/ EUROPEAN COMMISSION
EUROSTAT
Directorate E: Agriculture and environment statistics; Statistical cooperation
Unit E3: Environment statistics /
Doc. ENV/IND/TF/Draft minutes (2007)
Original in EN
Draft minutes from the Task Force meeting on Environmental Goods and Services Sector on 12February 2007
Eurostat – unit E3
Task Forceon Environmental industry – standard tables and compilation guide
of the Working Group
"Environmental expenditure statistics"
Meeting of 12February 2007
BRUSSELS – DG ENV – Avenue de Beaulieu, 5/9 - ROOM 0B
1. / Introduction statement of DG Environment, Eurostat
Mr. Henk Kalfsbeek (G.3 Research, Science & Innovation) opened up the meeting with an introduction. Mr. Kalfsbeek spoke about the importance of eco-innovation and broader take-up of the environmental technologies by entrepreneurs as the key to reduce environmental impacts, a way to further reductions in resource use and increase in the efficiency of production in a sustainable manner. The work currently ongoing within this group Task Force is therefore very important asmonitoring the activities related to environmental goods and services sector are instrumental for the future policy developments.
2. / Adoption of the agenda
The agenda was adopted.
3. /

Minutes from previous meeting of 10 October 2006

The minutes of the previous meeting in October 2006 were tabled for information. No changes were asked for.
4. /

Related studies currently being carried out

Mr. Maciej Szymanowicz (DG ENV) informed the TF about two projects under the auspices of the DG RTD which relates to the work of the TF.
1. Eco-drive (Measuring Eco-Innovation: ecological and economic performance and derived indicators) – kick-off meeting for the project took place in the beginning of the year. The project will develop the typology of eco-innovation and investigate how to link these to specific economic and environmental indicators for performance measurement. .
2. Measuring eco-innovation – kick-off meeting scheduled for 6 March 2007. This project will clarify the concept of eco-innovation, discuss the challenges in developing statistics on the subject and propose solutions, how those can be overcome..
The two projects will work in parallel but a back-to-back meeting between the different groups is anticipated for spring/summer 2007. Final results will be available by December 2007.
Mrs. Nancy Steinbach (Eurostat) informed the TF of a new project carried out on behalf of Eurostat and DG ENV on "environmental industry statistics". This project contains of three tasks:
A. Evaluating the differences of the supply vs. demand side statistics.
B. Evaluating different methodologies concerning statistics on trade for goods and services for the EGSS and identifying the best-available approach.
C. Evaluating different methodologies concerning statistics on employment for the EGSS and identifying the best-available approach.
The project will be finalised by December 2007.
5. /

Introduction of new participants, Finland and Spain

Mrs. Eila Salomaa (Statistics Finland) introduced the work that was carried out in 2003 regarding the EGSS at Statistics Finland. Statistics Finland had carried out a survey on behalf of the ministry of trade and industry and the Ministry of Environment. The results had received a lot of attention but unfortunately the work had not received further funding.
Mrs. Maria Luisa Egido Martin (INE Spain) introduced in her turn the work that is currently ongoing at INE Spain. They intend to start a new data collection on the EGSS but at the moment no survey is planned and there are difficulties to include some questions in already existing surveys. They therefore plan to identify the EGSS from the product side.
6. /

Proposed standard tables

Mrs. Pepa Lopez (ICEDD) presented the new standard tables to the group.
Changes have been implemented after the discussions from the TF meeting of 10October 2006: The tables have been developed further, including the instructions and definitions of the data to be compiled.
DG ENV had at a previous occasion proposed to change the label of "core" and "non-core" industries. The reason is that the labels can be interpreted from the perspective of the user of the results to mean that the "core" industries are the actors that are fully involved with environmental products and services. However, today the "non-core" industries also contain actors where all of their activities are considered their main activity.
The group agreed after some discussions to consider changing the labels and some proposals will be put forward in time for the WG meeting on expenditure statistics in May 2007.
There was also a question if CEPA domain "Soil, groundwater and surface water" could be broken down further in order to be able to follow the new directive on soil protection and the impact assessment. It was the general opinion of the TF that the equipment and services of the specific area of soil protection and sanitation would be fairly low and that confidentiality might play a role for this item. Further evaluations would have to be conducted before a change could be implemented.
The participants were asked to evaluate the standard tables by filling them in to the extent possible by 5 March. Data that exist but is confidential should be marked with an "X" in order for a full evaluation of the implications of the proposed tables.
7. /

Presentation of pilot study from CBS Netherlands

Maarten van Rossum (CBS Netherlands) presented their recent project "Economic indicators for the Environmental Goods and Services Sector in the Netherlands, 2003" to the TF.
8. /

Draft compilation guide

Pepa Lopez (ICEDD) introduced the new draft compilation guide to the TF and the discussion started thereafter.

General discussions

NACE 41 Collection, purification and distribution of water
The item of NACE 41 water supply was brought up again for discussion. It was the general opinion of the TF that water distribution should not be considered an environmental activity but that water management and water purification should be included. The TF needs to establish some recommendations on how to estimate this particular share.
Sustainable agriculture
At the previous TF there had been a discussion to define sustainable agriculture as "organic farming"
A SIF was published from Eurostat defining organic farming as "considered to be organic at EU level if it complies with Council Regulation (EEC) N0 2092/91".

The UK had opposed this delimitation of sustainable agriculture as it would be too narrow and not a satisfactory proxy for the (small) amount of EGS produced by the agriculture sector. However the TF decided to keep sustainable agriculture within the concept and further evaluate the implications of using "organic farming" as the selection criteria.
Information boxes
The information boxes should be clarified if the content is pure summary or recommendations.
Chapter 1
Introduction (first chapter) presents the policy context, describe the scope, the organisation and the purpose of the guide and explain the structure of the compilation guide. Maciej Szymanowicz explained that he can assist in the broadening of the policy context in terms of the European and global perspective, linking the eco-innovation and environmental technologies to the Lisbon Strategy and other important policy documents..
Chapter 2
Some clarifications have to be made concerning the information on page. 14 vs. page 16 relating to "all products" or "user purpose".
Two lists needs to be developed: one for products (eco-label products for example) and one for processes (Best reference processes for example).
The figure on page 17 needs to be further developed. It was proposed to link the list of products and processes to the figure and separate products from technologies/processes.
The definition of natural resource management should be adjusted. At the moment it includes also for example exploitation of resources. A clear focus should be maintained so that not general economic activities are included.
Additional clarifications are needed for biotechnologies (industrial biotechnologies should be included), the approach of national accounts and the adjustment of the annex on page 81 for renewable energy.

Chapter 3

Examples and problem statements will be included

Chapter 4

The new study "environment industry statistics" will enable the TF to take a decision on whether the demand-side should be recommended in the compilation guide or not. It was generally agreed that the mixed-approach will still be recommendable considering the identification of ancillary activities.
Minor decisions:
DE will send an up-dated questionnaire
AT will send some more information related to text box on page 44 and to text related to pages 51-52
COFOG can be evaluated for the use of estimating VA and employment for general government activities.

Chapter 5

It was generally agreed that the chapter would be important to assist in the interpretation and analysis of the EGSS. The TF would send additional tables and charts to further develop the chapter.

Further work and planning

Nancy Steinbach is leaving Eurostat by 1 March and Ute Roewer is replacing her in the future work of the TF.
Next TF meeting will take place the 10 October 2007.
The results of the projects under the auspices of DG RTD will be communicated to the TF.
Next draft of the compilation guide will be presented at the Working Group on Environmental Expenditure Statistics in May 22-23. .
Tasks distributed
DG Environment: will incorporate some text in chapter 1 (policy context).
SE:will provide information about the Swedish work with the areas Renewable energy and Heat/energy saving.
UK: Will come back to the TF about estimation methods for recycling activities.
DE: will send the new questionnaire.
AT: will send some more descriptions related to pages 44, 51-52 and some description of data delivered when evaluating the standard tables.
All: will provide further technical and methodological information on the data sources and calculation methods they use and on how they isolate requested data and attribute them to environmental goods and services sector; will also provide graphs and results on the analysis of environmental goods and services sector in each country.
All: The standard tables will be evaluated in terms of data availability and sent to Eurostat by 5 March.
All distributed tasks should be delivered to:
Pepa Lopez and Ute Roewer.