................. 28 4.2 Agricultural income and prices ................................................................................................................ 28 4.3 Crop and animal production ................................................................................................................... 29 4.4. Fisheries and forestry ............................................................................................................................. 30

5 Multi-domain statistics ....................................................................................................... 31 5.1 Business tendencies ................................................................................................................................ 31 5.2 Environment and sustainable development ............................................................................................. 31 5.3 Science, technology and innovation ........................................................................................................ 33 5.4 Information society ................................................................................................................................. 34 5.5. Regional statistics and geographical/local information ........................................................................... 34

6 Statistical infrastructure ..................................................................................................... 36 6. 1 Legal framework .................................................................................................................................... 36 6.2 Classifications ......................................................................................................................................... 37 6.3 Quality .................................................................................................................................................... 37 6.4 Statistical processes and their improvement ............................................................................................ 38 6.5 Reduction of administrative burden ........................................................................................................ 39 6.6 Data security and protection ................................................................................................................... 39 6.7 Important promotion events ................................................................................................................... 39 6.8 SORS and public relations ....................................................................................................................... 40 6.9 Data dissemination ................................................................................................................................. 40 6.10 Communication with users .................................................................................................................... 41 6.11 International cooperation ...................................................................................................................... 42 6.12 Human and financial resources ............................................................................................................. 43

List of abbreviations


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The Statistical Council of the Republic of Slovenia

at its 35th regular session on 19 April 2011

discussed the Report on the Implementation of the Annual Programme of Statistical Surveys 2010

and adopted the following

DECISION

»The Statistical Council of the Republic of Slovenia, at its 35th regular session on 19 April 2011, under item 3 of the agenda, took note of the Report on the Implementation of the Annual Programme of Statistical Surveys 2010 and proposed to the Director-General of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia that, taking into account comments by Council members, the Report be adopted.«

Dr. Anuška Ferligoj

President of the Statistical Council of the Republic of Slovenia


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Introduction

Article 1 of the National Statistics Act stipulates that national statistics is a professionally independent activity of implementing the programme of statistical surveys, which makes available to authorities and organisations of public administration, economic entities and the public the data on the status and trends in the economic, demographic and social fields as well as in the field of environment and natural resources. The Report on the Implementation of the Annual Programme of Statistical Surveys 2010 confirms that the Statistical Office and authorised producers of official statistics respect the mentioned act, since the planned surveys were conducted professionally and timely. 2010 was a year when effects of the global crisis were felt the most, not only in statistical results but also in various financial and human resource restrictions we had to consider and overcome in our work.

In view of the national and global conditions and requirements, the Statistical Office must constantly seek balance between the policy of the public sector in Slovenia to reduce the number of employees and the constant influx of new tasks, constant care for maintaining and enhancing the quality and introducing modern statistical methodologies and survey procedures.

For the Statistical Office the most important tasks in2010 were implementation of the agricultural census and preparations for the register-based census of population, households and housing, which required most of the financial resources. As has been mentioned several times, the agricultural census was conducted and the population census is being conducted to the greatest possible extent by using available administrative sources and already collected statistical data. The Statistical Office thus takes care of providing high-quality data with the most optimal use of financial resources. Continuous intensive monitoring of the development of administrative sources and inclusion of statistical needs remain constant priorities of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia.

For many years the Statistical Office has been pointing out the problem of its business premises. The possibility of reaching a solution improved, since it is expected that the office will more into more appropriate premises at the end of 2011.

One of the principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice is relevance of data, which means that data must meet the needs of users. In identifying these needs initiatives of the members of the Statistical Council of the Republic of Slovenia and of statistical advisory committees are very important. The Statistical Office will continue to strive so that this practice – recognised as a good practice in Europe – will be preserved and improved.

In preparing this report, the Statistical Office was helped by authorised producers of national statistics, which together with the Statistical Office comprise the Slovene statistical system: the Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Public Legal Records and Related Services, the Bank of Slovenia, the National Institute of Public Health, the Ministry of Finance, the Pension and the Institute of Pension and Invalidity Insurance of Slovenia and the Employment Service of Slovenia. The Statistical Office would like to thank all of them for successful cooperation.

All of us are especially grateful for the cooperation of all reporting units - enterprises and households - and the keepers of various administrative sources, as we were only able to implement the planned program of statistical surveys together with them.

Irena Križman

Director-General of the

Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia


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1 Demographic and social statistics

In 2010, demographic and social statistics were marked by the preparations for the implementation of the register-based 2011 Census of Population, Households and Housing in the Republic of Slovenia.

1.1 Population

Intensive preparations for the implementation of the register-based 2011 population census

In 2010, the data in all three basic input sources (population from the Central Population Register, households from the Households Register and dwellings from the Real Estate Register) were fully linked on a test basis. This was the basis for data analysis, verifying methodological solutions and detecting deficiencies both at sources and at statistical processes. In cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior SORS processed the data on the missing dwelling number of people in multi-dwelling buildings and edited missing and incorrect data on the relationship to the reference person in the household. The estimate of the quality of input data has shown that the data in administrative sources are appropriate for statistical processing in a register-based census method, and that together with managers of these sources SORS will continue to intensively cooperate in improving data quality.

In early November 2010 a special website on the 2011 register-based census1 was set up; the website is intended for the general public and contains basic information on the content, methodology, data sources, and links to published data collected with previous censuses and census websites of other countries.

In 2010, SORS’s experts presented the 2011 register-based census to the domestic professional and general public (Statistical Council of the Republic of Slovenia and statistical advisory committees, at various conferences, at a press conference, with publications in different media) and in the international environment (European Conference on Quality, Eurostat/UNECE workshop on censuses, methodology symposium of Statistics Canada).

Quality improvement: consistency and comparability of published data

In 2010, SORS started to publish data on the population as of the first day of the quarter instead of the last day of the previous quarter. The change is only in the naming of the reference date, the content is the same (e.g. 31 December 2009 at 24.00 has become 1 January 2010 at 00.00). There were two reasons for the change: adjustment to the situation in the majority of European countries and Eurostat, and harmonisation with the reference date of the register-based census (1 January 2011).

To provide consistency of data on the population for 2008, SORS recalculated data on the population for all quarters after 1 January 2008 according to the methodology of the changed statistical definition of population2

1 See: http://www.stat.si/popis2011/eng/Default.aspx?lang=eng (23.3.2011). 2 See Population, Slovenia, 2008 - REVISED DATA, 11 February 2011, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=2915 (23.3.2011).


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and republished them. In 2010, SORS started to publish final data on the population and provisional data on natural and migration change of the population at the same time. They are all published four months after the observed period.

On the basis of data for 13 countries (including Slovenia), in 2010 Eurostat published for the first time data on life expectancy by education according to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED97) broken down into three levels of education (basic education or less, upper secondary education, tertiary education). These were pilot calculations, and the methodology will continue to be improved. The mentioned data were also published by SORS in a special release Life expectancy by educational attainment3.

In 2010, SORS published two of the more popular publications on demography: Demographic Portrait of Slovenia, 20084 (the publication in a popular way presents demographic data on events that accompany us through our lives) and Names in Figures (intended for the widest circle of users, presenting the frequency of names and the popularity of names by periods and places).

In 2010, SORS and the Ministry of the Interior signed a cooperation agreement with which they agreed the division of powers in the preparation of national statistical data and relevant methodological explanations stipulated in the EU regulation on migration and international protection5 and transmission of these data to Eurostat.

In 2009, 21,856 children were born alive, which is 39 more than a year before. This is the highest number of live born children in independent Slovenia. For the third consecutive year more than half of children were born to unmarried parents.6 Life expectancy increases with higher education, which is more pronounced among men than women.3 Economic crisis halted rapid annual growth of foreign immigrants to Slovenia after 2004: in 2009, 30,296 people immigrated to Slovenia and 18,788 emigrated from it. Net migration was 11,508 persons, which is 38% less than a year before.7

1.2 Labour market

New releases of the number of labour force, implementation of ad-hoc modules within the Labour Force Survey

In the second half of 2010, structural data on persons in employment8 for 2009 were published for the first time, broken down by various territorial units by education, age and occupation. According to data shown within the monthly release of data on the labour force in January 2010, the number of farmers decreased but it has to be taken into account that this was also the result of the changed model of forecasting the number of farmers from LFS data.

LFS data were linked with data on income tax assessment, on the basis of which data for the variable ' wages from main job' were collected for 2009. Within the survey the ad-hoc module on reconciliation between work and family life9 was conducted and the preparations started for the 2011 ad-hoc module on the employment of disabled people, for which SORS obtained European funds.

3 See Life expectancy by educational attainment, 16 November 2010, Special Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3544 (23.3.2011). 4 See Demographic Portrait of Slovenia, 2008, 14 July 2010, Special Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/doc/pub/Demographic2008.pdf (23.3.2011). 5 Regulation (EC) No. 862/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 July 2007 on Community statistics on migration and international protection (32007R0862). 6 See Live births, Slovenia, 2009 - final data, 30 June 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3247 (23.3.2011). 7 See Migration changes, Slovenia, 2009 - final data, 30 August 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3362 (23.3.2011). 8 See Structural data of persons in employment, Slovenia, 31.12.2009 - final data, 30 November 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3591 (23.3.2011). 9 Commission Regulation (EC) No 20/2009 of 13 January 2009 adopting the specifications of the 2010 ad hoc module on reconciliation between work and family life provided for by Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 (32009R0020).


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In September 2010 data on labour migrations for 200912 were published. There are some novelties here: data on persons in employment are published both by permanent and temporary residence in Slovenia, and for the first time data on foreign labour migrants from neighbouring countries working in Slovenia were published.

The Employment Service of Slovenia conducted all surveys planned with the Annual Programme of Statistical Surveys, published the results in line with the release calendar and presented them at various conferences. The public expressed large interest primarily in data on registered unemployment and data on job vacancies. The latter are also input data for SORS’s regular quarterly survey on job vacancies conducted in line with EU legislation.

In 2010, registered unemployment continued to grow, especially in the last quarter. This was an indicator of the continuing economic crisis and its negative impact on the labour market. In the first nine months of 2010 the number of registered unemployed persons was still below 100,000; in October the number exceeded 100,000 and at the end of the year reached 110,000. The registered unemployment rate thus returned to the level in March 2000; compared to December 2009 is was 13.8% higher. A special feature of the inflow into the unemployment record in the last four months of 2010 was a very large number of registered unemployed persons aged 55 and more. (Source: Employment Service of Slovenia)

Regular implementation of wage statistics with new releases

SORS published the collected data on wage statistics within planned deadlines. There are some novelties here: for data on the distribution of persons in paid employment by amount of gross and net earnings10 for 2009, published in October 2010, for the first time administrative sources were used, which reduced the burden of reporting units and provided additional information on estimated new earnings.

Data on differences between male and female earnings were calculated by SORS from the annual structure of earnings statistics, and in addition – only for Eurostat needs – also according to Eurostat methodology (Gender Pay Gap); according to this methodology, the basis for the calculation is the last four-year Structure of Earnings Survey and only business entities with more than 9 persons in paid employment are taken into account.

In 2010, SORS improved the process of statistical processing of the survey Monthly Report on Earnings Paid by Legal Persons. The survey is being conducted in cooperation with AJPES, which also collects data on holiday bonus. SORS also improved the process of statistical data processing for the survey Monthly Report on Earnings Paid by Registered Natural Persons. Data for this survey are taken over from the Tax Administration of the Republic of Slovenia.

SORS started to regularly publish quarterly data on hours worked; at the end of July 2010 it published data for the period 1st quarter 2000–4th quarter 2004 according to SKD 2008.

Employers that experienced labour disputes in 2010 did not report about them to SORS, even though they are obliged to do so and even though especially due to the economic crisis in Slovenia more labour disputes were observed.

Average monthly gross earnings of women in 2009 were 97.0% those of men, which means they were EUR 45 lower.11 At the end of 2009, slightly more than 397,000 labour migrants between municipalities were registered in Slovenia, or 48.9% of persons in employment. Municipality Trzin was the most attractive for employment. Every day around 2,300 foreigners was coming to work in Slovenia from neighbouring countries12.

10 See Persons in paid employment by amount of gross and net earnings, Slovenia, 2009 - provisional data, 28 October 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3512 (23. 3. 2011). 11 See Structure of earnings statistics, Slovenia, 2009 - provisional data, 29 September 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3434 (23. 3. 2011). 12 See Labour migrations, Slovenia, 2009 - final data, 16 September 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3401 (23. 3. 2011).


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Labour costs, evaluation of labour market policy measures and work incentive indicators

Provisional data collected with the Labour Costs Survey for 200813 were published in June 2010. Data on labour costs for 2009, which were estimated by SORS with the help of existing sources, were published in October. On the basis of EU legislation, SORS regularly calculates and publishes the quarterly labour costs index.

SORS and the Employment Service of Slovenia cooperated in preparing qualitative information and quantitative data on participants in and expenditure for each individual labour market policy measure for 2009. The task results from the commitments of the Republic of Slovenia to provide data necessary for monitoring the fulfilment of European employment guidelines. Annual reporting covers data on types and characteristics of labour market measures in line with the classification of measures stipulated in the Eurostat LMP (Labour Market Policy) methodology14. The report mostly includes the data on the type of expenditure for individual measures, and the number and structure of beneficiaries of individual measures, whereby both active and passive employment policy measures are taken into account. From the report prepared for Eurostat SORS provided the publication of data for 200915 together with relevant methodological explanations.

In 2010, SORS as the national coordinator prepared a document entitled Tax-Benefit System in Slovenia for 2010, on the basis of which the OECD calculates various indicators. According to the OECD methodology SORS prepared and published its own annual calculation of some work incentive indicators16 for 2009 (tax wedge, unemployment trap, and low wage trap).

1.3 Education and training

Obtaining available administrative data on education at the level of education institutions is a result of successful interinstitutional cooperation.

In 2009 and 2010, SORS cooperated with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology in developing the higher education information system; the set of data at individual level from the point of view of SORS’s needs was harmonised. Cooperation in the project group for preparing legislation, processes and code lists continued. There were also agreements with the Ministry of Education and Sport regarding the harmonisation of monitoring the data on enrolment and graduates in higher vocational education within the framework of the Higher Vocational Education Registration Service. These were temporarily stopped because the Ministry of Education and Sport is planning the comprehensive record of people participating in education from pre-school education to higher vocational education.

Within preparations to implement the 2011 register-based population census, in 2010 formal agreements were signed with institutions keeping data collections on achieved upper secondary education. In addition to other existing collections and surveys which SORS already has at disposal, these data will be a source for data on achieved education of population and then for the regular annual updating of these data.

In the school year 2009/10 almost 92% of all 5-year-olds and 87% of all 4-year-olds are in kindergartens. On average 8.2 children per educator and assistant educator.17 The fall in the number of births until 2003 still reflects in the number of school children, which is in school year 2009/10 22,000 (or 12%) lower than in 2000.18

13 See Labour Costs (by Labour Cost Survey), Slovenia, 2008 - provisional data, 30 June 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3249 (23. 3. 2011). 14 See: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/product_details/publication?p_product_code=KS-BF-06-003 (23.3.2011). 15 See Labour Market Policy, Slovenia, 2009 – final data, 20 January 2011, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3693 (23.3.2011). 16 See Work incentive indicators, Slovenia, 2009 - final data, 28 May 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3145 (23. 3. 2011). 17 See Kindergartens, Slovenia, school year 2009/10 – final data, 25 May 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3139 (23.3.2011). 18 See Elementary schools for youth and adults in Slovenia at the end of the school year 2008/09 and at the beginning of the school year 2009/10, 29 April 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3080 (23.3.2011).


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Methodological preparations to conduct surveys on education in 2011

Methodological preparation of two five-year surveys which will be conducted in 2011 in line with EU legislation19 was completed: the Continuing Vocational Training Survey and the Adult Education Survey. The implementation of the latter will be co-financed by the European Commission. For future harmonisation of variables on education in Labour Force Surveys (LFS) and Adult Education Surveys, within the Eurostat project a proposal of content-related harmonisation of variables in the LFS will be produced. The pilot questionnaire will also be tested.

SORS also cooperated in preparing two European implementing regulations that will be the basis for conducting the mentioned five-year surveys. Both were adopted in September 2010. See Legislation adopted in 2010 at the end of this chapter.

International cooperation in preparing EU legislation and ISCED revision

SORS cooperated in preparing the implementing regulation on reporting data on a joint UOE (UESCO, OECD and Eurostat) questionnaire. The regulation is expected to be adopted in 2011.

By transmitting available data SORS continued to cooperate in the project of Monitoring the European Higher Education Space EUMIDA20, the purpose of which is to analyse indicators by universities and independent higher education institutions in the EU.

In addition to regular data reporting to the OECD, SORS also transmitted to the OECD the data that should help explain and further break down the existing indicators on education systems. In cooperation with both ministries, SORS checked the indicators for Slovenia calculated on the basis of transmitted data; these indicators were then published in OECD’s Education at a glance 201021.

In 2010, activities will continue on the revision of the international classification of education ISCED. On the basis of informal regional consultations (e.g. for Europe and OECD countries within EU working groups and the INES working group) a proposal of the revised ISCED was prepared, which was sent to countries in June. In cooperation with both ministries, SORS harmonised the collection of remarks at the national level and transmitted remarks harmonised in Slovenia to UNESCO at the end of October 201022. On the basis of country proposals the final text of the new version of ISCED will be prepared; the classification is expected to be adopted in October 2011 at the UNESCO General Assembly.

Chapter 5.3 Science, technology and innovation of this document contains information on the survey on careers of doctorate holders, while Chapter 6.2 Classifications contains information on activities related to classification from the field of education.

1.4 Culture

Development of culture statistics at the EU level will improve data comparability

One of the main objectives within the European agenda for culture in the 2008–2010 period23 was development of culture statistics and methodology, which should improve international comparability at the EU level. Development activities are taking place within the EU for Culture Statistics24 project, which was formally set up in December 2009. Its aim is to improve the methodology and definitions in exiting statistics

19 Regulation (EC) No 452/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2008 concerning the production and development of statistics on education and lifelong learning (32008R0452). 20 See http://www.eumida.org/ (7.2.2011) 21 See http://www.oecd.org/document/52/0,3746,en_2649_39263238_45897844_1_1_1_1,00.html (7.2.2011). 22 See http://www.uis.unesco.org/ev.php?ID=7433_201&ID2=DO_TOPIC (7.2.2011). 23 See http://www.ccp.si/izpis.php?id=641 (7.2.2011). 24 See: http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-policy-development/doc1577_en.htm (7.2.2011).


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and to prepare proposals for possible additional collection of necessary data. SORS and the Ministry of Culture cooperate in the project subgroups Cultural practices and social aspects and Financing and expenditure on culture. Part of the project will be the analysis conducted on the basis of transmitted information on availably of data in cooperating countries. The project is expected to be completed in autumn 2011.

Interinstitutional cooperation will bring rationalisation of data collection

The Ministry of Culture adopted a decision to upgrade the information system for the arrangement of records and improving technical solutions for transmitting data to SORS. In line with the agreement between the Ministry and SORS, SORS’s and ministry’s questionnaires on which public institutions from the field of culture report the required data to the ministry were harmonised in terms of contents.

SORS conducted all surveys planned with the annual programme of statistical surveys, among them the survey on the activity of school libraries, which is conducted by SORS every three years.

SORS transmitted to UNESCO the available data from the field of audiovisual culture (film, radio, television, cinema).

In 2009 there were 895 school libraries operating in Slovenia. They lent more than 5.5 million units of library material,25 6,139 titles of books and brochures were published, among them 1,473 titles of literature.26 In 2009, Slovenian and foreign long films were seen by more than 2.7 million people.27

1.5 Health

Development of the European system of health surveys and modules – intensive international cooperation of the National Institute of Public Health

The National Institute of Public Health (IVZ) cooperated in further development of the European system of health surveys and modules, which is composed of the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS), the module on social integration (EDSIM) and some other modules (e.g. »Budapest initiative28«). Together with SORS and Eurostat the IVZ actively cooperated in preparing various indicators such as: European Community Health Indicators (ECHI), sustainable development indicators, structural indicators, context indicators on disability and indicators developed in the context of the open method of coordination (OMC) for the support of national strategies for the development of high-quality, accessible and sustainable health care and long-term care. Activities related to calculating the structural indicator Healthy Life Years and other health expectancy indicators were implemented and will continue in 2011.

The IVZ concluded cooperation in the Eurostat project CARE29 on improving the quality of non-cost data on health care.

The IVZ cooperated with SORS in developing the ad-hoc module on the employment of people with disabilities within the Labour Force Survey.

25 See Activity of school libraries, Slovenia, 2009 – final data, 30 December 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3662 (23.3.2011). 26 See Publishing, Slovenia, 2009 - final data, 4 November 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3529 (23.3.2011). 27 See Cinematography, Slovenia, 2009 - final data, 4 November 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3536 (23.3.2011). 28 See http://www.unece.org/stats/documents/2010.01.health.htm (9.2.2011). 29 See http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Healthcare_statistics (9.2.2011).


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Some interesting data from the field of health statistics (Source: IVZ): - The mortality rate due to diseases of the heart and circulatory system, which are the most common cause of death in the EU,

was in 2008 in Slovenia 234.9 per 100,000 population, while in the EU it was 227.2 per 100,000 population. - The average length of stay in all hospitals in 2008 in Slovenia was 6.9 days, which is below the EU average of 8.72 days. - The share of total health expenditure in 2008 in Slovenia was 7.8% of gross domestic product; compared to 2003, when it was

the highest in the past ten years, it decreased by 0.9 of a percentage point. - The number of preventive examinations to detect breast cancer has been increasing. In 2009, 17,730 such examinations were

recorded.

Regulating the area of monitoring occupational diseases in Slovenia

For easier monitoring and planning of health care of employees and the EU regulation30 that stipulates compulsory reporting on occupational diseases, the interinstitutional working group appointed by the Ministry of Health prepared the methodology of statistical monitoring of occupational diseases in Slovenia. However, no system changes to improve the identification and confirmation of occupational diseases were introduced, so the implementation of the statistical survey was postponed, since in unchanged circumstances no significantly better insight into the issue of occupational diseases than obtained from currently available sources could be achieved. In 2010, the IVZ concluded the project related to the methodology of collecting data on accidents at work and occupational diseases, which was co-financed by European funds.

Standardisation leads to better quality

To improve the quality of health statistics, work focused on the standardisation of procedures, especially in communication with data providers, standardisation of currently used code lists and preparation of new code lists. Together with SORS, the IVZ cooperated in the preparation of the new Standard Classification of Occupations – SKP-08.

In coding causes of death the IVZ continued with the necessary steps to improve the quality of data and activities for the transition to electronic data capture. The pilot project of automated coding of causes of death is also being implemented.

Together with the Ministry of Health, the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia, the Medical Chamber and the Jožef Stefan Institute, the IVZ cooperated in developing a single methodology of monitoring, valuing and modelling the network of health workers and health care providers.

In 2010, the Health Care Databases and Health Operations Act was being prepared, which will enable the preparation of high-quality input sources for national health statistics. The IVZ was intensively cooperating in preparing the annex for this act, which defines data collections with the aim to regulate and simply this area, both for the population and for health care providers as reporting units, and to remove administrative barriers.

Development of national health accounts

Development and preparation of national health accounts for Slovenia continued. SORS cooperates with the Health Insurance Institute, the IVZ and the IMAD. At international level, work in 2010 was still focused mostly on revising the methodology of the System of Health Accounts (SHA), which is being done by OECD–Eurostat–WHO. A part of the revised version will be data on exports and imports of health services and medical goods. In cooperation with the Health Insurance Institute and the IVZ, SORS was included in the OECD project31 on improving international comparability of data on health expenditure.

30 Regulation (EC) No 1338/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on Community statistics on public health and health and safety at work (32008R1338). 31 See http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/45/5/43891184.pdf and http://www.oecd.org/document/8/0,3746,en_2649_33729_2742536_1_1_1_1,00.html (9.2.2011).


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1.6 Level of living and housing statistics

New releases in the Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC)

In the field of level of living statistics, SORS conducted two extensive surveys: the Household Budget Survey (HBS) and the Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC). As regards the HBS, revision of the survey continued together with regular survey implementation by preparing a detailed analysis of supplementing the survey in terms of content. As regards the SILC, SORS extended the set of data and published them in the SI-STAT data portal. Data on income and poverty indicators from 2005 to 2009 are available to users as well as data explaining the living conditions of people in Slovenia. At the end of the year new indicators were published, namely the »housing deprivation rate« and the »overcrowding rate« with different breakdowns as well as detailed data on living conditions for 2009 together with results of the ad-hoc module on material deprivation32.

According to the HBS, in 2008 households spent 15.1% of their assets on food and non-alcoholic beverages and 14.2% on transport. The average annual quantity of consumed milk per household member was 66 litres, cheese 6 kg, ice cream 4 litres, eggs 100 pieces, potatoes 32 kg, apples 18 kg, lettuce 9 kg, poultry 10 kg, bread and pastries 39 kg, pasta products 6 kg, rice 3 kg, beef 9 kg and pork 11 kg.33

At the 20th Statistical Days a paper entitled Measuring the Well-Being of People by the Level-of-Living Department at SORS34 was presented, which describes the measurement of well-being with indicators from various level of living areas and surveys.

Housing statistics – source for the 2011 register-based population census

Priorities in 2010 were to take over and analyse data from the Real Estate Register, which SORS obtains from the Surveying and Mapping Authority of the Republic of Slovenia on the basis of an agreement and successful cooperation. The register is also one of the most important data sources for monitoring housing statistics within the 2011 register-based population census35.

A new household survey conducted by the Bank of Slovenia

The Bank of Slovenia (BS) conducted the fieldwork part of the new Household Finance and Consumption Survey; the survey was harmonised under the leadership of the ECB and is conducted by all euro area countries. In the survey conducted in Slovenia data collected by fieldwork were supplemented with available administrative data. Results will be transmitted to the ECB and published on the BS website in 2011.

1.7 Social protection

Modernisation of data collection from administrative records of the ZPIZ

In line with the agreement on transmission and use of data for statistical purposes, in 2010 the Institute of Pension and Invalidity Insurance of Slovenia (ZPIZ) prepared the bases for obtaining additional statistical data

32 See Survey on living conditions, Slovenia, 2009 - provisional data, 29 October 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3515 (25.3.2011). 33 See Household budget survey, Slovenia, 2008 - final data, 30 July 2010, First Release. Available at:

http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3318 (25. 3. 2011).

34 See http://www.stat.si/StatisticniDnevi/Docs/Radenci%202010/INTIHAR_Radenci%202010-prispevek.pdf (7.2.2011). 35 Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 on population and housing censuses (32008R0763).


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needed by SORS to calculate net social protection benefits (stipulated by the Regulation on the European system of integrated social protection statistics ESSPROS36). On the basis of results of the finished pilot project within ESSPROS, the common methodology and the proposal of a new implementing regulation on net social protection benefits started to be prepared in 2010. Further on, within the ESSPROS methodology SORS published results for 2008, and within institutional protection data for 2009 were collected and published in the SI-STAT data portal37.

At the 20th Statistical Days a paper entitled Measuring the Development of the Social Protection System in Slovenia38 was presented, which presents various subsystems of the social protection system in Slovenia together with internationally comparable data and indicators used for evaluating social protection systems in individual countries.

The ZPIZ set up monthly statistics on beneficiaries by basic categories and attributes and by Slovene municipalities on the basis of individual data. Data were presented to the public for the first time as part of SORS’s brochure The Elderly in Slovenia39.

In 2009 there were 21,730 people in care or protégés in old people's homes, special social welfare institutions and centres for protection and training, almost 70% of them women. Compared with the previous year, in 2009 the number of people in care in old people's homes increased more than 6%.40

As in the previous years, SORS conducted some statistical surveys that were in terms of contents related to disability and people with disabilities, e.g. data on beneficiaries of pension and disability insurance (ZPIZ), data on enterprises employing people with disabilities and on disabled workers, data on protégés in centres for protection and training, data on protégés in special social welfare institutions, etc.

1.8 Crime

International pilot crime victims survey – aspect of victims of criminal offences

In addition to conducting and publishing results of regular statistical surveys form the field of justice, in 2010 the pilot crime victims survey was conducted. The survey deals with crime from the point of view of victims of criminal offences. At the EU level, on the basis of findings from the mentioned pilot survey activities were taking place for the preparation of a common methodology and questionnaire and the legal basis for future implementation of this survey, which will be called the European Safety Survey. The survey is expected to be conducted in 2013.

Interinstitutional cooperation

SORS transmitted to Eurostat and United Nations agencies data from the field of criminal justice statistics collected by SORS or by other institutions such as the Police, the Prison Administration at the Ministry of Justice, and the Office for Money Laundering Prevention.

36 Regulation (EC) No 458/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 April 2007 on the European system of integrated social protection statistics - ESSPROS (32007R0458). 37 See http://www.stat.si/eng/tema_demografsko_socialna.asp (25.3.2011). 38 See http://www.stat.si/StatisticniDnevi/Docs/Radenci%202010/JACOVIĆ_prispevek.pdf (7.2.2011). 39 See The Elderly in Slovenia, 29 September 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3443 (25.3.2011). 40 See Public social welfare institutions, Slovenia, 2009 - final data, 27 September 2010, First Release. Available at:

http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3435 (25.3.2011).


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In 2010, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Slovenia informatised the criminal registers, which was the basis for future reporting of data to SORS in electronic form. The Supreme Court and SORS are still negotiating the content of the database to satisfy statistical needs and the necessary technical conditions for future transmission of data to SORS. In this way the burden of district and local courts would be significantly reduced and statistical surveys would be rationalised.

The working group for setting up records for implementing the Resolution on the National Plan on the Prevention and Combating of Crime for the 2007-2011 Period41, which is led by the Ministry of Public Administration, was not active in 2010.

From 2003 to 2009 legal persons were mostly denounced for business fraud, tax evasion, fraud, violation of fundamental rights of employees and forgery or destruction of business documentation. During the seven-year (2003-2009) observation period the largest increase was recorded in the number of legal persons denounced for business fraud, which increased by six times.42

1.9 Election statistics

In 2010, local elections were carried out, i.e. elections of mayors and members of municipal councils. SORS published data on candidates, on elected mayors and members of municipal councils, and on turnout obtained from the Ministry of Public Administration in the First Release43 and in the SI-STAT data portal.

Legislation adopted in the field of demographic and social statistics in 2010:

• Commission regulation (EU) No 519/2010 of 16 June 2010 adopting the programme of the statistical data and of the metadata for population and housing censuses provided for by Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (32010R0519).

• Commission Regulation (EU) No 317/2010 of 16 April 2010 adopting the specifications of the 2011 ad hoc module on employment of disabled people for the labour force sample survey provided for by Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 (32010R0317).

• Minimum Wage Act (Official Journal of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 13/2010). • Labour market regulation act (Official Journal of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 80/2010), effect from 1. 1. 2011. • Commission Regulation (EU) No 823/2010 of 17 September 2010 implementing Regulation (EC) No 452/2008 of the European

Parliament and of the Council concerning the production and development of statistics on education and lifelong learning, as regards statistics on the participation of adults in lifelong learning (32010R0823).

• Commission Regulation (EU) No 822/2010 of 17 September 2010 amending Regulation (EC) No 198/2006 implementing Regulation (EC) No 1552/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council on statistics relating to vocational training in enterprises, as regards the data to be collected, the sampling, precision and quality requirements (32010R0822).

• Act amending the National Cultural Programme 2008-2011, Official Journal of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 95/2010 (29. 11. 2010)

• Commission Regulation (EU) No 481/2010 of 1 June 2010 implementing Regulation (EC) No 1177/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning Community statistics on income and living conditions (EU-SILC) as regards the 2011 list of target secondary variables on intergenerational transmission of disadvantages (32010R0481).

• Commission Regulation (EU) No 1157/2010 of 9 December 2010 implementing Regulation (EC) No 1177/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning Community statistics on income and living conditions (EU-SILC), as regards the 2012 list of target secondary variables on housing conditions (32010R1157).

• The Mini Jobs Act and the Pension and Disability Insurance Act were adopted, but due to referendum initiatives during the preparation of this document they have not yet been published in the Official Journal.

41 See Resolution on National plan on the Prevention and Combating of Crime for the period 2007-2011 (ReNPPZK0711) available at http://zakonodaja.gov.si/rpsi/r08/predpis_NACP58.html (25. 3. 2011). 42 See Legal persons against whom criminal proceedings have been concluded, Slovenia, 2003-2009, 29 April 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3045 (25.3.2011). 43 See Local elections, Slovenia, 2010, 30 December 2010, First Release. Available at:



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2 Macroeconomic statistics

Successful implementation of surveys from the field of macroeconomic statistics and high-quality and timely data are in part also the result of cooperation between authorised producers of national statistics: Bank of Slovenia, Ministry of Finance, AJPES and Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia.

2.1 National accounts

Implementation of regular surveys and development on new methodologies

Slovenia had great success in preparing the value added tax (VAT) report. This report is prepared annually by the Ministry of Finance and SORS. In this report the Member State presents calculations of weighted VAT rate, calculation of corrections needed for harmonising the VAT base in all Member States and other calculations on the basis of which a Member State’s contribution to the EU budget is determined on the basis of VAT. After a long time, Slovenia is the only EU Member State for which in the field of EU budget on the basis of VAT between accession to the EU and the end of 2008 the European Commission expressed no reservations.

Total fiscal burden by taxes and social contributions in 2009 amounted to 38.0% of GDP, which is 0.4 of a percentage point more than the year before and thus reached a level from 2007. In 2009, 50.3% of all collected taxes and social contributions belonged to the subsector of central government, which is 2.8 percentage points less than the year before.44

In 2010, SORS further extended the data set: for the first time it published the data on employment by hours worked, on government expenditure by function according to COFOG at level 2 for the 1999–2004 period and regional household accounts at the level of statistical regions (NUTS 3) for the 1999–2008 period.

Measured by the GDP per capita index, compared to 2007 the Spodnjeposavska statistical region improved its position in comparison to the Slovenian average the most, by 2.2 index points (from 80.2 in 2007 to 82.4 in 2008), and the Osrednjeslovenska region deteriorated its position the most, by 2.1 index points (from 143.7 to 141.6).45

Within development work two activities stand out: preparation of data on stocks of fixed assets – data will be published in the first half of 2011, thus completing one of the largest activities from the medium-term programme of statistical surveys – and development of the methodology for preparing the full set of quarterly non-financial sector accounts. At the moment these accounts are available for government and rest of the

44 See Fiscal burden of taxable persons by taxes and social contributions, Slovenia, 2004 – 2009, 17 September 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3402 (25.3.2011). 45 See Regional gross domestic product, Slovenia 2008, 1 December 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3570 (25.3.2011).


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world; SORS is developing the methodology of calculation for other institutional sectors. The input source in 2011 will be results of the regular quarterly survey on operation of business entities, which is the result of the development task conducted in 2010 in SORS’s cooperation with the Bank of Slovenia and AJPES.

In 2010, two statistical surveys were again conducted for the needs of national accounts, i.e. the rent survey and in cooperation with AJPES the survey on the structure of intermediate consumption and revenue. In midyear SORS issued a publication entitled Inventory of sources and measures for price and volume measures in national accounts46. The publication describes the methodology of estimating annual GDP at constant prices by production and expenditure approach. With this the methodology of estimating annual GDP is fully described in publications available to users.

Interinstitutional cooperation – improving the release calendar

Additional efforts were focused on the release calendar of publishing data so as to meet users’ needs as best as possible. At the end of August data on annual gross domestic product (GDP) were published together with data on quarterly GDP, which were fully consistent with annual calculations. This was a joint effort by AJPES, which provided data from annual accounts, the Bank of Slovenia, which provided revised balance of payments data earlier than in the previous years, and SORS, which provided earlier publication of some of the key data sources for national accounts.

Introduction of new standards

Much effort was focused on the introduction of the classification of activities SKD 2008 into national accounts. Work is very time consuming and technically demanding also due to demands to provide time series that are in national accounts the largest among all fields of statistics. The SKD 2008 will be introduced into all areas of national accounts by 2012.

Preparations to introduce the changed system of national accounts (ESA 2010) continued, both as regards methodological changes and as regards the changed set of national accounts data. Especially capitalisation of R&D expenditure, calculation of pension liabilities, capitalisation of expenditure on weapons systems, different presentation of import and export of goods for processing and monitoring the public sector have to be mentioned.

2.2 Financial accounts, money and finance

Updates of the classification of central government expenditure

The Ministry of Finance (MF) was conducting surveys in line with the Annual Programme of Statistical Surveys, provided input data for other statistical surveys (e.g. VAT Report) and published data within planned deadlines, which is in line with the International Monetary Fund’s data dissemination standard. The MF updated and expanded the content of the programme classification of central government expenditure: due to overlapping of some contents and to provide greater transparency, in cooperation with the Government Office for Development and European Affairs the MF combined the programme classification of central government expenditure and the classification of general government expenditure by development policies, development programmes and development sub-programmes into the programme classification of expenditure by policies, programmes and sub-programmes. The updated classification will enable the analysis of general government expenditure determined in measures for achieving targets in the National Reform Programme.

46 See Inventory of sources and methods for price and volume measures in national accounts, Special publications, No. 12. Available at: http://www.stat.si/doc/pub/03-PP-192-1002.pdf (only in Slovene, 21.3.2011).


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Rationalisation in monetary and financial statistics – multipurpose reporting

The Bank of Slovenia (BS) compiled quarterly financial accounts for the last quarter of 2009 and for the first three quarters of 2010 as well as annual financial accounts for 2009. All data were published according to the release calendar.

Extensive production of monetary and financial statistics at monthly, quarterly and annual level continued in line with methodological requirements of the European Central Bank (ECB), the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and in accordance with own needs of the BS. In addition to balance sheets and interest rates of monetary financial institutions (MFI), data cover also securities, payment systems, structural data of the banking system and non-monetary financial intermediaries.

Interest rates were historically low in 2009, as a result of the response to the crisis situation by certain major central banks. The ECB's key refinancing rate has remained at 1% since May 2009, while the Federal Reserve's key rate has been in the interval between zero and 0.25% since December 2008.47

In July 2010, credit institutions started to successfully transmit to the BS the updated multipurpose report. In addition to requirements of the updated balance sheet regulation48 and the interest rate regulation49, it included the main part of non-consolidated supervisory financial report (FINREP50), requirements of the statistics on financial accounts and external statistics towards the MFI and other analytical needs of the BS. With these changes, the principle of reporting for several purposes at the same time and reducing the reporting burden of credit institutions in line with adopted recommendations of the ECB Council was realised to the largest extent. BS’s experience with the system of multipurpose reporting in the context of needs for flexible coverage of data from financial intermediaries in conditions of economic and financial crisis was presented by the Governor of the Bank of Slovenia Dr. Marko Kranjec at the ECB statistical conference51.

The BS strives to introduce multipurpose data reporting in the sub-sector of insurance corporations and pension funds (S.125) in cooperation with the Insurance Supervision Agency and the Slovenian Insurance Association.

2.3 Prices

Further development of house price indices The greatest emphasis in the field of price statistics was dedicated to further development of house price indices; activities focused mostly on regular quarterly publication of price indices for existing and newly built flats and family houses and setting up new sub-indices, i.e. transaction cost indices and hosing insurance price indices, and preparation of the total house price index. At the end of 2010 Eurostat published for the first time the data on house price indices for some countries.

First data on the house price index published by Eurostat show that after they have been decreasing in 2009 in the first quarter of 2010 dwelling prices in the EU-27 again slightly increased (on average by 0.2%).52

47 See Annual report 2009. Available at: http://www.bsi.si/iskalniki/letna_porocila_en.asp?MapaId=711 (25. 3. 2011). 48 Regulation (EC) No 25/2009 of the European Central Bank of 19 December 2008 concerning the balance sheet of the monetary financial institutions sector (Recast) (ECB/2008/32). 49 Regulation (EC) No 290/2009 of the European Central Bank of 31 March 2009 amending Regulation (EC) No 63/2002 (ECB/2001/18) concerning statistics on interest rates applied by monetary financial institutions to deposits and loans vis-à-vis households and non-financial corporations (ECB/2009/7). 50 See http://www.ifrs.org/XBRL/Resources/FINREP.htm (4.2.2011). 51 See http://www.ecb.int/events/conferences/html/stats_conf.en.html (7.2.2011). 52 See Research paper, Experimental house price indices for the euro area and the European Union, December 2010. Available at: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/hicp/documents/Tab/Tab/METH-HPI_Research_paper_2010-12.pdf (4.2.2011).


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Quality improvement and introduction of new methodologies

In other price indices, i.e. producer price index, import price index, services producer price index and consumer price index, most of the time and attention was focused on quality improvement, especially the improvement of main sources and results. Within the consumer price index, for some individual groups of products new methods of price adjustment were introduced due to changes in product quality. The services producer price index (SPPI) was published in a special issue of Rapid Reports53 and a standard quality report was also released54.

SORS studied different methods of imputing missing prices due to their seasonal nature, since in 2011 a new EU regulation55 on minimum standards for the treatment of seasonal products in the Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP) will come into force and the current practice will have to be changed. On the basis of results of analyses the most appropriate method to be used in calculating consumer price indices was selected.

International cooperation

In addition to regular tasks within the purchasing power parities, SORS was included in the International Comparison Program56, which is being implemented by Eurostat together with the World Bank and which will be finished in 2013.

In early 2010 Eurostat prepared and published for the first time information on the changes in controlled prices within the HICP by countries57, and in October 2010 published new results of the plot project entitled Average retail prices of selected items in EU Member States58, in which together with the national statistical offices Eurostat prepared a comparison of data on average prices of selected products by countries.

The European comparison of prices and GDPs showed that the price level of food and non-alcoholic beverages in Slovenia in 2009 amounted to 96% of the EU-27 average. The price level of alcoholic beverages was 102% and of tobacco 65% of the EU-27 average.59

2.4 Trade in goods (external trade)

After the introduction of all novelties required by the revised legislation, SORS continues to work on quality improvement

In early 2010 implementing provisions of new umbrella regulations60,61 from the field of Intrastat and Extrastat were adopted. SORS was well prepared for the changed regulations – which came into force on 1 January

53 See Rapid reports, Prices, Services producer price indices, Slovenia, 2009, 18 May 2010. Available at: http://www.stat.si/doc/statinf/04-si-276-1001.pdf (25.3.2011). 54 See: http://www.stat.si/doc/metodologija/kakovost/SPK_ICSP_2009.pdf (only in Slovene, 25.3.2011). 55 Commission Regulation (EC) No 330/2009 of 22 April 2009 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 2494/95 as regards minimum standards for the treatment of seasonal products in the Harmonised Indices of Consumer Prices (HICP) (32009R0330). 56 See http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/DATASTATISTICS/ICPEXT/0,,contentMDK:20737401~menuPK:378190~pagePK:60002244~piPK:62002388~theSitePK:270065,00.html (4.2.2011). 57 See http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_PUBLIC/2-26022010-AP/EN/2-26022010-AP-EN.PDF (4.2.2011). 58 See http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/hicp/documents/Tab/Tab/METH%20-%20Consumer%20Prices%20Research%20-%20October%202010%20web%20final.pdf (4.2.2011). 59 See Rapid reports, Prices, Comparative price levels for food, beverages and tobacco, European countries, 2009 – Final data, 30 July 2010. Available at: http://www.stat.si/doc/statinf/04-si-129-1001.pdf (25.3.2011). 60 Regulation (EC) No 222/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 amending Regulation (EC) No 638/2004 on Community statistics relating to the trading of goods between Member States (32009R0222). 61 Regulation (EC) No 471/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 May 2009 on Community statistics relating to external trade with non-member countries and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1172/95 (32009R0471).


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2010 – and was already in 2010 regularly transmitting to Eurostat data for all additional variables which Member States should provide by 2013 at the latest. Successful implementation of changes was also the result of the exemplary cooperation with the Customs Administration of the Republic of Slovenia.

SORS implemented all planned regular and development tasks and fully provided additional external trade data as determined by revised regulations for Intrastat and Extrastat. In particular, it was very intensively striving to raise the quality of procedures and results. SORS cooperated in Eurostat’s MEETS62 project for the field of external trade statistics; within the project the external trade statistics information system was updated with some new algorithms which on the basis of administrative data enable supervision and provide greater quality of Intrastat data. To this end SORS obtained, on the basis of the agreement with The Tax Administration of the Republic of Slovenia, access to detailed administrative data from the VAT system.

To improve the quality of results, additional procedures for checking the data were developed and some important asymmetries in external trade data were studied. SORS analysed the possibility for additional lowering of the threshold for Intrastat on the side of arrivals of goods and thus reducing the burden of reporting units.

According to provisional data for 2010 Slovenia's exports amounted to EUR 18,219.2 million (an increase by 13.7% compared to 2009), while imports amounted to EUR 19,609.5 million (an increase by 14.6% compared to 2009). The external trade deficit amounted to EUR 1,390.3 million and the export/import ratio was 92.9%.63

2.5 Balance of payments and other statistics on cross-border economic relations

Early revision of balance of payments data

The Bank of Slovenia (BS) performed a regular calculation of the data on the balance of payments data and international investment position, including external debt and foreign direct investments, and international reserves.

As every year, in 2010 too a regular revision of balance of payments data was performed, which usually covers data for the past two years. Because compared to the previous years SORS sped up the preparation of final external trade data, the BS was able to revise the balance of payments data already by mid-June, i.e. two months earlier than in the previous years. The early revision was also necessary due to SORS’s needs for preparing data on gross national income. Both institutions will continue this practice in the future.

The current account of Slovenia’s balance of payments was in 2010 negative at EUR 418.7 million; in 2009 a deficit at EUR 525.7 million was recorded.64

New data sources and improvement in data quality

Within the Slovenian statistical system, the BS obtained via SORS the data on VAT refunds and excise duties of foreign embassies in Slovenia, which are used to estimate consumption of foreign embassies. These data are included in the item export of government services. A new data source is also the Surveying and Mapping Authority data on the value of real estate owned by non-residents, which were obtained in 2010 and

62 See http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/grants/documents/Tab/MEETS2010_EN_.pdf (7.2.2011). 63 See Exports and imports of goods, December 2010 - provisional data, 9 February 2011, First Release. Available at:

http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3720 (25.3.2011). 64 See http://www.bsi.si/iskalniki/pregled-financnih-podatkov-en-vsebina.asp?VsebinaId=1046&MapaId=325 (25.3.2011).


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included in data for the period since 2008. In 2010, bilateral data were acquired on remittance which countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro) in their balance of payments systems show as remittance of their migrant workers in Slovenia to the home countries. These data were the source for the item workers’ remittances for the period since 2008. All these new data sources improved the data quality.

Legislation adopted in the field of macroeconomic statistics in 2010: • Council Regulation (EU) No 679/2010 of 26 July 2010 amending Regulation (EC) No 479/2009 as regards the

quality of statistical data in the context of the excessive deficit procedure (32010R0679). • Commission Regulation (EU) No 715/2010 of 10 August 2010 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2223/96 as

regards adaptations following the revision of the statistical classification of economic activities NACE Revision 2 and the statistical classification of products by activity (CPA) in national accounts (32010R0715).

• Decision on reporting data for the purposes of financial accounts' statistics, Official Journal of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 102/2010, page 15791.

• Commission Regulation (EU) No 1114/2010 of 1 December 2010 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 2494/95 as regards minimum standards for the quality of HICP weightings and repealing Commission Regulation (EC) No 2454/97 (32010R1114).

• Commission Regulation (EU) No 91/2010 of 2 February 2010 amending Regulation (EC) No 1982/2004 implementing Regulation (EC) No 638/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community statistics relating to the trading of goods between Member States, as regards the list of goods excluded from statistics, the communication of information by the tax administration and quality assessment (32010R0091).

• Commission Regulation (EU) No 92/2010 of 2 February 2010 implementing Regulation (EC) No 471/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community statistics relating to external trade with non-member countries, as regards data exchange between customs authorities and national statistical authorities, compilation of statistics and quality assessment (32010R0092).

• Commission Regulation (EU) No 96/2010 of 4 February 2010 amending Regulation (EC) No 1982/2004 implementing Regulation (EC) No 638/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community statistics relating to the trading of goods between Member States, as regards the simplification threshold, trade by business characteristics, specific goods and movements and nature of transaction codes (32010R0096).

• Commission Regulation (EU) No 113/2010 of 9 February 2010 implementing Regulation (EC) No 471/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community statistics relating to external trade with non-member countries, as regards trade coverage, definition of the data, compilation of statistics on trade by business characteristics and by invoicing currency, and specific goods or movements (32010R0113).


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3 Business statistics

The chapter on business statistics covers annual and short-term business statistics and the fields of energy, transport and tourism. All regular tasks were successfully implemented, several new releases were introduced, methodological and technical revisions were implemented and new surveys were conducted. In all areas the quality of published data improved.

3.1 Annual and short-term business statistics

Implementation of regular tasks and new data releases

As regards business services, SORS published for the first time data for the reference year 2008 according to the new Classification of Products by Activity (CPA 2008)65 and for the first time collected data for the mentioned survey with the electronic questionnaire (on the AJPES web portal). SORS successfully implemented all regular tasks in the field of structural business statistics, which is conducted mostly by data from existing administrative sources which SORS obtains from AJPES and Tax Administration of the Republic of Slovenia.

As regards monitoring entrepreneurship indicators, the first data series for employer enterprise demography and high-growth enterprises were published for the 2005–2007 period66. Data were prepared on the basis of the OECD-Eurostat Entrepreneurship Indicators Programme (EIP)67, within which entrepreneurship indicators are being developed and monitored, which enables studying of this phenomenon by countries with the use of standard definitions, methodologies and classifications.

In 2008, 15,921 enterprise births and 7,323 enterprise deaths1 were registered in activities B-S in Slovenia. In both observed populations the predominant legal form was a natural person; more than two thirds of enterprise births and 87% of enterprise deaths in activities B-S. Most of the newly born enterprises were registered in construction.68

Development of the enterprise groups register

In the areas of the statistical business register and enterprise demography, SORS implemented all regular activities and was successfully included in the second exchange of individual data with Eurostat (EuroGroups

65 See Business services, Slovenia, 2008 - final data, 6 October 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3258 (25.3.2011). 66 See Employer business demography and high-growth enterprises, Slovenia, 2005 - 2007 - final data, 15 July 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3258 (25.3.2011). 67 See http://www.entrepreneurship-indicators.net/ (9.2.2011). 68 See Business demography, Slovenia, 2008 – final data, 24 December 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3651 (25.3.2011).


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Register – EGR), the main purpose of which is to provide information on multinational enterprise groups in the EU for the statistical purpose only. The technical process of data exchange was upgraded and at the same time, on the initiative of some countries (including Slovenia), significantly simplified; this contributed to the rationalisation of data processing. Data exchange with the EGR will continue in 2011. Future activities regarding the national enterprise groups register will be focused on improving the quality of identifying the elements of enterprise groups (including non-residents), which will improve the quality of disseminating data on multinational enterprise groups.

Within globalisation statistics69 data on the operation of foreign-controlled enterprises (for the reference year 2008) were published for the second time. The first two phases of the pilot project of linking of microdata on international sourcing with structural statistics data and external trade data were concluded. The project will be finished by the end of September 2011.

Reducing the burden of reporting units, development tasks, new types of data

Reporting units participating in the survey Annual Industry Statistics received in 2010 a revised questionnaire, which is more transparent and therefore more friendly and enabled SORS to improve its technical procedures of data processing. Within this survey SORS was checking the quality of data with the emphasis on completeness of EU aggregates and harmonisation of the methodology. As regards monthly industry statistics, in line with the EU regulation70 on short-term statistics SORS set up a longer time series of data for the new orders indicator. It started to cooperate in Eurostat’s working group with the intention to establish if the indicator is appropriate for forecasting future production and turnover.

Annual data on production and sold production of industrial products and services for 2009 show that in the field of manufacturing, manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers represented the highest share of total sold products and services, almost 14%; the most export-oriented was manufacture of other transport equipment, while on the domestic market the highest share was that of enterprises producing beverages.71

In the field of construction, within SORS’s strategy to reduce administrative burdens the annual survey on construction works abroad was terminated as data users could be redirected to other data sources. The development task of setting up the methodology for calculating the construction cost indices for residential buildings was successfully implemented: input data for calculating the indicator are existing statistical data collected for other purposes. Quarterly data were published for the first time in July 2010 together with recalculated data series from 2000 on.

Within the development task SORS started to study the possibilities of calculating a new indicator – manufacturing services index – on the basis of existing sources and data; the index should be developed in the next few years.

As mentioned in the chapter on macroeconomic statistics, cooperation between SORS, the BS and AJPES regarding the setting up of the quarterly survey on the operation of business entities was rather intense.

AJPES’s work: successful implementation of regular and development tasks

The Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Public Legal Records and Related Services (AJPES) implemented all planned surveys on annual accounts for various business segments. The collected data are – inter alia – and

69 See http://www.stat.si/eng/tema_ekonomsko_globalizacija.asp (9.2.2011). 70 Council Regulation (EC) No 1165/98 of 19 May 1998 concerning short-term statistics (31998R1165). 71 See Annual data on production and sold production of industrial products and services, detailed data, Slovenia 2009 - final data, 30 September 2010, E-Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3440 (25.3.2011).


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important administrative source for further use in statistical surveys conducted by SORS, the BS and the MF. Data are being intensively used by various researchers, IMAD, other government institutions and chambers.

In the field of short-term business statistics, in addition to legal persons in 2010 AJPES included in the report on outstanding obligations of business entities over 5 days also sole proprietors and other natural persons performing registered activities.

Within the development task, AJPES tested the so-called structural questionnaire (which covers basic data on units in the Slovenian Business Register (SBR) and parts of business entities) in order to provide complete and up-to-date data on units in the SBR and to improve the quality of the statistical business register and the structural business statistics. As regards the regulation of the obligation to enter business units in the SBR, AJPES will prepare a proposal of a new act on the SBR.

3.2 Energy

Data from the Household Energy Consumption Survey will be used to improve the statistics of the final energy consumption by end use

SORS conducted the Household Energy Consumption Survey, which was planned in the 2010 Annual Programme of Statistical Surveys as a development task and was co-financed by European funds. Within the task the methodology for conducting the survey and thus improving final energy consumption statistics by end use was set up. Part of the survey results will be used in calculating the model on household final energy consumption by end use, which was prepared by the Jožef Štefan Institute. Work on the project will be finished in 2011.

Renewable energy sources

Within development tasks, SORS continued to work on the statistics of renewable energy sources, namely by reviewing and improving existing sources. In the future SORS wants to set up and integrate all available statistics on renewable energy sources at one place. First results produced in line with the new methodology are expected in 2011.

In 2010, the number of entities producing electricity from solar energy (»autoproducers«) increased significantly. SORS obtains these data from the information portal of the Energy Directorate at the Ministry of the Economy. In this way SORS reduced the burden of reporting units since data used to be reported directly by them.

In 2009 the final energy consumption in Slovenia decreased for 11 % compared to the previous year. The share of electricity from renewable energy sources in Slovenia in 2009 was 30%.72

Implementation of regular surveys and cooperation with national institutions

SORS conducted all planned statistical surveys with which it collected data on production, use, import, export, stocks and prices of liquid, gaseous and solid fuels, electricity and heat, and renewable energy sources. Data were published according to plans. There were no special revisions of surveys in the field of energy and raw materials statistics in 2010. Data collected with these surveys are intended for domestic users and for transmission to international institutions; SORS sends the data to Eurostat and to the International Energy Agency (IEA), which is part of the OECD. With Slovenia’s accession to the OECD the publication of energy statistics was revised; the revision was necessary due to shorter deadlines for reporting. In 2010, monthly data were published one month after the reference month as provisional data and three months after the reference month as revised data.

72 See Annual energy statistics, Slovenia, 2009 - final data, 4 October 2010, First Release. Available at:



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Within energy statistics SORS cooperates with:

- Ministry of the Economy, Energy Directorate, in managing a common database that provides uniform statistical data for the field of energy in Slovenia and reduces the burden of reporting units;

- Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Environment Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, in exchanging data necessary for calculating greenhouse gas emissions and preparing environmental-economic accounts, and data on liquid fuels, biofuels and other renewable fuels for road motor vehicles;

- Jožef Stefan Institute, in identifying the sources of data on renewable energy sources and efficient energy use.

In 2010, SORS published a brochure entitled The Sustainable Development Indicators for Slovenia73 with data on energy – energy consumption, share of renewable sources and energy intensity.

3.3 Transport

Improvements in conducting regular surveys

In the first half of 2010, in the field of port traffic statistics the transition to monthly e-monitoring of data by the Slovenian Maritime Administration was completed. With the Commission decision on modifying the directive74 in 2010 the scope of monitoring quarterly data on vessel traffic and passenger transport (reference year 2009) was expanded and in 2011 the collection of data by types of goods will become obligatory.

The conclusion of the extensive project of upgrading the software for managing the survey on road goods transport, including setting up a statistical register of motor vehicles, after harmonising the code lists and preparing and supplementing the guidelines for implementing all phases of the survey in 2009, was followed by testing and upgrading of the application, which continued throughout 2010.

In the 3rd quarter of 2010 road goods vehicles registered in Slovenia carried 21.3 million tons of goods and performed 3,740 million tonne-kilometres. Those vehicles carried more goods (5%) and performed more tonne-kilometres (9%) than in the same period of the previous year. In the 3rd quarter of 2010 loaded vehicles travelled more than 260 million kilometres, 8% more than in the 3rd quarter of 2009.75

In the SI-STAT data portal data series on registered new passenger cars have been published since January 2010. The data are seasonally and working-day adjusted.

In 2010, the standard quality report76 was prepared for the survey on road passenger transport.

National and international requests for determining the environmental impact of transport

Within Eurostat/UNECE working groups work continued on developing indicators such as modal split indicators, structural, regional and environmental indicators, and sustainable development and traffic safety indicators. On the basis of the analysis of collected data on road transport volume (kilometres travelled),

73 See The sustainable development indicators for Slovenia, May 2010. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/tema_okolje_kazalniki_trajnostnega_razvoja.asp (25.3.2011). 74 Directive 2009/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 May 2009 on statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods and passengers by sea (Recast) (32009L0042). 75 See Transport of goods by road, Slovenia, 3rd quarter 2010 - final data, 12 January 2011, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3679 (25.3.2011).

76 See http://www.stat.si/eng/metodologija_porocila-kakovost.asp (9.2.2011).


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Eurostat – with active SORS’s participation – redefined the content and scope of further collection of such data. According to forecasts, in the next few years – probably in 2014 – a uniform and legally regulated collection of such data at the EU level will be set up.

Providing appropriate quality of transport statistics, both those that are supported by European statistical legislation and those that are not obligatory, which SORS also regularly reports ever year (common UNECE/ITF/Eurostat questionnaire and regional questionnaire), in 2010 required constant additional activities for preserving and improving the coverage, timeliness and accuracy of statistical data.

3.4 Tourism

Methodological improvements of accommodation statistics significantly improved data quality

All surveys planned with the annual programme of statistical surveys were implemented. The revision of the methodology for the statistical survey on accommodation statistics was completed: SORS has been publishing the data according to the new methodology since September 2010. At the same time users received recalculated time series from 2008 on. With the new methodology for the statistical survey on accommodation statistics SORS improved the quality of collected data and reduced the burden of reporting units. Activities for the quality improvements, and especially for reducing the reporting burden, will continue, particularly within the interinstitutional project led by Ministry of Public Administration; central data collection on arrivals and overnight stays of tourists will be provided for several institutions at the same time.

Activities concerning the adoption of the new EU regulation on tourism statistics continued in 2010. Due to additional harmonisation between the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council, the anticipated adoption of the new regulation was postponed to 2011. The first reference period should thus be 2012.

Implementation of periodic surveys

The last results of the triennial survey on foreign tourists in hotels and camping sites (data on expenditure of foreign tourists) were published in 2010 and the survey on foreign same-day visitors and transit passengers at border crossings with Croatia and in important tourist places was conducted. Data from this survey will be published in 2011.

In the 3rd quarter of 2010, 57% of the resident population aged 15 or more went on about 1,970,000 tourism trips, whether private or business. The share of tourists who went on tourism trips increased by 3 percentage points over the 3rd quarter of 2009, while the number of tourism trips decreased by 7%.77

Legislation adopted in the field of business statistics in 2010: • Commission Regulation (EU) No 1097/2010 of 26 November 2010 implementing Regulation (EC) No 177/2008

of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a common framework for business registers for statistical purposes, as regards the exchange of confidential data between the Commission (Eurostat) and central banks (32010R1097).

• Commission Decision of 14 April 2010 amending Directive 2009/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on statistical returns in respect of carriage of goods and passengers by sea (32010D0216).

77 See Tourism travels of domestic population, Slovenia, 3rd quarter 2010 - final data, 23 December 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3650 (25.3.2011).


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4 Agriculture, forestry and fisheries

The most demanding task in the field of agriculture statistics was the implementation of the Agricultural Census: a combination of fieldwork and the use of existing statistical and administrative sources.

4. 1 Farm structure and typology

Data collected with the 2010 Agricultural Census will be the basis for statistical monitoring of agriculture in Slovenia in the next decade

In 2010, the agricultural census78 and the census of horticulture were conducted by fieldwork data collection and the use of data from administrative sources; SORS obtained administrative data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food (MAFF). Fieldwork data collection was computerised, (computer assisted personal interview), which enabled better current control of collected data and shortening of the time between data capture and dissemination of provisional results.

In June 2010, SORS and the MAFF signed the Agreement on transmission and use of MAFF data for statistical purposes with the aim to reduce the burden of reporting units and rationalise statistical surveys at SORS.

SORS is publishing provisional data of the 2010 Agricultural Census according to which there are 74,640 agricultural holdings in Slovenia. An average agricultural holding uses 6.4 hectares of agricultural area and breeds 5.6 LSU (livestock size units). In the past ten years the average size of agricultural holdings in Slovenia increased by 0.8 hectares of utilised agricultural area and 0.1 LSU.79

4.2 Agricultural income and prices

Improvement of data quality

In 2010, data from the field of agricultural price statistics were collected and published within regular tasks. Major emphasis was placed on quality aspects and SORS prepared a standard quality report for the field of input and output prices80.

In 2010, the monthly statistical survey on the sale of agricultural products was revised, so that in July 2010 the part of statistical reporting referring to the landing of fishery products within marine fishing was terminated. Reporting within aquaculture was terminated at the end of 2010. From 2011 on, SORS will be

78 Regulation (EC) No 1166/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on farm structure surveys and the survey on agricultural production methods and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 571/88 (32008R1166). 79 See Important data on agricultural census, Slovenia, 2010 - provisional data, 30 September 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3448 (25.3.2011) and http://www.stat.si/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=4241 (5. 10. 2011). 80 See http://www.stat.si/eng/metodologija_porocila-kakovost.asp (25.3.2011).


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able to obtain data from MAFF’s administrative source, so it was possible to reduce the reporting burden and rationalise the statistical survey.

Eurostat is attempting to make progress in improving the quality and comparability of data between EU Member States in the field of economic accounts for agriculture (EAA). SORS cooperated in Eurostat’s analysis of valuing fodder produced and consumed on agricultural holdings, and the content of item other agricultural products and services. The introduction of the SKD 2008 led to smaller methodological differences between determining agricultural activity in national accounts and in EAA. SORS will recalculate all data series from 1995 on according to the SKD 2008.

Within the discussion about changing the Rural Development Programme of the Republic of Slovenia for the 2007–2013 period81 and evaluating its results, SORS proposed a change, i.e. the introduction of an additional national indicator for monitoring agricultural development, the so-called factor income per employee.

In comparison with 2009, in 2010 the real factor income per annual work unit is estimated to increase in agriculture by 7%. The main reason for the increase is higher value of agricultural production ; the highest price increase is expected in the field of cereals..82

4.3 Crop and animal production

Agricultural production covers crop, fruit, wine and animal production, and derived from these statistics are various agricultural balance sheets

In addition to regular annual data on agricultural production statistics, SORS also published results of the 2009 Census of Vineyards83. This ten-year survey was conducted for the first time in line with the EU Regulation84, predominantly by using administrative sources.

Within livestock statistics, SORS implemented all planned tasks; in addition, within statistics of milk and milk products SORS published for the first time data on consumption of goat’s and ewe’s milk on agricultural holdings85. Within a special Eurostat working group SORS cooperated in preparing the content of the quality report for the field of livestock statistics.

In preparing the calendar and market food balance sheets, SORS cooperates with the MAFF and the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia. Balance sheets for meat, eggs, cereals, potato, vegetables, rice, sugar and wine were published. To improve the methodology of balance sheets, a special interdepartmental methodological group for balance sheets was established, which meets as necessary and a member of which is also a SORS representative.

Within development work, SORS developed for the needs of the Ministry of Defence the methodology for preparing strategic balances, which cover the preparation of seven balances (baby food, salt, fish, yeast, tea/coffee, bottled drinking water, fodder) for the 1996-2007 period. The development of balances, which includes harmonisation of data sources, will continue in 2011.

81 See http://www.mkgp.gov.si/fileadmin/mkgp.gov.si/pageuploads/saSSo/PRP_2007-2013/PRP30maj/prp3105/PRP19jun07/PRP16jul07/PRP25jul07/1PROGRAM_RAZVOJA_PODE.pdf (only in Slovene, 9.2.2011). 82 See Real Income from Agriculture - second estimate, Slovenia, 2010, 31 January 2011, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3703 (25.3.2011). 83 See Vineyard Census, Slovenia, 2009 - final data, 14 June 2010, E-Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3179 (25.3.2011). 84 Council Regulation (EEC) No 357/79 of 5 February 1979 on statistical surveys of areas under vines (31979R0357). 85 See Milk and milk products, Slovenia, 2009 - final data, 29 June 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3216 (25.3.2011).


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At the international conferences on agricultural logistics SORS successfully presented a series of calendar balance sheets entitled Balance Sheets of Production and Consumption of Agricultural Products Monitored by SORS.

The degree of self-sufficiency is higher for animal products than for crop products. Degree of self-sufficiency for meat was in 2009 82,6 % and for eggs 93,1%.A low degree was demonstrated in the 2000-2009 period by supply balance sheets for vegetables (37.8 % in 2009) and cereals (55 % in 2009). 86

4.4. Fisheries and forestry

Releases of economic accounts for forestry

In the field of forestry, SORS published two economic accounts: production account and primary income account. Large development progress within the new methodology of integrated accounts was achieved by designing the method of valuation of standing wood; this method was presented at the meeting of the Eurostat working group on forestry statistics.

The share of the value of fuel wood in total value of forestry production was growing in the 2000–2009 period. In 2009 it was 23.6%, 12.3 percentage points higher than in 2000.87

In 2011, SORS will transmit data on fisheries to Eurostat in the new SDMX format, which enables more transparent comparability of data among countries regarding methodological background. In preparing the data, SORS cooperated with the MAFF.

The MAFF, the Fisheries Research Institute and SORS cooperated in preparing the interinstitutional agreement for regulating aquaculture data collection, which SORS must transmit to Eurostat in line with the EU regulation88.

86 See Crop and animal supply balance sheets for the calendar year, Slovenia, 2000-2009 - final data, 11 November 2010, E-Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3553 (25.3.2011). 87 See: http://pxweb.stat.si/pxweb/Database/Environment/16_forestry_hunting/01_16227_forestry_account/01_16227_forestry_account.asp (25.3.2011). 88 Regulation (EC) No 762/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 on the submission by Member States of statistics on aquaculture and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 788/96 (32008R0762).


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5 Multi-domain statistics

The chapter on multi-domain statistics covers fields of statistics that are of cross-cutting nature: business tendencies, environment and sustainable development, science and technology, information society and regional statistics.

5.1 Business tendencies

Transition to revised SKD 2008

In May 2010, in the field of business tendencies SORS started to calculate and publish results according to the revised Standard Classification of Activities SKD 2008. Recalculations for previous years were prepared together with the first release. All data are published in the SI-STAT data portal.

For conducting the consumer opinion survey and business tendency surveys, in 2010 SORS successfully applied for the European Commission’s call for proposals for the 2011-2015 period89.

The average value of the sentiment indicator in 2010 was 14 percentage points higher than in 2009.90

5.2 Environment and sustainable development

Intensive interinstitutional cooperation will enable reduction of administrative burdens

In 2010, SORS continued to collect and publish basic environmental data. In the field of water statistics SORS collected data on public water supply, sewage system, amount of water used for irrigation and amount of water used for industrial purposes. In the field of waste statistics data on the quantity of generated waste and waste management, on waste collection, waste treatment and waste removal are collected. In addition, SORS collects and publishes data on environmental protection expenditure.

In the context of environmental statistics SORS cooperates with the Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia (with which it signed a cooperation agreement in 2007 on exchanging environmental data and joint collection of data on waste) and the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning (with which discussions about setting up databases and taking over data on public water supply, the sewage system, collecting municipal waste and waste disposal are going on). After the databases – administrative sources for

89 Joint harmonised EU programme of Business and Consumer Surveys; see: http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/procurement_grants/grants/proposals/ecfin2008a3-042_en.htm (4.2.2011). 90 See http://pxweb.stat.si/pxweb/Database/Economy/28_business_tendency/28001_tendency_survey/28001_tendency_survey.asp (25.3.2011).


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SORS – are set up, the burden of reporting units will be reduced. Taking over data on waste is envisaged after the adoption of the EU regulation on municipal waste in 2011, while taking over data on water first needs to be legally regulated.

In mid-2010, SORS was actively cooperating in the international conference ORBIT 201091 in Greece with a paper entitled “Proper handling of biodegradable waste in the spirit of reducing greenhouse gas emissions”.

Development and use of environmental-economic accounts are becoming increasingly important

In recent year, SORS has been updating basic environmental data with environmental accounts, two of which – NAMEA air emissions and material flow accounts – were prepared and published in 2010. Despite that, the methodology in these two fields is still being improved. Therefore, in 2010 pilot projects NAMEA air emissions and material flow accounts were implemented, with which SORS improved the quality of collected data.

Work started on the third module of environmental accounts, i.e. environmental protection expenditure accounts. SORS performed this work with the help of a Eurostat grant. Within the development project possible data sources were studied and the basic methodology for producing these accounts was prepared. Within the cooperation with Eurostat, SORS also became a member of special expert groups for preparing environmental accounts methodologies for the improvement of these accounts.

Compared to 2007, in 2008 carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions increased by 8.8% and nitrodioxides (NOx) emissions by 10.6%.92

Extensive developmental project work continues

Within development tasks, in 2010 SORS cooperated in Eurostat’s workshop on preparing the methodology for collecting data on export and import of waste, which is stipulated in the EU regulation on waste statistics.

SORS successfully finished the project on consumption of drinking water in agriculture and construction. Project results showed that consumption of water in these two activities is negligible (less than 1%) compared to water consumed in mining and quarrying, manufacturing and electricity and water supply.

Raising environmental awareness with data releases

In addition to regular releases, SORS was presenting its work and environmental data in the form of articles in the monthly professional magazine EOL (specialised magazine for packing, environment and logistics). Publication of professional articles on environment will continue in 2011.

On special days such as the World Water Day, the World Environment Day and the voluntary action Let’s Clean Slovenia in One Day, SORS prepared special articles on individual topics and published them on its website93. In May 2010, SORS issued a brochure entitled The Sustainable Development Indicators for Slovenia, with which it wanted to raise the awareness of sustainable development in Slovenia. The brochure covers indicators from three areas – well-being, balance and modesty, and intergenerational cooperation – shown from environmental, economic and social aspects. At the same time, a website on this topic was set up. And in November 2010 SORS issued the revised edition of this publication with the latest data.

91 See http://www.orbit2010.gr/ (9.2.2011) 92 See NAMEA Air Emissions, Slovenia, 2008 - final data, 15 December 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3623 (25.3.2011). 93 See http://www.stat.si/eng/tema_okolje_okolje.asp (9.2.2011).


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SORS cooperated in preparing a special publication entitled Waste in Slovenia, which was published at the end of 2010 within the collection Green Slovenia at the publishing house Fit media.

Some interesting data from the publication The Sustainable Development Indicators for Slovenia94, November 2010: - In 2009, on average 449 kg of municipal waste was generated per capita in Slovenia, 1.2 kg per person per day, 1% less than

in 2008. - In production and service activities 5,847,398 tons of waste were generated, 4% less than in 2008. - The total amount of waste recovered in 2009 was 5,113,761 tons (1% less than in 2008). Most of this waste was construction

waste, followed by metal and paper waste. - In 2008, the value of gross capital formation for environmental protection amounted to EUR 347 million, 28% more than in

2007; the value of current expenditure for environmental protection amounted to EUR 390 million, 12% more than in 2007.

5.3 Science, technology and innovation

International cooperation related to planned further methodological improvements

In the field of R&D statistics SORS cooperated at the EU level in methodological improvements, especially related to more a detailed monitoring of the internationalisation of R&D activity. A pilot survey was conducted on national public financing of supranational surveys. The findings will be the basis for proposed changes and supplements of questions in national questionnaires. In view of the policies at the EU level and the national level, SORS will strive to improve the quality of data and rationalise the extent of data collection. In addition, SORS conducted regular annual surveys on R&D activity by sectors of performance for the reference year 2009 and on government budget appropriations for R&D for 2009 (final budget) and 2010 (provisional budget) and published the data.

In 2009, gross domestic expenditure on R&D amounted to EUR 656.9 million, which represented 1.86% of Slovenian GDP.95 The share of government budget appropriations or outlays on R&D in GDP in 2008 was 0,51 %.96

SORS published data from the two-year survey on innovation activity for the 2006–2008 period, which was conducted in 2009. Within the cooperation at the EU level preparations were going on for the implementation of the next survey that will be conducted in 2011. The main novelty will be the inclusion of non-compulsory questions related to knowledge and creativity.

In the 2006-2008 period 50.3% of enterprises were innovation active; 54.6% of all manufacturing enterprises and 46.1% of all enterprises in services.97

In addition to regular data on innovation and R&D activity that are transmitted to Eurostat and the OECD, SORS sent to the OECD available data on R&D activity in biotechnology and regional data on R&D activity.

94 See The sustainable development indicators for Slovenia, second, updated edition, November 2010. Available at: http://www.stat.si/doc/pub/Trajnost2_ang.pdf (25.3.2011). 95 See Research and development activity, Slovenia, 2009 – final data, 4 January 2011, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3649 (25.3.2011). 96 See Government budget appropriations or outlays on R&D, provisional budget, Slovenia, 2009, 25 February 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=2961 (25.3.2011). 97 See Innovation activity in manufacturing and selected services, Slovenia 2006-2008 - final data, 29 September 2010, First Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3447 (25.3.2011).


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Methodological developments – new survey on careers of doctorate holders

For the first time SORS conducted the internationally comparable survey on careers of doctorate holders. Survey implementation was co-financed by the European Commission. The survey was based on a combination of data from existing administrative sources and data collected by a special survey on careers of doctorate holders. Results are expected to be available in the spring of 2011.

5.4 Information society

Security in ICT use

In 2010, a special theme in the surveys on the usage of information and communication technologies (ICT) in enterprises, and in households and by individuals was security of ICT use. SORS prepared a brochure98 and presented data on e-business in enterprises in Slovenia and the EU from 2004 to 2008.

In the first quarter of 2010 there were 72% regular users of computers among persons aged 10 to 74. 63% of persons aged 10 to 74 years used some kind of security software or tool in order to protect private computer and data.99

Within information society statistics SORS implemented a pilot project with which it covered data on ICT investments in enterprises. These data will be published at the beginning of 2011 and will be used in Eurostat’s project on linking microdata from various sources to establish ICT impact on various areas of the economy.

SORS also conducted the planned surveys on postal services and electronic communications.

5.5. Regional statistics and geographical/local information

Publication of regional data in a database and in publications

In the SI-STAT data portal SORS was publishing regional data for those areas for which dissemination of such data was possible in terms of quality and confidentiality. Some new content was added from the fields of labour market, election, etc. With the interactive electronic version of the publication Slovene Municipalities in Figures100, the first of this kind at SORS, the office exceeded the printed medium for publications. Integration of data and information within the publication increases its applicability also for further data transmission and processing. In the six months since the electronic version of Slovene Municipalities in Figures had been available, around 9,500 users accessed the publication online.

Cooperating in the Urban Audit (UA) project, Member States provide comparable data on the quality of life in European cities. SORS transmitted to Eurostat data for the annual UA collection (40 variables) for the reference years 2005 to 2008 and data for the exhaustive UA collection (300 variables) for the references year 2008.

98 See E Business in Enterprises in Slovenia and EU-27, 2004-2008, February 2010. Available at: http://www.stat.si/doc/pub/IKT2009-ANG.pdf (25.3.2011). 99 See Usage of information and communication technologies in households and by individuals, detailed data, Slovenia, 2010 – final data, 1 December 2010, E-Release. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/novica_prikazi.aspx?id=3604 (25.3.2011). 100 See Slovene municipalities in figures Available at: http://www.stat.si/obcinevstevilkah/ (only in Slovene, 25.3.2011).


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Geostatistics

Because SORS is aware of the different needs of users and their different knowledge of statistics, it is striving to offer data in various ways, in various forms and in various media. In order to be more easily understood, statistical data on SORS’s website are presented in space in various ways: the web application was completed with new thematic maps, while the latest data for statistical regions and municipalities are available in the Interactive Statistical Atlas of Slovenia; this web tool was improved with some user-friendly functions.

For disseminating statistical data on hierarchical grids, in 2010 a set of statistical data that will be available on SORS’s website in 2011 was determined; first some data on the population will be available. SORS georeferenced historical data to enable their dissemination in a modern way.

SORS was actively cooperating in the European Forum for Geostatistics and in the ESSnet GEOSTAT project. In an invited paper at the Conference of European Statisticians (CES) SORS presented its achievements in disseminating statistical data on hierarchical grids.

Applicability of data presented in hierarchical grids of different sizes is shown by the following example: the population density in municipality Ljubljana is around 1,000 people per square kilometre. Disseminating data at a more detailed territorial level, e.g. cell the size of 100 x 100 metres, shows that the most densely populated square kilometre has more than 2,800 people. On the other hand, there are a number of square kilometres that are not even settled.

Legislation adopted in the field of multi-domain statistics in 2010: • Commission Regulation (EU) No 849/2010 of 27 September 2010 amending Regulation (EC) No 2150/2002 of

the European Parliament and of the Council on waste statistics (32010R0849). • Commission Regulation (EU) No 821/2010 of 17 September 2010 implementing Regulation (EC) No 808/2004

of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning Community statistics on the information society (32010R0821).


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6 Statistical infrastructure

For high-quality results of national statistics, appropriate infrastructure is of utmost importance.

6. 1 Legal framework

During the period covered by the Report, the underlying national legal bases for providing the SORS service were the following:

- National Statistics Act101 (Official Journal of the Republic of Slovenia, Nos. 45/1995 and 9/2001),

- Medium-term Programme of Statistical Surveys 2008–2012102 (Official Journal of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 119/2007),

- Annual Programme of Statistical Surveys for 2010103 (Official Journal of the Republic of Slovenia, Nos. 93/2009, 19/2010, 50/2010 in 72/2010),

- Priorities of the national statistics in 2010104 (discussed by the Statistical Council of the Republic of Slovenia at its 30th regular session held on 22 October 2009),

- Regulations concerning standard classifications101, SORS’s internal acts105, interinstitutional cooperation agreements.

The Annual Programme of Statistical Surveys 2011106 (Official Journal of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 93/2010) was adopted. The Statistical Council of the Republic of Slovenia discussed the Priorities of National Statistics in 2011107 at its 33rd regular session on 2 June 2010.

National statistics operates in accordance with Community legislation. The Regulation on European statistics108 is the umbrella regulation that regulates the operation of the European Statistical System. For individual fields of statistics sectoral statistical legislation is in force. In 2010, 35 acts were adopted; in this report their titles are stated at the end of each chapter, while the entire list is published on the Eurostat website109. Operation of

101 See Legislative framework of Slovenian national statistics. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/drz_stat_zakonski.asp (25.3.2011). 102 See Medium-term programme of statistical surveys 2008–2012. Available at: http://www.stat.si/doc/drzstat/SPSR-ang.pdf (25.3.2011). 103 See Annual programmes of statistical surveys for 2010. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/drz_stat_programi.asp (only in Slovene, 25.3.2011). 104 See Priorities of the national statistics in 2010. Available at: http://www.stat.si/doc/drzstat/priorities2010.pdf (25.3.2011). 105 See Internal acts. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/stat_notranji.asp (25.3.2011). 106 See Annual programmes of statistical surveys for 2011. Available at: http://www.stat.si/eng/drz_stat_programi.asp (25.3.2011). 107 See Priorities of the national statistics in 2010. Available at: http://www.stat.si/doc/drzstat/priorities2011.pdf (25.3.2011). 108 Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics and repealing Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1101/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the transmission of data subject to statistical confidentiality to the Statistical Office of the European Communities, Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 on Community Statistics, and Council Decision 89/382/EEC, Euratom establishing a Committee on the Statistical Programmes of the European Communities (32009R0223). 109 See http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/about_eurostat/european_framework/legislation_in_force (21.3.2011).


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the Bank of Slovenia in the ESCB’s statistical system is determined by the regulation concerning the collection of statistical information by the European Central Bank and its amendments110.

6.2 Classifications

SORS was updating all valid economic, social and territorial classifications. Most of the time was spent on preparing the publication of the latest version of the Classification of Products by Activity – CPA 2008111 and on adjustment of external trade classifications (in 2012 extensive changes in the Harmonised System are expected). Work continued on introducing the Slovene version of ISCED - KLASIUS and the Standard Classification of Occupations 2008 – SKP-08, which was adopted by a government decree.

The National Institute of Public Health, the Ministry of Health and the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia cooperated in preparing the national classification of health activities.

6.3 Quality

SORS is part of international activities in the field of quality

As in the previous years, in 2010 SORS transmitted to Eurostat the report on the introduction of the European Statistics Code of Practice112 and monitoring its implementation. Special attention was focused on monitoring three principles of this code: professional independence, adequacy of resources, and quality commitment. Progress in implementing the principles of the Code of Practice was also reported by authorised producers of national statistics. SORS cooperates in Eurostat’s Sponsorship on Quality. At the end of 201o, the main result of the group’s work was preparation of the proposal to change the Code of Practice with which some of its deficiencies would be eliminated and some indicators on the use of administrative sources would be added.

Preparation and development of standard quality indicators

The group of Eurostat experts, in which SORS participated, finished the content-related determination of standard quality indicators, which should become a standard element of European quality reports as well as of the statistical data and metadata exchange system (ESMS).

SORS is gradually introducing the automated system of calculating standard quality indicators; this means that especially process-oriented indicators are calculated during the processing phase so that they are available together with statistical results. SORS is preparing the base of quality indicators, which will present at one place the calculated indicators from various surveys and from various time periods.

Measuring the quality in statistical surveys

Standard quality reports are an established way of reporting about the quality of statistical surveys. In 2010, a new template was introduced in the preparation of these reports; they now contain items that refer to administrative sources. Standard quality reports are regularly supplemented by annual quality reports113, which enable to users rapid insight into quality indicators. Annual quality reports are also available in the English language.

110 Council Regulation (EC) No 2533/98 of 23 November 1998 concerning the collection of statistical information by the European Central Bank (31998R2533) and Council Regulation (EC) No 951/2009 of 9 October 2009 amending Regulation (EC) No 2533/98 concerning the collection of statistical information by the European Central Bank (32009R0951). 111 See http://www.stat.si/eng/klasje.asp (15.2.2011). 112 See http://www.stat.si/eng/drz_stat_kakovost_kodeks.asp (25.3.2011). 113 See http://www.stat.si/eng/metodologija_porocila-kakovost.asp (25.3.2011).


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Measuring user trust and satisfaction

In January 2010, SORS was included in measuring trust in institutions, a survey conducted by the Public Opinion and Mass Communication Research Centre114 (Faculty of Social Sciences). SORS was evaluated with the average mark of 3.2 and was ranked 10th among the 28 institutions included in the survey.

At the end of 2010, a web survey on user satisfaction with SORS’s statistical data was conducted so that SORS would get to now better the habits and needs of its users. All members of statistical advisory committees, registered users of SORS’s services and users who contacted SORS’s Information Centre were invited to take part in the survey.

Asked what was the most important for them as regards SORS’s statistical data, the respondents pointed out timeliness, accuracy, transparency and easy access to statistical data. Respondents most often used data from the domains of population, labour market and prices; less frequently used domains were crime, forestry and hunting, crafts, and mining and manufacturing.

6.4 Statistical processes and their improvement

Documentation for modernisation and standardisation of internal processes

To improve the quality and modernise internal processes, SORS was preparing a document entitled Quality Guidelines with extensive descriptions and guidelines for specific actions in implementing processes and with guidelines in the form of checklists with practical tips and guidance. The document will be a quality basis for improvement and further standardisation of processes and related software tools.

In 2010, a methodological manual entitled Quality Indicators was prepared for publication; according to the plan, SORS should prepare at least two such manuals every year. Each methodological manual brings a very detailed description of an individual part of the process.

SORS also prepared a Style Guide intended for all survey managers and others who publish their data in various forms and in various statistical publications. The guide presents at one place the rules, recommendations and guidelines which help authors of statistical releases to produce high-quality and standardised statistical releases.

Communication with reporting units

As regards the communication with reporting units, SORS was completing the texts for the frequently asked questions database and started to prepare internal rules regarding the communication with reporting units. A part of these activities were activities related to the preparation of new methods of statistical reporting.

E-business

SORS continued to implement the project of introducing e-business: in 2010, it set up the information infrastructure and installed the software solution (so-called eSTAT) in the information system of the Ministry of Public Administration. This is the basis for introducing e-reporting for SORS’s needs.

114 See http://www.cjm.si/cjm_english (11.5.2011)


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General software solutions – process standardisation and automation

Development of general software solutions for statistical data processing contributes to the standardisation and automation of individual processes, which provides easier, more transparent and better implementation of data processing (data warehouses, use of advanced tools, e.g. MS OLAP).

Setting up a system of documenting data collections at the National Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Slovenia

The National Institute of Public Health was implementing the project of organising metadata and documents in the case of data collection on hospital treatment. The project objective was to determine the template for documenting data collections, which would be adjusted to the needs of the Institute, preparation of documentation for data collection on hospital treatments and preparation of the proposal for information storage of documentation.

6.5 Reduction of administrative burden

In 2010, SORS implemented important steps to reduce the administrative burden of reporting units and the burden of SORS. The most important measures are: termination of three surveys and the beginning of termination of six other surveys, rationalisation of data collection for 19 statistical surveys, and revision of nine statistical surveys. Confirming the justification of new and termination of existing statistical surveys in terms of the needs of users, data sources and provision of transparency and adequacy of used methodologies with the help of external experts is done within the methodological council, which in addition to SORS’s experts includes external experts on statistical methodology.

6.6 Data security and protection

In 2010, the Data Protection Committee at SURS discussed 199 items (in 2009 177 items). The growing trend of discussed items indicates increased users’ requests for data, since 72% of all discussed items were researchers’ requests for microdata (of which 74% by foreign researchers). The Personal Data Protection Committee at the National Institute of Public Health met five times and discussed 22 items. More than half of the opinions and proposals were related to the issue of protection and processing of sensitive personal data at the Institute. The Committee for Information Protection Management System was very active 2010: most of its activity referred to the preparation of comprehensive information security policy at SORS with internal rules regulating specific areas of data and information protection. With the help of an external contractor the Committee prepared final proposals of rules, procedures and other documents which systematically regulate the field of information security.

6.7 Important promotion events

Jubilee 20th statistical conference in Radenci

Among the promotional events, in 2010 SORS co-organised the 20th Statistical Days conference in Radenci115 entitled Measuring the Well-Being and the Progress of Society – Challenges in Using and Understanding the

115 See http://www.stat.si/statisticnidnevi/?lang=en / (25.3.2011).


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Data. The event started with a discussion on the measurement of well-being, followed by these sessions: Well-being of people and progress of society, Different perspectives of well-being, Environment, Qualitative and composite indicators, and Co-operation in preparing and using indicators. Together with poster sessions two round tables were organised: Dissemination of seasonally adjusted data, and Raising the level of statistical literacy in Slovenia. Various posters were presented in the hotel lobby. A part of the jubilee international meeting was a special celebration at the 20th conference and the World Statistics Day. To celebrate this occasion, SORS issued a special retrospective publication and a promotional video.

Round table on the measurement and use of data on social progress and people's well-being

At the end of November 2010 a round table116 organised by SORS under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Slovenia Dr Danilo Türk and the OECD Secretary General Mr Angel Gurría took place at Brdo, Slovenia.

The round table pointed out numerous challenges and ideas regarding the measurement of well-being and progress, and opened a pluralistic discussion on the concept of well-being and progress, on how this concept is understood by various stakeholders, and on challenges and ideas that will be discussed in the future.

6.8 SORS and public relations

In 2010, 11 regular and 3 additional press conferences were organised; at the former SORS presented results of current statistical surveys and announced the most important activities, while with the help of invited speakers at the latter it offered to the media broader interpretation of official statistical data. With press releases117 SORS prepared media statements for publication with which it marked special days and holidays or reported on office’s activity and important events co-organised by SORS.

6.9 Data dissemination

In line with announcements, SORS was regularly publishing statistical data in all its publication series118, both in Slovene and English. For the first time it published the interactive electronic publication entitled Slovene Municipalities in Figures. It also published the Statistical Yearbook and the so-called promotional publications: Slovenia in Figures, Statistical Portrait of Slovenia in the EU and Slovene Regions in Figures. Publications in the Brochures collection119 are intended for the general and professional public; in 2010 five titles were published from the field of population (Names in Figures, The Demographic Portrait of Slovenia 2008, The Elderly in Slovenia) and The Sustainable Development Indicators for Slovenia (two issues).

SORS publishes most of its data in the SI-STAT120 data portal, to which it continuously adds new content and updates the existing data. Users can select the data and store them in various formats. At the end of 2010, the SI-STAT data portal included 1,774 tables (in 2009 1,521).

116 See http://www.stat.si/brdo2010/eng/Default.aspx?lang=eng (11.2.2011). 117 See: http://www.stat.si/eng/tema_splosno_posebnidnevi.asp (25.3.2011). 118 See http://www.stat.si/eng/pub.asp (25.3.2011). 119 See http://www.stat.si/eng/pub_brosure.asp (25.3.2011). 120 See http://pxweb.stat.si/pxweb/dialog/statfile1.asp (25.3.2011).


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Access to data of authorised producers of national statistics

Regular releases of statistical data according to the 2010 Annual Programme of Statistical Surveys are also available on the websites of authorised producers of national statistics. In publishing their data, SORS, the Bank of Slovenia and the Ministry of Finance respected the standards of the International Monetary Fund121. These are authorised producers of national statistics and their websites:

Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Public Legal Records and Related Services:

http://www.ajpes.si/?language=english

Bank of Slovenia: http://www.bsi.si/en/

Ministry of Finance: http://www.mf.gov.si/en/

National Institute of Public Health: http://www.ivz.si/

Institute of Pension and Invalidity Insurance of Slovenia: http://www.zpiz.si/

Employment Service of Slovenia: http://www.ess.gov.si/

6.10 Communication with users

Part of SORS is the Information Centre, which answers users’ requests and transmits data. It cooperates with scientific research institutions, government bodies and independent researchers in access to microdata for performing analyses on statistically protected microdata. On its website SORS publishes the conditions for access to microdata122. Since 2004 SORS has been cooperating in Eurostat’s project European Statistical Data Support providing support to users in accessing European statistics.

SORS and authorised producers of national statistics transmitted the requested statistical data to Eurostat, the ECB and the OECD, and to other international organisations such as the IMF, the WHO and the ILO.

Cooperation with users via the Statistical Council of the Republic of Slovenia and statistical advisory committees

The Statistical Council of the Republic of Slovenia123 met three times in 2010 at regular sessions at which it discussed proposals of documents related to the annual and medium-term programmes of statistical surveys and was informed about some of the SORS’s activities such as information security, work of statistical advisory committees, both censuses and SORS’s international cooperation.

In 2010, 23 statistical advisory committees124 were active at SORS; 13 sessions were organised at which numerous initiatives, recommendations and opinions were given, e.g. taking over data from administrative records, strengthening cooperation between SORS and data users as well as among various institutions; initiatives were given to increase the availability, accessibility and quality of data and shorten the deadlines for data publication. The Survey on Conducting a Statistical Advisory Committee Session was introduced into the regular process of organising meetings, which is intended for monitoring the quality of individual sessions and obtaining proposals for improvement.

121 See http://www.bsi.si/imf/default_en.asp?MapaId=1020 / (25.3.2011). 122 See: http://www.stat.si/eng/drz_stat_mikro.asp (25.3.2011). 123 See: http://www.stat.si/eng/drz_stat_svet.asp (25. 3.2011). 124 See: http://www.stat.si/eng/drz_stat_sosveti.asp (25.3.2011).


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6.11 International cooperation

SORS was active within the European Statistical System (ESS) at all levels of operation and decision-making. It was actively participating in discussions on strategic issues of European statistics which took place at the highest level in the European Statistical System Committee (ESSC) and in the Partnership Group. SORS was regularly involved in the process of preparation, coordination and adoption of European legislation in the field of statistics both within the working bodies of the European Commission (Eurostat) and within the EU Council Working Party on Statistics.

The Bank of Slovenia participated in plenary sessions of the Committee on Monetary, Financial and Balance of Payments Statistics (CMFB), the main body for harmonising strategic issues of European financial statistics. It was regularly participating in the meetings of the Statistics Committee of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB), its working groups for government finance statistics, monetary and financial statistics, external statistics, general economic statistics, euro area accounts and statistical information systems as well as occasional thematic groups.

As regards international multilateral cooperation, SORS is participating in the work of the Conference of European Statisticians at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the Conference Bureau, the United Nations Statistical Commission and various specialised agencies, including special funds and various United Nations programs.

After formal inclusion into the OECD in July 2010, the Slovenian statistical system continues with active cooperation within the OECD Committee on Statistics and currently meets statistical obligations towards this organisation.

SORS cooperated with international scientific associations in the field of statistics, among them the International Statistical Institute (ISI) and its section the International Association for Official Statistics (IAOS), which in the 2009-2011 period is led by Ms Irena Križman, SORS’s Director-General. In October 2010 a conference entitled “Official Statistics and the Environment: Approaches, Issues, Challenges and Linkages” was held in Santiago de Chile.

In 2010, the Bank of Slovenia offered professional assistance to central banks of Albania and Montenegro in the field of balance of payments statistics in the form of two-day expert visits of delegations of central bank’s statisticians of these two countries in the Bank of Slovenia’s Financial Statistics Department.

On the basis of signed agreements on cooperation in the field of statistics and within the program of bilateral development cooperation of Slovenia, SORS offered professional assistance in the field of statistics to Western Balkan countries.

SORS is also active in international research projects

In recent years SORS has been actively involved in several international research projects within the Seventh Framework Programme125. As a rule, these programmes involve representatives of statistical offices and universities and cooperating in these project SORS obtains experience with such international activities which are becoming a widespread form of cooperation in the EU:

RISQ project – Representative Indicators for Survey Quality126

AMELI project – Advanced methodology for European Laeken indicators127

BLUE-ETS project – New challenges in the field of official business statistics128

125 See http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html (14.2.2011). 126 See http://www.risq-project.eu/ (14.2.2011). 127 See http://cordis.europa.eu/fetch?CALLER=FP7_PROJ_EN&ACTION=D&DOC=1&CAT=PROJ&RCN=88428 (14.2.2011). 128 See http://www.blue-ets.istat.it/ (14.2.2011).


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6.12 Human and financial resources

SORS is organised in nine sectors and five services. At the end of 2010, SORS had 366 employees. The number was decreasing in organisational units in which due to changes in the technological processes, methods of work and procedures the number of employees exceeded the actual needs and increasing in organisational units in which tasks were being implemented which need to be further strengthened in terms of human resources in order to provide their quality and the timeliness of their implementation. Due to the complexity of its fields of work, SORS strives to improve the educational structure of its employees and offers a wide variety of training courses for its employees and for people employed by authorised producers of national statistics.

In addition to meetings and discussions among employees, SORS uses as the main communication tool the Surs.net intranet portal, which enables rapid flow of information and serves as a tool in the working process.

The legal bases for financing SORS’s activities are acts that apply to the entire state administration. In 2010, SORS received from the budget of the Republic of Slovenia EUR 14,998,011.


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List of abbreviations:

AJPES The Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Public Legal Records and Related Services BIS Bank for International Settlements BS Bank of Slovenia CES Conference of European Statisticians CMFB Committee on Monetary, Financial and Balance of Payments Statistics COFOG Classification of the Functions of Government CPA Classification of Products by Activity EAA Economic Accounts for Agriculture ECB European Central Bank ECHI European Community Health Indicators EDSIM European Disability Social Integration Module EGR EuroGroups Register EHIS European Health Interview Survey EIP Entrepreneurship Indicators Programme ESA European System of Accounts ESCB European System of Central Banks ESMS Euro SDMX Metadata Structure ESSC European Statistical System Committee ESSPROS European system of integrated social protection statistics FINREP Financial Reporting GDP gross domestic product HBS Household Budget Survey HICP Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices IAOS International Association for Official Statistics ICT Information and Communication Technology IEA International Energy Agency ILO International Labour Organization IMAD Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development IMF International Monetary Fund INES Indicators of Educational Systems ISCED International Standard Classification of Education ISCO International Standard Classification of Occupations ITF International Transport Forum IVZ National Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Slovenia KLASIUS Classification System of Education and Training LFS Labour Force Survey LMP Labour market policy MEETS Modernisation of European Enterprise and Trade Statistics MF Ministry of Finance MFI monetary financial institutions MAFF Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OMC Open Method of Coordination R&D Research and Development SBR Slovenian Business Register SDMX Statistical Data and Metadata eXchange


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SHA System of Health Accounts SILC Statistics on Income and Living Conditions SI-STAT SORS’s data portal SKD Standard Classification of Activities SKP Standard Classification of Occupations SNA System of National Accounts SORS Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia SPPI Services Producer Price Index UNECE United Nations Economic Commission for Europe UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations UOE UESCO, OECD and Eurostat VAT value added tax WHO World Health Organization ZPIZ The Institute of Pension and Invalidity Insurance of Slovenia

National Statistics

in Slovenia

Ljubljana, 1201

Annual Report

2010

THE SLOVENIANNATIONAL STATISTICS

TRUSTWORTHYAND USER ORIENTED

REPUBLIKA SLOVENIJA

Documents

National Statistics in Slovenia Report 2010.pdf · 2011-12-22 · public (Statistical Council of the Republic of Slovenia and statistical advisory committees, at various conferences,