Agriculture and fisheries Statistics in focus

Authors: Ana MARTINEZ-PALOU,

60/2008
Elisabeth ROHNER-THIELEN

Fruit and vegetables:

fresh and healthy on European tables
Inadequate fruit and vegetable (1) consumption
is seen as one of many factors that can play a
role in premature death. The European Key points
Commission’s recent White Paper on Nutrition,
There are considerable differences in the amount of
overweight and obesity-related health issues (2) fresh fruit and vegetables available for human
looks to promote greater fruit and vegetable consumption in the Member States (see Figure 1 below).
consumption as one of a number of tools
towards improving public health, particularly The harvested production of the main types of fruit and
regarding the prevention of chronic diseases vegetable in the EU-27 remained remarkably stable
between 1996 and 2006. There was growth in the
such as heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes volume of fruit and vegetables imported from non-
and obesity. member countries, particularly for fruit and nuts (up
The following publication aims to give an 37.2 % between 2000 and 2007).
overview of selected statistics and indicators Price levels of fresh fruit and vegetables in Member
linked to the fruit and vegetable chain in the States were considerably different; in Bulgaria average
EU. prices were about half the average across the EU-27,
while prices were about one third higher than the EU-27
average in Ireland. Between 1996 and 2006, consumer
(1)
Potatoes are excluded. prices of fruit and vegetables rose most strongly (when
(2) compared with the change for all goods and services) in
COM(2007) 279 final.
Hungary and Latvia, and declined (in relative terms) in
Slovakia and Lithuania.

Figure 1: Gross human apparent consumption (availability for human consumption)

of selected fruit and vegetables, available Member States, 2006 (kg per head) (1)
Minimum and maximum levels (either end of vertical line), median share (circle)

120
80
FR (116.7)

60
EL

40
PT
EL EL
20
IT MT
BG UK
PL FI RO BG LT
0
Apples Pears Peaches Grapes Oranges Cauliflowers Fresh tomatoes

Source: Eurostat (Supply balance sheets)

(1) Portugal (2005 and fruit only), Finland (2005). Data not included for Denmark (partial data for 2004) and Spain (2003).
Data not available: the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Latvia, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Slovakia.
Availability of fruit and vegetables for consumption
As outlined in Figure 2, there are considerable variations There were considerable differences in the availability of
in the amount of different types of fresh fruit and individual types of fruit and vegetable for human
vegetables available for human consumption in the consumption; the amount of apples available varied from
Member States. An average of 29 kg of oranges per an average 7 kg per head in Bulgaria for the years 2003,
inhabitant (see footnote 8 of Figure 2 for country 2004 and 2006 to 94 kg in Denmark for the years 2003
coverage) were at the disposal of EU consumers in the and 2004, while for fresh tomatoes the range was from
period between 2002 and 2006, compared with about 3 kg per head in Lithuania (the average between 2003
19 kg of apples, 12 kg of fresh tomatoes and about 6 kg and 2007) to 60 kg per head in Greece (the average for
of grapes and fresh peaches. Per capita availability of the period 2002 to 2006).
fruit and vegetables was highest in Greece and France
and lowest in Lithuania and the United Kingdom.

Figure 2: Gross human apparent consumption (availability for human consumption)

of selected fruit and vegetables, average of latest data available (2003-2007) (kg per head) (1)
200

160

120

80

40

0
EL FR DK IT IE FI (5) MT ES PT SE EU BE AT EE LU HU RO DE PL BG LT UK
(2) (3) (4) (2) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (4) (11) (2)

Apples Pears Fresh peaches Grapes Oranges Cauliflowers Fresh tomatoes

Source: Eurostat (Supply balance sheets)

(1) Data not available: the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Latvia, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Slovakia.
(2) Average for the period 2002-2006.
(3) Average for the years 2003 and 2004. Peaches, grapes and oranges, not available.
(4) Average for the years 2003, 2004 and 2006.
(5) Average for the years 2004 and 2005.
(6) Average for the years 2001-2003.
(7) Average for the years 2001-2005.
(8) Average based on data available for Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Greece, France, Italy, Hungary, Malta, Austria, Poland, Sweden
and the United Kingdom for the period 2002-2006.
(9) Average for the period 2002-2006. Data for oranges, unreliable.
(10) Average for the years 2005-2007.
(11) Average for the years 2003-2007.

Fruit and vegetable primary production

Fruit and vegetable holdings in all Member States are The majority (51.6 %) of holdings growing fresh
typically small; on average less than 10 hectares in terms vegetables, melons and strawberries in the EU-27 in
of utilised agricultural area. In most of the Member States 2005 were located in Romania and Poland – see
that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007, the average size of Table 1. By the nature of the necessary climatic and
each holding is less than 1 hectare. growing conditions, citrus farms were concentrated in the
Mediterranean countries.

2 60/2008 — Statistics in focus

Table 1: Number of fruit and vegetable holdings and their average size, 2005
Fresh vegetables, Fresh fruit and Citrus plantations
melon and strawberry plantations berry plantations
Number Average size Number Average size Number Average size
of holdings of holding (ha) of holdings of holding (ha) of holdings of holding (ha)
(units) Share in (units) Share in (units) Share in
EU-27 (%) EU-27 (%) EU-27 (%)

BE 8 020 0.4 5.0 2 040 0.1 8.0 : : :

BG 98 750 5.5 0.2 45 340 2.5 0.6 : : :
CZ 3 030 0.2 3.1 3 510 0.2 5.9 : : :
DK 1 340 0.1 7.9 900 0.0 7.9 : : :
DE 18 680 1.0 6.4 20 760 1.1 3.2 : : :
EE 2 620 0.1 0.7 2 960 0.2 0.9 : : :
IE 1 770 0.1 2.4 1 120 0.1 1.3 : : :
EL 58 770 3.3 1.0 109 600 5.9 1.1 86 080 24.9 0.6
ES 150 760 8.4 1.9 259 080 14.0 3.1 129 430 37.4 2.2
FR 41 390 2.3 5.9 40 250 2.2 4.8 2 910 0.8 1.3
IT 137 790 7.7 1.7 254 710 13.8 1.6 84 240 24.4 1.4
CY 4 760 0.3 1.0 27 600 1.5 0.3 13 110 3.8 0.3
LV 37 120 2.1 0.3 67 420 3.7 0.4 : : :
LT 197 190 11.0 0.1 146 060 7.9 0.2 : : :
LU 40 0.0 0.5 70 0.0 1.6 : : :
HU 31 330 1.7 1.9 110 530 6.0 0.8 : : :
MT 2 360 0.1 0.7 1 290 0.1 0.2 620 0.2 0.1
NL 9 820 0.5 7.7 2 720 0.1 6.8 : : :
AT 3 800 0.2 3.5 7 930 0.4 1.9 : : :
PL 462 850 25.7 0.5 396 500 21.5 0.8 : : :
PT 30 970 1.7 1.1 74 310 4.0 1.5 29 380 8.5 0.7
RO 465 960 25.9 0.3 229 980 12.5 0.6 : : :
SI 5 370 0.3 0.2 27 970 1.5 0.4 : : :
SK 5 740 0.3 1.5 1 070 0.1 8.9 : : :
FI 5 440 0.3 2.2 2 470 0.1 1.7 : : :
SE 3 330 0.2 6.2 710 0.0 3.9 : : :
UK 10 360 0.6 12.1 7 260 0.4 3.9 : : :
Source: Eurostat (Eurofarm)

In terms of harvested production (by weight), the main (63.4 %), oranges (83.2 %) and pears (52.9 %) produced
vegetables in 2006 were tomatoes (15.8 million tonnes), in the EU-27 in 2006, underlining favourable climatic and
carrots (5.3 million tonnes) and onions (5.0 million topographical conditions. A little over half (55.5 %) of
tonnes), with apples (11.7 million tonnes), oranges apple production was concentrated in Poland, Italy and
(6.7 million tonnes) and pears (2.8 million tonnes) being France. Similarly, a little over half (52.7 %) of onion
the most produced fruit. production was concentrated in Spain, the Netherlands
and Poland. Of the main fruit and vegetable, the
Production of fruit and vegetable tended to be highly production of carrots was more evenly distributed, with
concentrated in just a few Member States – see Table 2. seven Member States accounting for 9 % or more of the
Italy and Spain accounted for a majority of the tomatoes EU-27’s harvested production in 2006.

Table 2: Harvested production of selected fruit and vegetable, 2006

EU-27 harvested Main producers
production (% share of EU-27 total)
(1 000 tonnes)
Tomatoes (1) 15 827.7 Italy (40.1%) Spain (23.2% ) Greece (9.8% ) Portugal (6.3%) France (4.7%)
Carrots (2) 5 312.4 Poland (15.7%) United Kingdom (11.9%) France (11.8%) Italy (11.7%) Netherlands (10.2%)
Onions (3) 5 045.4 Spain (22.8%) Netherlands (18.2%) Poland (11.7% ) Italy (7.5%) United Kingdom (7.4%)
Apples (4) 11 712.6 Poland (19.7%) Italy (18.0%) France (17.8%) Germany (8.1%) Spain (5.6%)
Oranges 6 677.7 Spain (48.1%) Italy (35.1%) Greece (12.8%) Portugal (3.5%) Cyprus (0.4%)
Pears (5) 2 832.0 Italy (32.0%) Spain (20.8%) Belgium (9.5%) France (8.3%) Netherlands (7.8%)

Source: Eurostat (Agricultural products statistics)

(1) The Czech Republic (2005), Estonia (2005), Ireland (2000) and Portugal (2003).
(2) Ireland (2000), Spain (2005), and Portugal (2003).
(3) Ireland (2000), Portugal (2003) and Sweden (2005).
(4) The Czech Republic (2005) and Ireland (2000).
(5) The Czech Republic (2005), Denmark (2005), Estonia (2002) and Sweden (2005).

Given the impact that weather, pests and disease can The greatest fluctuation during this period was in the
have on output levels, there was a remarkably stable harvested production of tomatoes. Between the relative
level of harvested production between 1996 and 2006 for lows (1997, 2002 and 2006) and the highs (1999 and
most of the main fruit and vegetable produced in the EU- 2004) there was a difference of about 3 million tonnes of
27 – see Figure 3 (overleaf). tomatoes. In the case of oranges, the harvested
production level of 2006 was the highest recorded
between 1996 and 2006, some 13 % above the level of
2005.

Statistics in focus — 60/2008 3

Figure 3: Harvested production of selected fruit and vegetables, EU-27 (1 000 tonnes)
20 000

16 000

12 000

8 000

4 000

0
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Tomatoes Apples Oranges Onions Carrots Pears

Source: Eurostat (Agricultural products statistics)

Fruit and vegetable wholesalers, retailers and processors;

sold production and trade
Consumers may attach importance to the origin of the Table 3 shows that down the various handling stages of
products they purchase, as well as the price or quality of the fruit and vegetable chain, the wholesale trade of fruit
goods. This may explain the split in retailing between and vegetables was the largest activity (other than in
specialised retailers and non-specialised retailers (such terms of the number of enterprises, where there was a
as supermarkets) which are often said to have higher number in specialised retail trade activities
considerable bargaining strength when negotiating prices concerning the sale of fruit and vegetables).
with suppliers and wholesalers.
Table 3: Structural characteristics of fruit & vegetable processors, wholesalers & retailers, 2005 (1)
Specialised fruit & vegetable processors Specialist fruit & vegetable wholesalers Specialised fruit & vegetable retailers
(NACE Group 15.3) (2) (NACE Class 51.31) (NACE Class 52.21)

Enterprises Persons Turnover Enterprises Persons (% of all Turnover (% of all Enterprises Persons Turnover
employed (EUR 1 000 employed wholesale (EUR 1 000 wholesale employed (EUR 1 000
(1 000) million) (1 000) trade) million) trade) (1 000) million)

EU-27 10 200 283.0 52.2 42 507 374.8 (3.9) 113.0 (2.7) 76 696 170.1 12.5
BE 136 7.0 2.3 839 4.8 (2.1) 3.5 (1.8) 1 182 2.6 0.3
BG 311 8.9 0.2 691 2.7 (1.9) 0.2 (1.1) 1 729 3.0 0.0
CZ (3) 100 3.9 0.2 : : : : : : : :
DK 41 2.2 0.6 219 2.5 (1.5) 1.2 (1.2) 531 1.3 0.1
DE 646 31.0 8.1 1 818 30.1 (2.5) 17.8 (2.6) 3 645 16.0 1.0
EE 20 0.6 0.0 49 0.5 (1.4) 0.1 (0.8) 11 0.0 0.0
IE 29 1.8 0.3 297 4.1 (5.1) 2.1 (3.6) 217 0.8 0.1
EL 527 8.9 1.0 2 935 14.8 (4.5) 2.9 (3.9) 5 279 10.1 0.7
ES 1 281 36.2 7.0 9 956 140.2 (12.4) 22.8 (6.2) 16 623 32.4 2.1
FR 1 372 26.4 7.1 3 904 38.3 (3.6) 16.4 (2.7) 5 795 11.7 1.9
IT 2 024 32.2 7.2 9 227 40.9 (3.7) 12.4 (2.9) 19 689 32.6 3.0
CY 41 0.6 0.1 149 1.4 (7.3) 0.3 (5.8) 146 0.6 0.1
LV 28 0.9 0.0 136 1.1 (2.1) 0.2 (1.7) 30 0.1 0.0
LT 258 1.1 0.0 107 2.3 (3.1) 0.2 (1.9) 14 0.0 0.0
LU 2 : : 17 0.2 (1.3) 0.0 (0.3) 6 0.0 0.0
HU 544 10.9 0.8 1 092 4.8 (2.8) 0.7 (1.8) 2 551 5.1 0.2
MT : : : : : : : : : : :
NL 135 9.1 3.3 1 100 13.1 (2.9) 10.6 (3.6) 1 435 8.3 0.4
AT 106 3.1 1.1 323 3.2 (1.6) 1.1 (1.0) 473 1.2 0.1
PL 1 126 40.2 3.0 2 989 12.5 (1.8) 2.1 (1.6) 4 889 10.1 0.4
PT 221 3.9 0.6 2 021 8.5 (2.8) 1.5 (2.2) 4 707 5.5 0.2
RO 300 5.0 0.2 1 043 5.1 (1.5) 0.8 (2.3) 1 870 4.3 0.1
SI 69 1.2 0.1 73 0.4 (1.0) 0.1 (1.5) 167 0.5 0.0
SK : : : 84 1.1 (1.2) 0.2 (1.4) 93 0.4 0.0
FI 188 2.0 0.5 225 1.1 (1.3) 0.4 (0.7) 191 0.2 0.0
SE 182 4.8 1.0 571 4.2 (1.9) 1.6 (1.5) 313 0.6 0.1
UK 441 39.8 7.4 2 157 33.4 (2.8) 13.0 (1.8) 4 187 21.1 1.7

Source: Eurostat (Structural business statistics)

(1) Within the NACE classification, the values reported for the specialist processing or retail trade of fruit and vegetables provide only
part of the activity associated with these items. Within retail trade, a large proportion of fruit and vegetables may be handled by
supermarkets/hypermarkets (their relative importance, however, cannot be determined). As regards manufacturing activities, a
number of processes use fruit and vegetables, such as in the production of chemicals, animal feed, or beverages (which are outside
the activities covered by fruit and vegetable processing).
(2) EU-27, rounded estimates.
(3) 2004.

4 60/2008 — Statistics in focus

Among the Member States for which data are available, motorcycles) and 3.9 % of the wholesale and
the average size of fruit and vegetable processing commission trade workforce. Specialised fruit and
enterprises ranged from about four persons employed in vegetable wholesalers accounted for a considerably
Lithuania to 90 in the United Kingdom in 2005. The higher share of wholesale activity in Spain, with some
average size of specialist fruit and vegetable wholesalers 12.4 % of the workforce and 6.2 % of turnover.
ranged from four persons employed in Bulgaria to 21 in
Lithuania, while the average size of specialist fruit and In contrast, specialised fruit and vegetable retailers in the
vegetable retailers was notably smaller, ranging from one EU-27 accounted for a much smaller proportion of retail
person employed in Finland to six persons in the turnover (0.6 %) and employment (1.0 %). This relatively
Netherlands. low figure may be explained, at least in some countries,
by a move away from daily purchases of food and
Specialised fruit and vegetable wholesalers across the beverages at specialist food retailers in favour of less
EU-27 generated turnover of EUR 113.0 billion in 2005 frequent trips to supermarkets or hypermarkets (sales of
and employed 374 800 people, corresponding to 2.7 % fruit and vegetables in these retail outlets cannot be
of the total turnover generated for all wholesale and isolated from other food or non-food purchases).
commission trade (excluding motor vehicles and

Figure 4: Main non-Community partners for imports of fruit and vegetables, EU-27 (%)
2000 Thailand 2007
20.3% Costa Rica
8.2% Thailand
Other
7.4%
36.7% Canada Other
6.3% 42.4% Turkey
7.3%
Turkey
6.0% China
6.8%
Morocco Brazil
3.9% Ecuador
5.9% 6.2%
Brazil Morocco Ecuador
USA 5.7% 4.5% South Africa 6.2%
5.0% Costa Rica South Africa Colombia 5.7%
5.0% 5.2% 5.3%

(million tonnes) 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
SITC 05 Vegetables and fruit 19.4 19.5 18.4 19.6 21.5 20.9 21.0 22.6
SITC 054 Vegetables, fresh, frozen or simply preserved 6.8 6.3 4.9 4.8 6.3 4.9 4.6 5.4
SITC 056 Vegetables, roots and tubers, prepared or preserved 0.8 0.8 1.0 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.3
SITC 057 Fruit and nuts (not incl. oil nuts), fresh or dried 9.1 9.6 9.7 10.4 10.6 11.3 11.7 12.5
SITC 058 Fruit, preserved, and fruit preparations (excl. juices) 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.6
SITC 059 Fruit juices (incl. grape must) and vegetable juices 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.9 2.0 2.2 2.0 1.8
Source: Eurostat (External trade statistics - COMEXT)

Figure 4 shows that the EU-27 imported 22.6 million share of the EU-27’s import market for fruit and
tonnes of fruit and vegetables in 2007 from non- vegetables declined sharply from 20.3 % in 2000 to
Community countries, 16.4 % more than the quantity 7.4 % in 2007.
imported in 2000. Much of this growth came from fruit
and nuts (up 37.2 %) and was despite a marked decline Table 4 indicates the quantities of certain manufactured
in the imports of fresh, frozen and preserved vegetables fruit and vegetables products that were sold, exported
(down 20.3 %). and imported by the EU-27 in 2006. A little over
15.5 million tonnes of preserved tomatoes were sold in
As the EU-27 imported fruit and vegetables from a wide the EU-27, by far the highest quantity among
range of countries, the top five sources only accounted manufactured fruit and vegetables products.
for a little over one third of all imports in 2007. Thailand’s

Table 4: Sold production and external trade of selected (top ten available)
manufactured fruit and vegetable products, EU-27, 2006 (tonnes)
Sold production Exports Imports
Preserved tomatoes; whole or in pieces (excl. by vinegar or acetic acid) 15 504 466 331 917 16 433
Fruit, prepared or preserved, n.e.c. (excluding Müsli) 2 089 070 219 723 978 891
Unconcentrated tomato puree and paste 1 618 938 37 032 2 157
Jams; marmalades; fruit jellies; fruit or nut purees and pastes;
being cooked preparations (excluding of citrus fruit, homogenized preparations) 1 597 449 80 431 24 032
Concentrated tomato puree and paste 1 287 615 306 412 117 753
Vegetable by-products and waste for animal consumption, n.e.c. 1 281 547 13 996 1 837 872
Vegetables, fruit, nuts and other edible parts of plants,
prepared or preserved by vinegar or acetic acid 1 212 419 87 346 276 906
Frozen fruit and nuts uncooked or cooked by steaming or boiling in water 910 533 85 071 372 727
Prepared or preserved shelled beans (excl. by vinegar or acetic acid, dried, frozen) 937 254 61 123 2 492
Prepared or preserved olives (excluding by vinegar or acetic acid, dried, frozen) 746 139 235 527 105 336

Source: Eurostat (Statistics on the production of manufactured goods - Prodcom)

Statistics in focus — 60/2008 5

Import penetration (imports divided by apparent by-products and waste for animal consumption not
consumption (calculated as sold production minus elsewhere classified, followed by prepared and
exports plus imports) among the top ten fruit and preserved fruit not elsewhere classified (34.4 %) and
vegetable products was highest (59.2 %) for vegetable frozen fruit and nuts (31.1 %).

Prices of fruit, vegetables and potatoes

potatoes was almost half of the EU-27 average, in sharp
The price of fruit and vegetables varied considerably in contrast to Ireland, where prices were about one third
2006 among the Member States (see Figure 5). In higher (30.9 %) than the EU-27 average.
Bulgaria, the price level of total fruit, vegetables and

Figure 5: Relative price level indices for total fruit, vegetables and potatoes
(based on Purchasing Power Parities), 2006 (EU-27 = 100)
140

120

100

80

60

40
IE LU DK FI SE UK DE IT FR AT BE ES NL CY SI EE PT LV EL MT RO PL LT HU CZ SK BG

Source: Eurostat (Price statistics, Purchasing power parities)

Between 1996 and 2006, there were contrasting In some Member States, such as Slovakia and Lithuania,
developments in the evolution of consumer prices for fruit there were sharp reductions in the relative price of both
and vegetables when compared with average price fruit and vegetables. In other Member States, such as
inflation (as measured by the all-items harmonised Spain, Latvia and Hungary there were relatively steep
indices of consumer prices), as outlined in Figure 6. price increases. In countries such as Poland and Austria,
there were contrasting developments between the
On average across the EU-27, the relative price of fruit evolution of prices for fruit and for vegetables.
declined by 3.3 % and that of vegetables by 1.6 % in
relation to price increases observed for all-items (3).
relatively minor and 1996 weights are unavailable for a number
(3)
of Member States.
No adjustments were made to the weight of fruit and
vegetables in the all-items index over the ten years, as this was

Figure 6: Relative change in consumer prices for fruit, vegetables and potatoes
compared with the all-items index for consumer prices, 1996–2006 (%)
50

25

-25

-50
EU- HU LV ES PT LU RO BE NL IT FR CY EL FI IE SE CZ UK AT SI DE EE BG MT DK SK LT PL
27 (1) (1) (2) (2) (3)
Fruit Vegetables and potatoes

Source: Eurostat (based on Price statistics, Harmonised indices of consumer prices, 2005=100)
(1) For the period 2001–2006.
(2) For the period 2000–2006.
(3) For the period 1997–2006.

6 60/2008 — Statistics in focus

METHODOLOGICAL NOTES
DETAILS OF DATA SOURCES Price statistics: harmonised indices of consumer prices
(HICP)
The information presented in this publication is largely drawn from the
Eurostat database ‘Food’, which brings together data that provide information Harmonized indices of consumer prices (HICPs) are designed for international
on food products and the food sector which are considered relevant for food comparisons of consumer price inflation. The coverage of the HICPs is
safety purposes. For completeness, the primary reference data sources have defined in terms of ‘household final monetary consumption expenditure’, by
been given and are also detailed below. reference to the national accounts concepts of ESA 1995. Expenditures are
classified according to the COICOP/HICP (Classification Of Individual
Food: from farm to fork statistics Consumption by Purpose adapted to the needs of HICPs).
The domain is structured in 4 main areas:
DEFINITIONS OF VARIABLES AND INDICATORS
- Food consumption;
Gross human apparent consumption (in supply balance sheets):
- From production to distribution: organic production, volume of Apparent consumption = (commercial production + estimated own account
production and trade of quality wines, volume of production and sales production for self-consumption + imports + opening stocks) – (exports +
of food products, relative price levels of food products; usage input for processed food + feed + non-food usage + wastage + closing
- Inputs to the food chain: volume of agricultural primary production, stocks).
volume of seeds, consumption of pesticides, main countries from
which food products enter the EU territory; Holding: a single unit both technically and economically, which has single
management and which produces agricultural products. The holding may also
- Which actors are involved in the food chain: number of enterprises provide other supplementary (non-agricultural) products and services.
and agricultural holdings, number of restaurants.
Number of enterprises: a count of the number of enterprises active during at
Statistics on the structure of agricultural holdings (FSS) least a part of the reference period.
Farm structure survey data are used to collect information on agricultural
holdings in the Member States at different geographic levels (Member States, Number of persons employed: is defined as the total number of persons
regions, districts) and over periods, they provide a base for decision making in who work in the observation unit (inclusive of working proprietors, partners
the Common Agricultural Policy. working regularly in the unit and unpaid family workers), as well as persons
who work outside the unit who belong to it and are paid by it (for example,
Two kinds of farm structure surveys are carried out by the Member States: sales representatives, delivery personnel, repair and maintenance teams).
- a basic survey (full scope Agricultural Census - AC) every 10 years, Turnover: comprises the total invoiced by the observation unit during the
- sample based intermediate surveys. reference period, and this corresponds to market sales of goods or services
supplied to third parties.
Structural business statistics (SBS)
SBS data have been collected within the legal framework provided by Council Purchasing power parities (PPPs): these are spatial price indices, which,
Regulation No 58/97 of 20 December 1996 concerning structural business just as temporal price indices allow making real/volume comparisons in time,
statistics. Only the SBS data set relating to annual enterprise statistics has are designed to make real/volume comparisons in space or across countries.
been used in this publication. Data are presented using the NACE Rev. 1.1 Therefore, they are key statistical tools for international volume and price level
classification. comparisons.

External trade statistics PPPs are defined as currency conversion rates that both convert to a common
currency and equalise the purchasing power of different currencies. They
External trade statistics are an important data source for EU decision-makers, eliminate the differences in price levels between countries in the process of
being used extensively for multilateral and bilateral negotiations within the conversion of economic indicators expressed in a national currency to an
framework of the common commercial policy. artificial common currency, called a purchasing power standard (PPS).
In this publication, external trade statistics relating to the trading of goods Price level indices (PLIs), EU-27=100: these are the ratios of PPPs to
between a Member State and a non-Community country are used. Extra-EU exchange rates. By expressing the PPPs in a common currency unit, they
trade imports are recorded at the frontier country where the goods are placed provide a measure of the differences in price levels between countries by
under the customs procedures. Extra-EU trade statistics do not record indicating for a given product group or aggregate the number of units of the
exchanges involving goods in transit, placed in a customs warehouse or given common currency needed to buy the same volume of the goods and services
temporary admission. in each country . At the level of GDP they provide a measure of the
Statistics on the production of manufactured goods - differences in the general price levels of countries.
Prodcom
ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS
Prodcom contains statistics on the production of manufactured goods together
EU European Union EU-27 27 EU Member States
with related external trade statistics (see above). It is based on a product
classification called the Prodcom List which consists of about 4 500 headings BE Belgium BG Bulgaria
relating to manufactured products. CZ Czech Republic DK Denmark
DE Germany EE Estonia
Price statistics: purchasing power parities (PPPs) IE Ireland EL Greece
PPPs are produced as a multi-country exercise where Eurostat is responsible ES Spain FR France
for the coordination and calculation of the final PPP results and National IT Italy CY Cyprus
Statistical Institutes (NSIs) conduct necessary price surveys and provide other LV Latvia LT Lithuania
input data. LU Luxembourg HU Hungary
MT Malta NL Netherlands
The PPP expenditure classification adheres to the definitions, concepts, AT Austria PL Poland
classifications and accounting rules of the European System of Accounts PT Portugal RO Romania
(ESA 1995). SI Slovenia SK Slovakia
FI Finland SE Sweden
The main statistics of interest used in this publication are:
UK United Kingdom
- Purchasing power parities;
: not available
- Price level indices.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Elisabeth.Thielen@ec.europa.eu

Statistics in focus — 60/2008 7

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European Statistical Data Support:

Eurostat set up with the members of the ‘European statistical system’ a network of support centres, which will exist in
nearly all Member States as well as in some EFTA countries.

Their mission is to provide help and guidance to Internet users of European statistical data.

Contact details for this support network can be found on our Internet site: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/

A list of worldwide sales outlets is available at the:

Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.

2, rue Mercier
L - 2985 Luxembourg

URL: http://publications.europa.eu
E-mail: info@publications.europa.eu

Manuscript completed on: 19.06.2008

Data extracted on: 12.02.2008
ISSN 1977-0316
Catalogue number: KS-SF-08-060-EN-N
© European Communities, 2008