Background
Most of the data presented here are produced by the European Commission (mainly
Eurostat) and national statistical institutes. Euro area results are obtained
by aggregating data for individual
countries.
As far as possible, the data are harmonised and comparable. Quarter-on-quarter
growth rates sales of GDP expenditure components, value added by economic activity,
industrial production, retail sales and passenger car registrations
are adjusted for variations in the number of working days.
Retail sales indicators measure the turnover, including all duties and taxes
with
the
exception
of VAT, of all retail trade excluding sales of motor vehicles and motorcycles,
and except repairs. New passenger
car registrations covers registrations of both private and commercial passenger
cars.
Data on GDP and value-added are expressed in euro (ECU up to end-1998). However,
given that the composition of the ECU does not coincide with the former currencies
of the countries which have adopted the single
currency, pre-1999 amounts converted from the participating currencies into ECU
at current ECU exchange rates are affected by movements in the currencies of
the EU Member States which have not adopted the euro.
The data presented in the table GDP and expenditure components are therefore
not appropriate as a means of deriving implicit deflators for periods before
1999
(see data in
HICP and prices section
for the ECB
calculations of implicit deflators).
More methodological information concerning data presented in this section
pdf
en.
