Report of the Task Force on Statistics of

International Trade in Services.

28-29 March 2011 , Luxembourg

OECD Working Party on Trade in Goods and Services 7-9 November 2011

Bettina.Wistrom@OECD.org

Task Force composition & meetings

• Eurostat, IMF, OECD, UNSD, UNCTAD, UNWTO, WTO and few persons in their capacity of experts

• Meets twice a year:• In spring, back to back meeting with

TFIMTS and a joint meeting to discuss cross cutting issues.

• In Fall, back to back meeting with OECD working Party on trade in goods and services (WPTGS)

Status of edition of MSITS paper publication.

• UNSD reported on status of the Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services 2010. It since has been posted on internet on the TF website:

http://unstats.un.org/unsd/tradeserv/TFSITS/msits2010.htm• Translation has started but paper

version not gone to print yet.

Global Forum on Trade Statistics (Eurostat, UNSD, WTO)

• Request from policy makers for more detailed trade in services statistics.

• TF stressed the practical challenges for collecting more detail and the need to allocate corresponding resources to this task.

• A vision statement on trade information systems in 2020: Further integration statistics needed (trade in goods and services-trade and production –trade and value added)

2014 TIS Eurostat data request

• The TF took note of the TIS breakdown that will be collected in 2014 by Eurostat recognizing the level of detail requested (14 EBOPS items in supplement to all BPM6) was already seen as a challenge by Eurostat member countries.

• On a longer term the TF encourages further reflexions on the collection of TIS by product CPC/CPA and industries ISIC/NACE.

SDMX dissemination format and EBOPS coding

• TF congratulated Eurostat, ECB and IMF for the joint effort in generating the codes for BPM6 items.

• IMF started the preparation of the EBOPS 2010 coding the following week.

• TF members have commented in June over the draft proposal.

• IMF has added EBOPS coding to the BPM6 list to be presented at OECD WPTGS.

Highlighting different types of issues following a predefined taxonomy.

• OECD, Eurostat and WTO had made comparisons of TIS data across IO following Taxonomy.

• TF suggested that WTO and OECD should take the lead to present some way forward to harmonise trade in services data across international organisations.

• UNSD and UNCTAD have since engaged . A draft is currently being circulated for discussion at the next TF

Review of statistics on trade flows in services – data compilation and availability (WTO)

• WTO reported on a presentation made at Feb. 2011 council on availability of TIS.

• It highlights that progress is being made in the availability of TIS data.

• Regarding the quality dimension the TF noted that it would be useful to give some guidance in the CG on how to help compilers doing quality verifications in the data collection system itself

MSIT Compilation Guidance

• TF discussed draft outline, agreed that UNSD should take the lead in setting up an expert group of limited size of national experts from CBs and NSOs that will prepare the MSITS 2010 compilation guide (as well as prototype questionnaires) which would complement the IMF Compilation Guide and cover FATS and MoS.

• This group will prepare an electronic publication that should be finalized by mid 2013.

• UNSD has prepared draft terms of reference and mandate for this group. The ToR as well as the composition of the group will be discussed at the next TF meeting (10th November).

Presentation of the Eurostat FATS recommendations Manual (Eurostat)

• The TF expressed appreciation for the Eurostat FATS recommendations Manual presentation and noted the need to integrate issues of relevance to developing countries for MSITS Compilation Guidance regarding FATS.

Report of the travel workshop in Vienna.

• The TF noted it could envisage using the Eurostat travel workshop to review the material that will be produced by the expert group on this specific issue.

The Australian international legal and related services statistics survey (WTO)

• The TF underlined the interest of the survey conducted by Ilsac on international legal services by MoS with the advice of ABS and notes it is a possible cost-effective way of getting information on specific services, in very particular circumstances when synergies can be found with specialized agencies

Recording of management of patents and license fees

• The TF agreed on where to record management of patents and license fees in EBOPS 2010 (In other business services 10.3.5)

• Determination of Ownership of different types of assets were discussed

• MSITS CG could provide some clarification on how these transactions related to the IPP should be recorded

Correspondence tables: EBOPS 2010 and CPC version 2 (UNSD)

• UNSD has prepared a shorter list of problematic issues that were discussed in the context of the UN classification meeting on 18-19th of May. Results were shared with IMF and then the TF.

• Task Force has commented in July. • The online availability of this

correspondence is allowing progress on correspondence from EBOPS to ICFA and EBOPS to W120 .

Issue of unbundling the package tours

• TF encourages UNWTO to try with a number of tour operators to provide some information on packaged tours and present a case study in a region of the world where tourism has a particular economic importance.

Other items and next meeting

• Also the TF discussed the status of Eurostat, OECD and UNSD international trade in Services databases.

• Task force website• Upcoming and recent meetings…• Next meeting: 10th November 2011 in

Paris, after the OECD Working Party on Trade in Goods and Services (7 to 9 November 2011)