Air emissions accounts

National statistical institute

‘Environmental and Energy Accounts’

Rosen Yordanov

Daniela Montolova-Vlaskovska

State Expert

2 Panayot Volov St., 1038 Sofia

[email protected]

[email protected]

+359 2 9857 761

+359 2 9857 436

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The air emission accounts present data on emissions of Sulphur oxides (SOx), Nitrogen oxides (NOx), Non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC), Carbon monoxide (CO), Ammonia (NH₃), dust particles - Particulate matter < 10µm (PM10), Particulate matter < 2.5µm (PM2.5), Carbon dioxide (CO₂ and CO₂ biomass), Methane (CH₄), Nitrous oxide (N₂O), Perfluorocarbons, Hydrofluorocarbons (PFCs, HFCs) and Sulphur hexafluoride and nitrogen trifluoride (SF6 NF3), allocated on a resident basis. They are based on data from the statistical survey ‘Air Emissions’, conducted by the NSI, and data from the National Inventories of Emissions of Harmful Substances and Greenhouse Gases, prepared and reported by the Executive Environment Agency to the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

-  Statistical Classification of Economic Activities NACE Rev.2.

-   Aggregated nomenclature A64 based on NACE Rev.2 (letter co de), only Bulgarian.

Air emission accounts include emissions from all economic activities and households, following the residence principle.

‘Air emission’ means a physical flow of gaseous materials or particulate matter from the national economy (production or consumption processes) into the atmosphere (an integral part of the environmental system).

A “resident” is an economic unit of a country that has its center of economic activities in the economic territory of that country for one year or more. Applying the residency principle means that emissions from the activities of resident units of the national economy recorded, regardless of where they actually occur geographically.

Definitions are used in accordance with applicable legislation:

-  Regulation (EU) No. 691/2011 on the European environmental economic accounts ;

-  Manual for air emissions accounts, Eurostat.

A statistical unit is an enterprise or a local unit which activity related to the formation of emissions into the air.

The statistical population consists of active enterprises and local units from the national economy, as defined in the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting – Central Framework and National Accounts, i.e. all economic activities carried out by resident units

The economic territory of the country, as defined in the National Accounts and the System of Environmental Economic Accounts.

Since 2008

2008

thousands of tons and tons

Calendar year

-        Statistics Act;

-        Regulation (EC) No. 223/2009 on European statistics;

-        Regulation (EU) No. 691/2011 on the European environmental economic accounts.

Emissions data are reported annually to Eurostat.

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. 

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.

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.

The calendar is available on the NSI website here.

Data on air emissions 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 aiming at objectivity and transparency, whereby all users are on an equal footing.

Annual

Not applicable.

Electronic Publication ‘Environment’.

Air emission accounts are available:

-        on NSI website ‘Environment’ section

    -         Database Eurostat

Not applicable.

Information service on request, according to the Rules for Dissemination of Statistical Products and Services.

-    Manual for air emissions accounts- Eurostat website;

-    Methodology - Annual air emissions accounts – Eurostat website;

-    Air emissions accounts by NACE Rev. 2 activity (env_ac_ainah_r2);

-    Environmental statistics and accounts guideline, NSI.

-       European Code of Statistical Practice;

-       Integrated management system in the NSI;

-       General model of the statistical production process in NSI;

-       Guidelines for internal audits on the quality of statistical processes and products in the National statistical institute;

-       Environmental statistics and accounts guideline, NSI.

Quality report is prepared annually according to a European model and is reported together with the statistical data.

The quality of the data 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, including through the application of the internal methodology "Statistics and Environmental Accounts, developed by the NSI.

The quality assurance activities guarantee 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 burden on respondents; cost-effectiveness; applicability; accuracy; timeliness and accuracy of presentation; comparability and coherence; accessibility and clarity.

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. The requirements of the current methodological documents, including the instructions in the internal methodology "Statistics and Accounts in the Environment, developed by the NSI, are applied for quality assessment.

Air emissions data are essential for studying the interaction between the economy and the environment, in particular in the context of climate change. This is further conditioned by the fact that they are developed in accordance with the accounting structures and principles of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting - Central Framework.

The main users of the statistical information are state and municipal structures, scientific institutes, associations, companies and citizens.

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.

The data comply with the requirements of Regulation (EU) No. 691/2011 and its amendments in terms of observed indicators and scope of the sectors of the economy.

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.

Not estimated.

Not estimated.

The data are published 24 months after the reference year.

The data are published according to the deadlines in the Calendar for the dissemination of the results of the statistical surveys of the NSI.

The data are compiled at the national level. Given the application of common definitions and classifications, the data are comparable with other EU countries.

The data are comparable over time. Time series are available from 2008.

When the methodology changes, the data in the time series are revised.

The data are coherent with:

-       National Inventory of Emissions of Harmful Substances and National Inventory of Greenhouse Gases;

-        Physical energy flow accounts;

-        Data from energy and business statistics.

Classification is applied according to the NACE rev.2, which allows for joint analysis with national accounts data.

The data have a high degree of internal consistency. The quality assessment procedure checks the consistency of the primary and statistical data by pollutants and economic activities.

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 burden of respondents, as the Air Emissions Accounts compiled annually based on existing statistics and administrative information. The overall workload of the responsible experts is high, especially in the cases of revisions of data from previous accounting periods.

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 analyzed with the aim of improving data sources, statistical processes and products.

The data is revised upon change in regulatory requirements, the applied methodology, or when necessary.

-     Statistical survey ‘Air Emission’;

-     National Inventory of Emissions of Harmful Substances;

-     National Inventory of Greenhouse Gases;

Physical energy flow accounts.

Annual

The data is provided by:

-     Statistical survey ‘Air Emission’;

-     National Inventory of Emissions of Harmful Substances and National Inventory of Greenhouse Gases;

-     Physical energy flow accounts.

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.

Data processing carried out in strict accordance with the Manual on Air Emission Accounts and other Eurostat methodological guidelines.

Not applicable.