Physical energy flow accounts

Statistical domain

Physical energy flow accounts

PHYSICAL ENERGY FLOW ACCOUNTS (PEFA)
Contact
Contact organisation	National Statistical Institute
Contact organisation unit	‘Environmental and Energy Accounts’
Contact name	Irina Dencheva
Contact person function	Chief expert
Contact mail address	2 Panayot Volov St., 1038 Sofia
Contact email address	[email protected]
Contact phone number	+359 2 9857 625
Contact fax number	-
Metadata update
Metadata last certified	20 December 2024
Metadata last posted	20 December 2024
Metadata last update	20 December 2024
Statistical presentation
Data description	Data presents the physical energy flow accounts (PEFA) or so called energy accounts. Their concept is focused on the relationship with the environment, i.e. every energy flow is formed by the environment and returns to it. Energy accounts record in terajoules the flows of energy from the environment to the economy (natural inputs), within the economy (products), and from the economy back to the environment (residuals), using the accounting framework of physical supply and use tables. PEFA report data on the physical flows of energy in relation to the activities of resident units of national economies in a breakdown by economic activity. PEFA are present by the following reporting tables: • Table ‘Supply’ (A) - contains information on physical energy flows by origin, i.e. by "suppliers". • Table ‘Use’ (B) - contains information on the use of physical energy flows by purpose, i.e. by “consumers”. The link between the ‘Supply-Use’ tables is based on the so-called principle of balance, according to which the supply of a given energy flow must be equal to its use. • Table of emission-relevant use of energy flows (C) - data are related to energy flows used that generate emissions into the environment because of fuel combustion. • Table ‘Key Energy Indicators’ (D), which is automatically calculated from tables A and B. • Bridge table (E), which contains additional indicators reflecting the residence principle of physical energy flows use and shows the difference between energy accounts and energy balances.
Classification system	- Classification of Economic Activities NACE Rev.2, level of aggregation А64 - Product classification grouping energy flows into natural energy inputs, energy products and energy residuals. Each of these aggregated groups is further broken down. In total, there are 31 different positions regulated in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/172.
Sector coverage	The data set covers the entire national economy as defined in national accounts (ESA 2010, paragraph 2.04), as well as its physical relation to economies in the rest of the world and the environment.
Statistical concepts and definitions	‘Physical energy flow accounts’ means compatible sets of data on physical energy flows entering national economies, flows circulating within the economy, and outflows to other economies or to the environment. ‘Resident’ is an economic unit of a country that has a center of economic activities in the economic territory of that country for one year or more. Definitions are used in accordance with applicable legislation - Regulation (EU) 691/2011 on European environmental economic accounts and PEFA manual by Eurostat. They are compatible with the System of National Accounts, the System of Environmental Economic Accounts and the International Recommendations for Energy Statistics.
Statistical unit	The statistical unit is an enterprise and household which activity is related to the production, transformation and final consumption of energy flows.
Statistical population	The statistical population is the national economy as defined in the National Accounts and the System of Economic and Environmental Accounts, i.e. all economic activities carried out by resident units.
Reference area	The economic territory of the country, as defined in the National Accounts and the System of Environmental Economic Accounts.
Time coverage	Since 2014.
Base period	Not applicable.
Unit of measure
Terajoules (TJ)
Reference period
Calendar year
Institutional mandate
Legal acts and other agreements	- Statistics Act - Regulation (EU) 691/2011 on the European environmental economic accounts - Regulation (EU) 223/2009 on European statistics, amended by Regulation (EU) 2024/3018
Data sharing	Data are reported annually to Eurostat.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality - policy	Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics provides for the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and access to such confidential data, with due regard to technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society. The Statistics Act (Article 25, paragraph 1) stipulates that individual data received and collected in statistical surveys are statistical secrets and may be used only for statistical purposes.
Confidentiality - data treatment	Individual data are not disclosed or provided according to Art. 25 of the Statistics Act. The provision of individual data is possible only according to Art. 26 of the Statistics Act.
Release policy
Release calendar	The date for publication of the statistical information is indicated in the Calendar for the dissemination of the results of the statistical surveys of the NSI.
Release calendar access	The calendar is available on the NSI website here
User access	Data on PEFA are published on the NSI website in the ‘Environment’ section, in accordance with the Statistics Act and the European Statistical Code of Practice, respecting professional independence and with the aim of objectivity and transparency, whereby all users have equal access to official statistics.
Frequency of dissemination
Annual
Accessibility and clarity
News release	Not applicable.
Publications	Not applicable.
On-line database	PEFA are available: - on NSI website in 'Environment' section - Database Eurostat
Micro-data access	Not applicable.
Other	Information service on request, according to the Rules for Dissemination of Statistical Products and Services.
Documentation on methodology	- PEFA Manual by Eurostat, - Methodological notes for improvements and clarifications developed by the Eurostat Environmental Accounts Working Group.
Quality documentation	- European Code of Statistical Practice - General model of the statistical production process in NSI. Quality report is prepared annually according to a European template and is reported together with the statistical data.
Quality management
Quality assurance	Data quality is ensured by applying the principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice and the Common Framework for Quality Management in the National Statistical System. Quality assurance activities ensure compliance with the requirements of the Statistics Act in terms of quality criteria: adequacy, accuracy, timeliness, punctuality, accessibility and clarity, comparability and logical coherence. They also ensure the application of the principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice: sound methodology; appropriate statistical procedures; moderate respondent burden; cost-effectiveness; relevance; accuracy; timeliness and accuracy of presentation; comparability and coherence; accessibility and clarity.
Quality assessment	Quality assessment is carried out at each stage of the statistical production process, in accordance with the Common Framework for Quality Management in the NSS and the principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice. It includes statistical processes and statistical information. Data provide comparable information between countries, as they are produced on the base of the annual energy questionnaires, submited to Eurostat (Regulation (EU) 1099/2008 and all its ammendments) and the IT tool PEFA_Builder.
Relevance
User needs	Not studied.
User satisfaction	The NSI conducts a regular statistical survey 'User Satisfaction with the Statistical Information Products and Services Provided', which covers all statistical areas. It aims to assess user satisfaction with the statistical information provided by the NSI and to define recommendations for the future development of the statistical system in accordance with user needs.
Completeness	Data meet the requirements of the Regulation (EU) 691/2011 on the European environmental economic accounts and its amendment in terms of the observed indicators, scope of energy products and structure of supply and use tables.
Accuracy and reliability
Overall accuracy	Data accuracy, as one of the criteria for the quality of statistical information, according to the Statistics Act, is guaranteed through quality assurance activities within the statistical production process.
Sampling error	Not applicable.
Non-sampling error	Not applicable.
Timeliness and punctuality
Timeliness	The data are published 24 months after the reference year.
Punctuality	The data are published according to the deadlines in the Calendar for the dissemination of the results of the statistical surveys of the NSI.
Coherence and comparability
Comparability - geographical	The data are compiled at the national level. Given the application of common definitions and classifications, and the use of the PEFA_Builder tool, the data are comparable with other EU countries.
Comparability - over time	The data are comparable over time. Time series are available from 2014. When the methodology changes, the data in the time series are revised.
Coherence - cross domain	The data are coherent with: - Energy statistics data, - Air Emission accounts data. Classification is applied according to the NACE Rev.2, which allows for joint analysis with national accounts data.
Coherence - internal	The IT tool PEFA_Builder developed by Eurostat is used to compile the physical energy flow accounts. This tool contains in-built automatic rules for internal data consistency for a given reporting period in accordance with the European technical note 'PEFA Validation Rules'.
Cost and burden
The costs (budget) for the statistical surveys are disclosed in the National Statistical Program, published on the NSI website. There are no specific surveys on the respondents burden, as PEFAs are compiled annually on the basis of existing statistical data and administrative information. The overall workload of the responsible experts is determined to be high, especially in cases of data revisions from previous reporting periods.
Data revision
Data revision - policy	In accordance with the principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice and the requirements of internal rules/integrated management system, statistical processes are regularly monitored and revised as necessary. Revisions are carried out according to standard, established and transparent procedures and regularly analysed with the aim of improving data sources, statistical processes and products.
Data revision - practice	The data are revised upon change in regulatory requirements, the applied methodology, or when necessary.
Statistical processing
Source data	- National energy balances (6 Eurostat/IEA annual energy questionnaires). - Administrative sources (National Revenue Agency, DG Civil Aviation Administration, Transport statistics) for the application of the residence principle for the individual modes of transport: • For Road transport – National Revenue Agency data on the quantities of fuels loaded by foreign citizens in the country, to whom VAT has been refunded in combination with Transport statistics annual data about the fuels loaded abroad by resident units in the field of freight and passenger transport, • For Air transport – annual data from DG Civil Aviation Administration about the fuels loaded abroad by resident air carriers and annual data from Energy statistics on fuels loaded on the territory of the country for domestic and international flights by resident and non-resident air-carriers, • For Water transport – Transport statistics annual data about fuels loaded by resident units- operators of ships abroad in combination with annual data from Energy statistics on fuels loaded on the territory of the country by foreign operators of ships.
Frequency of data collection	Annual
Data collection	There is no special statistical survey for the Physical Energy Flow Accounts. They are compiled annually based on existing data sources - administrative information for the application of the residence principle and statistical data from the annual energy balances. The primary data source for the latter are surveys in the field of energy statistics, including data on: • Electricity and heat, • Natural gas, • Oil and petroleum products, • Renewables and wastes, • Solid fossil fuels.
Data validation	Data validation is part of the activities to ensure the quality of statistical information. Statistical data are validated in terms of their comparability, accuracy, reliability, etc., in accordance with the quality criteria according to the Statistics Act. Energy balances data validated by Eurostat and the International Energy Agency are used, as well as the PEFA_Builder tool developed by Eurostat, containing in-built automatic rules for internal data consistency for a given reporting period. Administrative data as additional sources are checked for completeness in terms of scope and changes compared to the previous year.
Data compilation	Data processing is carried out in strict accordance with the PEFA Manual and other Eurostat methodological guidelines using the PEFA_Builder tool.
Adjustment	Not applicable.
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