Background information on the publication of figures about public deficit and public debt

Statistics Netherlands is solely responsible for the compilation of statistics on government finances consistent with the European directives. In most member states of the European Union, this responsibility lies with the national statistical offices. The fact that statistical offices can operate independently is of vital importance. European regulations about statistics on public finances guarantee that all EU member states provide reliable, up-to-date information. There are specific regulations for the period in which benefits and costs must be entered, for example, the one-off revenue of 4G auctions in 2013. Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, monitors the national statistical offices and verifies that the rules are applied in a proper manner (“verification”). If necessary, Eurostat also gives advice about the interpretation of the rules (“consultation”). After verification, Eurostat will publish the figures of the member states separately and the figures for the European Union as a whole.
Statistics Netherlands publishes quarterly and annual figures on public deficit and public debt, incorporated in the statistics on public finances. Consistent with European regulations, quarterly figures are published approximately three months after the end of each quarter. The Friday prior to the week in which an article on quarterly data about public finances is published, Statistics Netherlands announces the day and time of publication. At the moment the article is published, the content must be available and accessible for everybody. By the end of March 2015, Statistics Netherlands will publish the annual figures for the year 2014. By that time, data on all four quarters of 2014 will be available and data on the Dutch public debt and public deficit will be send to the European Commission. After verification, Eurostat will usually publish data regarding the state of public finances of all EU member states approximately three weeks after the date of submission.

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