The EBES EDI Expert Group 6 (EEG6) was launched in the offices of Eurostat on November 10th 1989.
EEG6 has the support of a number of statistical organisations:
The goal of EEG6 is to act within the European Board for EDI Standardization as the forum for the harmonisation of EDIFACT message development in the statistical sector, and to promote the use of EDIFACT messages for the exchange of statistical information.
For this scope, EEG6 is using some of the Eurostat statistical working groups: there are over 80 such groups of which 50 are sectorial groups.
The Expert Group is chaired by a chairman, assisted by two vice-Chairs and a secretariat.
The EEG6 studies are primarily carried out by Working Groups, each group concentrating on a particular aspect relating to the collection or the dissemination of statistics.
There are currently 6 Working Groups:
Each Working Group is chaired by a Convener and assisted by a technical consultant. The technical assistance is sponsored by Eurostat.
For more information on the EEG6 officers, click on who is who
The Group will:
EEG6/Working Group 1 (EEG6/WG1) is concerned with the exchange of aggregated statistical data or, in other words, the exchange of multidimensional statistical tables and time series. The type of data exchanged in this way is many and varied: population, farming, transportation, economic activity, etc. The principal organisations involved in the exchange of this data are the national statistical authorities, Central Banks, and those organisations playing a role on an international level, such as the UN/Economical Committee for Europe (UN/ECE), OECD (Organization for economic Co-operation and Development), Eurostat and the European Monetary Institute. However, as work has progressed, many private organisations have expressed a keen interest in the activity of EEG6/WG1.
EEG6/WG1 has focused primarily on designing a message which is able to cope with the many and varied types of array data to be exchanged and to support the exchange of the metadata associated with a statistical array (e.g. reference to classifications and footnotes), and which can be used to minimise the redundant transmission of common data values (e.g. dimension data).
The result of this work is GESMES - Generic Statistical Message - which reached Status 1 in March 1995. GESMES supports the exchange of statistical figures together with its associated metadata (e.g. footnotes, methodological notes, dataset structures). GESMES works in synergy with CLASET, the message for the exchange of classification.
Various profiles of GESMES have been developed: GESMES/ECOSER, GESMES/BOPSTA, GESMES/PRODCOM and GESMES/CB.
GESMES can also be used as a request message for data.
The appeal of GESMES is not confined to statistical organisations: any organisation which has a need to exchange data of a tabular, multi-dimensional, or time related (time series) nature will find GESMES useful.
The data modelling method was applied for the design of GESMES. This allowed its implementation in more than one EDI syntax:
A GESMES toolbox has also been developed, for training and awareness purposes, that converts GESMES/EDIFACT to HTML. Demonstration tools are also available to convert GESMES to Excel and Lotus formats, and to convert from Excel to GESMES.
A User Guide, GESMES 95 Version 2.1 is available since July '97.
For users wishing a short introduction to GESMES, the "GESMES - Quick Results" booklet has been developed. With the aid of this booklet, it is possible to use many of the more popular features of GESMES, without the need to understand its more complex features.
Both Guides can be downloaded from the CIRCA EDI & Statistics library
In the European Reference Environment, GESMES and CLASET are used to exchange data and metadata.
It is hoped that the GESMES facilities will soon be integrated into commercial application systems. Software houses will be approached.
The group should consist of representatives from statistical bodies (i.e. Natinal Statistical Administrations, Pan European Institutions, ...) or private organisms involved in the statistical chain.
This Working Group will work on behalf of the EDI Expert Group 6:
· Liaise through EEG6 with:
The Technical Assessment Group (TAG) to ensure standard structuring of messages and segments
The Maintenance Group to ensure acceptability and compatibility of the proposed data maintenance requests (DMRs)
The Awareness and Documentation Groups to ensure that information is kept up-to-date
The relevant Pan European Groups and other User Groups to ensure that their particular requirements are met in the development of UN Standard messages (UNSMs)
Before submission and dissemination to other EDI Expert Groups or other structures of EBES, all written documents produced by the group must receive an EEG6 agreement
· Establish and maintain a work plan agreed with the EEG6 and in accordance with the agreed modus operandi
· Survey and study existing pilots or pre-EDI systems
· Identify the Pan European Groups, User Groups or statistical bodies
· Carry out a data flow analysis on the exchange of statistical data between statistical bodies
· Identify different information types, structures and formats
· Identify metadata, data elements, code lists and classifications needed in these statistical messages
· Study the dissemination of statistics
Make recommendations for new or revised data elements (including qualifiers and codes) in co-operation with the other EEG6 Working Groups
· Design and develop the corresponding statistical messages, segments, data elements and code lists
· Identify the areas in which progress can be made quickly
The primary aim of EEG6/Working Group 3 (EEG6/WG3) is to define structured EDI message to exchange the structure and contents of classifications (e.g. nomenclatures, code lists, directories,...), and their relationships.
In addition to this, EEG6/WG3 aims at:
A specific side of this work is to ensure that the multi-lingual aspects of the classifications and the use of different character sets within the same message are catered for, including the handling of textual components.
For instance, solutions are being analysed allowing for the cross-referencing between EDIFACT-oriented message parts and SGML (Standard Generalized Mark-up Language - ISO 8879) oriented message parts.
EEG6/WG3 is interested in the EDIFACT studies on multi-format exchanges (now called EDIFACT and Associated Objects) and in Open EDI in general.
Following the requirements of the exchange of classifications during the different phases of their life cycle (e.g. compilation, consultation, dissemination), EEG6/WG3 has conceived and designed one structured message: CLASET
CLASET has 3 functions:
The data modelling method was applied for the design of CLASET and one exchange conceptual data model was designed. This allowed its implementation in more than one EDI syntax:
A CLASET toolbox has also been developed:
The Group supported the CLASET trials project, which involved INSEE (Institut National de Statistiques et d'etudes Economiques- Statistics France), Statistics Finland and various units of Eurostat where the three formats were successfully tested for a wide variety of classifications..
A future activity of the group is to extend its work into the development of messages allowing the exchange of other metadata (e.g. statistical unit, definition, concept, methodology).
In a study carried out by the DSIS (Disseminated Statistical Information Services) project on Internationally used Classifications, CLASET has become the emerging standard for the transfer of classifications.
The group will build on the output from other groups working in this area (e.g. DSIS, METIS and the DOSIS research programme)
The group should consist of representatives from statistical bodies (i.e. National Statistical Administrations, Pan European Institutions, ...) and experts in classifications, nomenclatures and coding matters.
This Working Group will work on behalf of the EDI Expert Group 6:
· Liaise through EEG6 with:
The Technical Assessment Group (TAG) to ensure standard structuring of messages and segments
The Maintenance Group to ensure acceptability and compatibility of the proposed data maintenance requests (DMRs)
The Awareness and Documentation Groups to ensure that information is kept up-to-date
The relevant Pan European Groups and other User Groups to ensure that their particular requirements are met in the development of UN Standard Messages (UNSMs)
Before submission and dissemination to other EDI Expert Groups or other structures of EBES, all written documents produced by the group must receive an EEG6 agreement
· Establish and maintain a work plan agreed with the EEG6 and in accordance with the agreed modus operandi
· Survey and study existing pilots or pre-EDI systems
· Identify the Pan European Groups, User Groups or statistical bodies
· Study the data elements and code lists used in the existing or draft messages, to see how they relate to the statistical classifications and definitions
· Identify the needs for the dissemination of code lists and classifications through specific messages
· Design and develop the corresponding statistical messages, segments, data elements and code lists
· Identify metadata, data elements, code lists and classifications needed in these statistical messages
· Make recommendations for new or revised data elements (including qualifiers and codes) in co-operation with the other EEG6 Working Groups
· Identify the areas in which progress can be made quickly
EEG6/Working Group 4 (EEG6/WG4) is concerned with investigating new ways of collecting raw statistical data.
In order to reduce the burden of compiling statistical information on individual organisations, the vital job of statistics gathering needs to be integrated into the information systems currently being used on a day to day basis by the economic operators (e.g. payroll, accounting, production, distribution).
Ideally, this integration should support both regular surveys and ad hoc enquiries for ALL declarative purposes (statistics, customs, trade associations etc.).
The target public for such messages includes the National Statistical Administrations, the economic operators and the professional bodies representing the economic operators (e.g. the professional unions and chambers of commerce).
The objectives of this group represent the most challenging work for the EDI Expert Group 6 (EEG6).
The technical aspects of the work are concerned with the development of EDI messages which are used for declarative purposes; one such type of message is a generic message which supports the responses to a questionnaire.
Initiatives in this field had been taken in America, Australia and Europe:
The data modelling method was applied for the design of RDRMES and one conceptual data model was designed. This allowed its implementation in more than one EDI syntax
An EDIFACT message has been implemented which reach the EDIFACT Status 1 in September 1995.
An SGML (Standard Generalized Mark-up Language - ISO 8879) and HTML (Hyper-Text Mark-up Language) version is foreseen for the near future, in order to adapt RDRMES to the new concept of EFI (Electronic Form Interchange) showing that EDI and Internet can be intelligently combined.
The message has been successfully trialed in 1995 and 1996 in a number of pilot projects within the framework of the SERT (Statistiques d'Entreprises et Réseaux Télématiques) project:
A RDRMES 96 Message Reference Guide and an "RDRMES 96 - Quick Results" short implementation Guide are now available.
A leaflet specifying the differences and the synergy between GESMES and RDRMES, and when one message - or the other - should be used - will soon be written up.
The group should consist of representatives from statistical bodies (i.e. National Statistical Administrations, Pan European institutions, ...), statisticans from private enterprises and Trade Facilitation Organisations involved in the statistical chain.
This Working Group will work on behalf of the EDI Expert Group 6 (EEG6):
· Liaise through EEG6 with:
The Technical Assessment Group (TAG)to ensure standard structuring of messages and segments
The Maintenance Group to ensure acceptability and compatibility of the proposed data maintenance requests (DMRs)
The Awareness and Documentation Groups to ensure that information is kept up-to-date
The relevant Pan European Groups and other User Groups to ensure that their particular requirements are met in the development of UN Stadard Messages (UNSMs)
Before submission and dissemination to other EDI Expert Groups or other structures of EBES, all written documents produced by the group must receive an EEG6 agreement
· Establish and maintain a work plan agreed with the EEG6 and in accordance with the agreed modus operandi
· Survey and study existing pilots or pre-EDI systems
· Identify the Pan European Groups, User Groups or statistical bodies
· Carry out a data flow analysis on the exchanges between enterprises and statistical bodies collecting information for statistical purposes
· Identify different information types, structures and formats
· identify metadata, data elements, code lists and classifications needed in these statistical messages
· Study the links between the identification systems of the enterprises and the statistical classifications
· Study the methods for collecting data via EDI i.e. either using existing messages or designing and developing specific statistical messages
· Design and develop the corresponding statistical messages, segments, data elements and code lists, if necessary
· Make recommendations for new or revised data elements (including qualifiers and codes) in co-operation with the other EEG6 Working Groups
· Identify the areas in which progress can be made quickly
EEG6/WG5 is concentrating on the procedures for collecting and disseminating statistical information in the field of international trade. For the European Economical Area (EEA) countries such a solution will create a mechanism for collecting these statistics in an open trading environment.
The target public for the messages developed by the group are the National Statistical Administrations, the national or regional collection centres, and the economic operators who are direct declarants.
WG5 works in close collaboration with EBES/EG3, the Customs Message Development Group responsible for the management of customs messages, and with the Statistical Committee for External Trade.
Three subsets of messages have been developed so far:-
For the declaration of intra-Community trade. This is a subset of the Customs declaration message, CUSDEC. CUSDEC/INSTAT has been part of the EC INTRASTAT regulation since the opening of the Single European Market in 1993. The related Message Implementation Guide (MIG) was published in March '96 (S.93A & 92.1 directories).
For the declaration of extra-Community trade, which is also a subset of the Customs declaration message, CUSDEC. The publication of its MIG was issued in March '97 (D.96.B directory).
The response message to INSTAT, implemented as a subset of the Customs response message, CUSRES. The related MIG has been published in March '96 (S.93A & 92.1 directories).
A subset of CLASET is being studied by EEG6/WG5 for the transmission of the updates of the Combined Nomenclature (CN8) with TARIC codes from the Competent National Administrations to the companies providing extra-Community trade statistics.
The MIG of the CONTRL message as a syntactical response to CUSDEC/ INSTAT and CUSDEC/EXSTAT is completed. CONTRL is implemented in the IDEP/CN8 package, a software for inputting the INTRASTAT declaration.
In 1995, the group created a prototype for the implementation of security counter-measures for EDIFACT messages in the field of statistics. Promotion and demonstrations have been held in various organisations involved in EDI.
The group should consist of representatives from statistical bodies (i.e. National Statistical Administrations (NSAs), Pan European institutions, ...) or national organisations involved in the collection of trade statistics (Customs, Tax offices, ...).
This Working Group will work on behalf of the EDI Expert Group 6 - Statistics (EEG6):
· Liaise through EEG6 with:
The Technical Assessment Group (TAG) to ensure standard structuring of messages and segments
The Maintenance Group to ensure acceptability and compatibility of the proposed data maintenance requests (DMRs)
The Awareness and Documentation Groups to ensure that information is kept up-to-date
The relevant Pan European Groups and other User Groups to ensure that their particular requirements are met in the development of UN Standard Messages (UNSMs)
Before submission and dissemination to other EDI Expert Groups (EEGs) or other structures of EBES, all written documents produced by the group must receive an EEG6 agreement
· Establish and maintain a work plan agreed with the EEG6 and in accordance with the agreed modus operandi
· Survey and study existing pilots or pre-EDI systems
· Identify the Pan European Groups, User Groups or statistical bodies
· Carry out a data flow analysis on the exchange of External Trade statistical information between enterprises and the administrative bodies involved in the collection of external trade declarations (e.g. Tax, Customs, central banks....)
· Study the methods for reporting external trade statistical data via EDI, i.e. either using existing messages or designing and developing specific statistical messages
· Define and develop sub-sets of existing messages for the transfer of external trade statistical data in co-operation with other Expert Groups
· Make recommendations for new or revised data elements (including qualifiers and codes) in co-operation with the other EEG6 Working Groups
· Design and develop the corresponding statistical messages, segments, data elements and code lists, if needed
· Identify the areas in which progress can be made quickly
The aim of EEG6/WG6 is to design the messages to support the compilation of the Balance of Payments (BOP) statistics.
The partners in this project will ultimately be the enterprises (direct declarants), the corporate banks, the Central Banks and the (inter)national statistical administrations.
WG6 has close working relationships with the EDIFACT Balance of Payments (EDIBOP) Task Force, one of the task forces set up under the Committee on Financial, Monetary and Balance of Payments Statistics chaired by Eurostat.
This Task Force was responsible for the development of a strategy for the collection of Balance of Payments statistics in terms of EDIFACT while EEG6/WG6 was in charge of the standardisation process necessary to support this strategy.
The statistical reporting requirements for BOP data were integrated by EEG4, the group responsible for financial messages, into the electronic payment order information exchanged between enterprises and corporate banks. These restructured EEG4 messages were granted Status 1 in 1995.
WG6 developed so far four new messages: and uses two profiles of GESMES.
A commercial bank reports to the Central Bank the debit and credit transactions.
· BOPBNK
A commercial bank reports to the central bank its own transactions and portfolio transactions.
An aggregated declaration sent by an individual enterprise to a central bank or national statistical office.
· BOPINF:
The beneficiary informs its bank of the nature of a transaction.
Aggregated BOP information is sent by the collection agency to an international statistical organisation. BOPSTA is implemented as a dataset in GESMES (based on the Status 1 version reached in March 1995).
The BOPxxx messages reached Status 1 in September 1994 and in the IMF(2) Guide for Balance of Payments Reporting, one chapter is dedicated to the EEG6 BOPxxx messages..
For BOPSTA, trials have been carried out in most countries of the European Union, with Eurostat, the OECD, the International Monetary Fund (IMF). These international organisations, as well as the remaining Member States and even Japan will be involved in more pilot operations during 1997.
France, Finland and the Netherlands are now using BOPDIR, BOPCUS and BOPBNK on an operational basis. Trials are carried out in Germany and Italy for BOPDIR, and more trials of the four messages should start soon in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, France and the Netherlands.
As part of the DSIS project Eurostat has advised the European Monetary Institute (EMI) fiche 9 project on the use of GESMES and in particular has played an active role on the GESMES task force which has developed the GESMES/CB profile of GESMES. GESMES/CB will be used between Central banks and the EMI and the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) for the exchange of time series data related to the Monetary Union.
In the near future, GESMES/BOPSTA will be integrated into the more generic GESMES/CB profile.
The group should consist of representatives from Central Banks and statistical bodies.
This Working Group will work on behalf of EDI Expert Group 6 - Statistics (EEG6):
· Liaise through EEG6 with:
The technical Assessment Group to ensure standard structuring of messages and segments
The maintenance Group to ensure acceptability and compatibility of the proposed data maintenance requests
The Awareness and documentation Groups to ensure that information is kept up-to-date
The relevant Pan European Groups and other User Groups to ensure that their particular requirements are met in the development of UN Standard Messages (UNSMs)
Before submission and dissemination to other EDI Expert Groups (EEGs) or other structures of EBES, all written documents produced by the group must receive an EEG6 agreement
· Establish and maintain a work plan agreed with the EEG6 and in accordance with the agreed modus operandi
· Survey and study existing pilots or pre-EDI systems
· Identify the Pan European Groups, User Groups or statistical bodies
· Carry out a data flow analysis on the exchange of BOP and monetary statistical data between customers and banks, banks and central banks, central banks and statistical bodies
· Study the methods for reporting financial statistical data via EDI, i.e. either using existing messages or designing and developing specific statistical messages
· Make recommendations for new or revised data elements (including qualifiers and codes) in co-operation with the other Expert Groups and with the other EEG6 Working Groups
· Identify metadata, data elements, code lists and classifications needed in these statistical messages
· Design and develop the corresponding statistical messages, segments, data elements and code lists
· Identify the areas in which progress can be made quickly
The main goal of EEG6/WG7 is to find ways for the collection and dissemination of transport statistics by means of EDI. The group works in close co-operation with EBES/EEG2, the Message Development Group responsible for transport messages.
Maritime transport has been set as its first priority, considering the needs stemming from the proposed maritime transport statistics directive (adopted on December 8, 1995).
WG7 has identified the minimum statistical requirements in the field of maritime transport and studied the messages already existing – in particular those of EEG2, EEG3 and EEG6 –, selected those of interest for WG7 (i.e. BAPLIE, IFCSUM, CUSCAR and GESMES). It undertook their thorough analysis concerning the coverage of the necessary statistical information.
In this context, a DSIS-SERT pilot project on the use of IFCSUM and GESMES, covering a few ports and economic operators in three Member States (France, Netherlands & Spain) was carried out during 1995.
A new pilot project on the use of CUSCAR and GESMES was launched in 1996, focusing on a greater involvement of maritime transport operators and on the extension to other Member States (Germany, Ireland and UK). The use of BAPLIE seems to be of less interest.
For these pilot projects, Guidelines for the extraction of maritime statistical data were drawn up for IFCSUM, CUSCAR, GESMES and BAPLIE.
In addition to this work, WG7 took an active participation in an ad-hoc international group concerned with the harmonisation of Message Implementation Guides in the transport sector. The consultant of WG7 is now co-chairing the IHG (International harmonisation Group) at the Joint Rapporteurs' Team meetings which is in charge of harmonising the use of the segments throughout all EDIFACT messages
First fact-finding studies in the field of air and road transport are underway.
The group should consist of representatives from statistical bodies (i.e. National Statistical Administrations, Pan European Institutions, ...) and private organisms involved in the statistical chain for the transport sector (port authorities, carriors, fret companies...).
This Working Group will work on behalf of the EDI Expert Group 6:
· Liaise through EEG6 with:
The Technical Assessment Group (TAG) to ensure standard structuring of messages and segments
The Maintenance Group to ensure acceptability and compatibility of the proposed data maintenance requests (DMRs)
The Awareness and Documentation Groups to ensure that information is kept up-to-date
The relevant Pan European Groups and other User Groups to ensure that their particular requirements are met in the development of UN Standard Messages (UNSMs)
Before submission and dissemination to other EDI Expert Groups (EEGs) or other structures of EBES, all written documents produced by the group must receive an EEG6 agreement
· Establish and maintain a work plan agreed with the EEG6 and in accordance with the agreed modus operandi
· Survey and study existing pilots or pre-EDI systems
· Identify the Pan European Groups, User Groups or statistical bodies
· Carry out a data flow analysis on the exchange of statistical data between transport economic operators and national transport authorities, national transport authorities and statistical bodies
· Identify different information types, structures and formats
· Study the methods for reporting transport statistical data via EDI, i.e. either using existing messages or designing and developing specific statistical messages
· Define and develop sub-sets of existing messages for the transfer of transport statistical data in co-operation with other Expert Groups
· Make recommendations for new or revised data elements (including qualifiers and codes) in co-operation with the other Expert Groups and the other EEG6 Working Groups
· Design and develop the corresponding statistical messages, segments, data elements and code lists, if needed
· Identify metadata, data elements, code lists and classifications needed in these messages for statistical purposes
· Identify the areas in which progress can be made quickly
Address: Secretariat EBES/EG6
c/o Wolfgang Knüppel
Eurostat A2
Joseph Bech Building A3/158
L-2920 Luxembourg
Phone: (+352) 4301 33221, (+352) 4301 35373, (352) 397791
Fax: (+352) 4301 32139, (+352) 397791
Internet: estat-eeg6@ec.europa.eu for general questions