Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Prodcom provides statistics on the production of manufactured goods. The term comes from the French "PRODuction COMmunautaire" (Community Production) for mining, quarrying and manufacturing: sections B and C of the Statistical Classification of Economy Activity in the European Union (NACE 2).
It is an annual survey of the value and volume of products manufactured by industrial enterprises in Ireland and sold during the reference year.
Prodcom uses the product codes specified on the Prodcom List, which contains about 3900 different types of manufactured products.
Products are identified by an 8-digit code:
The first four digits are the classification of the producing enterprise given by the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE) and the first six correspond to the CPA;
The remaining digits specify the product in more detail.
Most product codes correspond to one or more Combined Nomenclature (CN) codes, but some (mostly industrial services) do not.
3.2. Classification system
Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE) : NACE Rev. 1 was used until 2001, NACE Rev. 1.1 since 2002, and NACE Rev. 2 is used from 2008 onwards.
The PRODCOM list is divided into “Classes” corresponding to the classes of NACE Rev 2. Within the individual classes, the headings of the list are set out in ascending order of their PRODCOM codes. PRODCOM uses an eight-digit product code of the form XX.XX.XX.YY.
The first four digits of the code correspond to the 4-digit classes of NACE Rev. 2;
The first six digits are the Community Classification of Products by Activity (CPA) codes. The CPA provides a detailed listing of the characteristic products for each 4-digit NACE Rev. 2 economic activity;
The last two digits provide a more detailed breakdown of the CPA classes into PRODCOM product headings.
There is a direct link between the PRODCOM classification and the EU foreign trade Combined Nomenclature (CN). Each PRODCOM 8-digit heading covers one or more CN 8-digit headings.
3.3. Coverage - sector
The survey covers all industrial enterprises with three or more persons engaged which are wholly or primarily engaged in industrial production and industrial services in the Mining, Quarrying and Manufacturing industries (Nace Rev. 2 Sectors 05 - 33), as well as some data for NACE Rev. 2 Sector E3832.
The survey does not cover the following sectors and products:
Products of coal and lignite mining,
Coke and refined petroleum products.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
The products: industrial goods and services included on the Eurostat Product List.
Sold production value: the value of production (on own account) is expressed in thousand, excl.VAT and excise duties.
Sold production volume: the volume of production (on own account) is expressed in a unit specified for each product.
Sub-contracted production value: the value of sub-contracted production is expressed in thousand, excl.VAT and excise duties. This is the value of sub-contracted production, where the sub-contractor is an Irish enterprise which reports the value which has been invoiced to the principal.
Sub-contracted production volume: the volume of sub-contracted production is expressed in a unit specified for each product. This is the volume of sub-contracted production, for which the sub-contractor, an Irish enterprise, has produced on behalf of and invoiced to the principal.
Actual production quantities: the volume of production is expressed in a unit specified for each product.
The volume unit: the measurement unit, such as kilogram, sq meter etc., used to indicate the volume of produced goods.
3.5. Statistical unit
The observation unit is Enterprise/ Legal Unit. The reporting unit is Enterprise.
3.6. Statistical population
The survey covers all industrial enterprises with three or more persons engaged which are wholly or primarily engaged in industrial production and industrial services in the Mining, Quarrying and Manufacturing industries (Nace Rev. 2 Sectors 05 - 33), as well as some data for NACE Rev. 2 Sector E3832..
The survey does not cover the following sectors and products:
Products of coal and lignite mining,
Coke and refined petroleum products.
3.7. Reference area
The data refers to industrial products, manufactured on the territory of the Republic of Ireland.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Data available from 2000 to 2020 under European Community (EC) Council Regulation on the Establishment of a Community Survey of Industrial Production (No. 3924/91). This did not include data on sub-contracted production.
From 2021, following adoption of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197, data was collected and disseminated to distinguish between production under own account and sub-contracted production.
3.9. Base period
There is no base period.
For volume: Physical measurement unit required by the Nomenclature of Industrial Production, specific for each product.
For value: Thousand euro, excl. VAT and excise duties.
2023.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
This survey is carried out in compliance with following regulations:
EU implementing regulation 2022/2552 of 12 December 2022 laying down the technical specifications of data requirements for the detailed topic industrial production statistics establishing the industrial products classification breakdown, pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council and amending Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197.
At European level: Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
At national level: Confidentiality checking takes place on all data cells sent to Eurostat and published on the national statbank facility.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
We apply active confidentiality checking and use established Eurostat (n, k) criteria.
Confidentialty criteria is applied based on dominance and prevalence under the following:
The target is confidential because there are too few enterprises;
The target is confidential because one enterprise is dominant;
The target is confidential because two enterprises are dominant, or because it fails the p-percent test;
The target is confidential to protect other data in national publications (secondary confidentiality).
8.1. Release calendar
Final data sent to Eurostat ahead of the regulatory deadline of 30th June each year. National publication follows in July each year.
8.2. Release calendar access
Annual release calendar for the national publication can be accessed via the following website.
8.3. Release policy - user access
All users are treated equitably. Data are always dissminated to all the users at the same time.
Annually.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Data is published nationally via an e-release format with supporting press release and tweet.
National publication for 2023 is available via the following website.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Prodcom has an electronic release in July each year. Data from Prodcom is also used in the Business in Ireland publication and in the website. These publications are released on a yearly basis.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
National Prodcom statistics for Ireland are available here.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Microdata access for Prodcom can be accessed by applicants who complete the RMF application form.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
There is no other dissemination format.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Methodology information for Prodcom is available in this website.
From here there is also background notes and supporting related survey documentation.
The quality of statistical information and its production process is ensured by the provisions of the European Statistics Code of Practice. The documentation on quality management is available in this website.
The main quality assurance activity for Prodcom is the data validation.
A number of validation procedures, from data collection to data dissemination are performed:
Automatic checks - performed in the process of data entry;
Logical checks - data control of correctness of the suspicious size of the values or incompleteness of the data. Errors of this type are corrected through direct contacts with the enterprises;
Micro checks - at the level of observational unit;
Macro checks - at the level of product (8-digit PRODCOM code) and NACE class (4-digit code).
Micro and macro plausibility checks are performed as historical and actual data are compared; comparison with other sources (External trade and SBS especially) is also made.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Prodcom data is compared against annualised monthly industrial production inquiry.
The national response rate remained static in 2023 at 42.5%. While this is still low, there is not a major impact on coverage by NSV, as larger enterprises are prioritised for data collection by the Irish Large Cases Unit.
The CSO is currently undertaking a project to introduce a new system around campaign management, aimed at improving response rates across all business surveys.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Main users of annual survey of industrial products are:
1. Domestic data users:
Government authorities, organs of public administration (central and local),
Trade associations, research institutions, students,
Enterprises,
Media.
2. Foreign data users:
International institutions (UN, EUROSTAT).
3. Data users within the HCSO:
National accounts use product data for the supply and use table,
The industrial producer price index uses product data for its weighting system.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
No measurement of user satisfaction is collected for Prodcom statistics.
12.3. Completeness
Data on all variables and Production Types required are collected and submitted to Eurostat.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The survey is sample based. The sampling design covers all enterprises manufacturing industrial commodities with a specified threshold of receipts from sales of industrial production and industrial services.
Unit non-response: 5,543 enterprises were included in the PRODCOM for 2023, 42.5% of which responded. Item non-response: Data unavailable.
13.2. Sampling error
Sampling errors do not occur in the survey. There is no grossing up for units below the threshold. It is therefore not relevant/possible to calculate sampling error.
13.3. Non-sampling error
The main types of non-sampling errors can be classified as follows:
Coverage errors,
Measurement errors (wrong industrial product codes, wrong volume unit measurement unit, wrong quantities manufactured or sold),
Processing errors,
Non-response errors.
The missing values (non-response) are compensated by estimations. As basis the following information is used: monthly data, SBS and External trade data, data from previous years (product history of enterprise), Report on revenues and expenditures, the average unit price for the product (as reported by other respondents).
The response rate for 2023 was 42.5% by number of enterprises.
14.1. Timeliness
Data is submitted to Eurostat before the regulatory deadline of the 30th June each year.
14.2. Punctuality
Data sent to Eurostat by 30th June each year.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Not available at the national level. Statistics are comparable across the EU.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Reference year 2021 resulted in a break in series in that data was now disseminated based on a distinction between production under own account and sub-contracted production.
From a NACE classifictaion perspective, the introduction of NACE Rev. 2 in 2008 resulted in a break in series.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Control checking is applied and comparisons made at micro and macro level with the data of the following statistical surveys conducted by the NSI: Short Term Statistics, Structural Business Statistics and External Trade.
15.4. Coherence - internal
PRODCOM statistics are internally coherent by their nature.
The survey is based ot the Nomenclature of Industrial Production (identical to the Prodcom list) which defines the products to be included in the survey.
Data on these products are obtained by surveying producer enterprises and after that aggregated at the product level (8-digit code). Microdata aggregation can also be made at the 6-digit level of product subcategories of the Classification of Products by Economic Activities (CPA).
Estimates of Cost and Burden can be obtained from the Response Burden Barometer: Please check this website.
Survey specific information is available via CSO's dissemination database PxStat: Please check this website.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Where a significant data change occurs, there would be a revised dataset sent to Eurostat for Prodcom and similar changes/corrections made to the national dataset on the Px Stat databank facility on our website.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Where a significant data change occurs, there would be a revised dataset sent to Eurostat for PRODCOM and similar changes/corrections made to the national dataset on the PxStat databank facility on our website. We follow the Office policy regarding any need for data revisions.
Information on value and volume (under own accounst, and sub-contracting) for each Prodcom product code, provided by industrial enterprises with three or more persons engaged which are wholly or primarily engaged in industrial production and industrial services in the Mining, Quarrying and Manufacturing industries (Nace Rev. 2 Sectors 05 - 33), as well as some data for NACE Rev. 2 Sector E3832.
Data collected or imputed for 5,543 enterprises. The response rate was of 42.5% for reference year 2023.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual.
18.3. Data collection
Prodcom data are collected from enterprises via a paper form and an electronic form.
18.4. Data validation
Micro editing carried out as survey forms are returned to us. Macro editing carried out thereafter.
Cross survey comparisons carried out also against monthly production inquiry.
18.5. Data compilation
Data editing is performed and an estimation of the unit non-response/item non-response is made.
The non-response (missing values) are compensated by estimations, using as basis the following information: monthly data, SBS data, data from previous year (product history of enterprise), Report on revenues and expenditures, External trade data, the average unit price for the product (as reported by other respondents).
18.6. Adjustment
Not applicable.
None
Prodcom provides statistics on the production of manufactured goods. The term comes from the French "PRODuction COMmunautaire" (Community Production) for mining, quarrying and manufacturing: sections B and C of the Statistical Classification of Economy Activity in the European Union (NACE 2).
It is an annual survey of the value and volume of products manufactured by industrial enterprises in Ireland and sold during the reference year.
Prodcom uses the product codes specified on the Prodcom List, which contains about 3900 different types of manufactured products.
Products are identified by an 8-digit code:
The first four digits are the classification of the producing enterprise given by the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE) and the first six correspond to the CPA;
The remaining digits specify the product in more detail.
Most product codes correspond to one or more Combined Nomenclature (CN) codes, but some (mostly industrial services) do not.
31 August 2024
The products: industrial goods and services included on the Eurostat Product List.
Sold production value: the value of production (on own account) is expressed in thousand, excl.VAT and excise duties.
Sold production volume: the volume of production (on own account) is expressed in a unit specified for each product.
Sub-contracted production value: the value of sub-contracted production is expressed in thousand, excl.VAT and excise duties. This is the value of sub-contracted production, where the sub-contractor is an Irish enterprise which reports the value which has been invoiced to the principal.
Sub-contracted production volume: the volume of sub-contracted production is expressed in a unit specified for each product. This is the volume of sub-contracted production, for which the sub-contractor, an Irish enterprise, has produced on behalf of and invoiced to the principal.
Actual production quantities: the volume of production is expressed in a unit specified for each product.
The volume unit: the measurement unit, such as kilogram, sq meter etc., used to indicate the volume of produced goods.
The observation unit is Enterprise/ Legal Unit. The reporting unit is Enterprise.
The survey covers all industrial enterprises with three or more persons engaged which are wholly or primarily engaged in industrial production and industrial services in the Mining, Quarrying and Manufacturing industries (Nace Rev. 2 Sectors 05 - 33), as well as some data for NACE Rev. 2 Sector E3832..
The survey does not cover the following sectors and products:
Products of coal and lignite mining,
Coke and refined petroleum products.
The data refers to industrial products, manufactured on the territory of the Republic of Ireland.
2023.
The survey is sample based. The sampling design covers all enterprises manufacturing industrial commodities with a specified threshold of receipts from sales of industrial production and industrial services.
Unit non-response: 5,543 enterprises were included in the PRODCOM for 2023, 42.5% of which responded. Item non-response: Data unavailable.
For volume: Physical measurement unit required by the Nomenclature of Industrial Production, specific for each product.
For value: Thousand euro, excl. VAT and excise duties.
Data editing is performed and an estimation of the unit non-response/item non-response is made.
The non-response (missing values) are compensated by estimations, using as basis the following information: monthly data, SBS data, data from previous year (product history of enterprise), Report on revenues and expenditures, External trade data, the average unit price for the product (as reported by other respondents).
Information on value and volume (under own accounst, and sub-contracting) for each Prodcom product code, provided by industrial enterprises with three or more persons engaged which are wholly or primarily engaged in industrial production and industrial services in the Mining, Quarrying and Manufacturing industries (Nace Rev. 2 Sectors 05 - 33), as well as some data for NACE Rev. 2 Sector E3832.
Data collected or imputed for 5,543 enterprises. The response rate was of 42.5% for reference year 2023.
Annually.
Data is submitted to Eurostat before the regulatory deadline of the 30th June each year.
Not available at the national level. Statistics are comparable across the EU.
Reference year 2021 resulted in a break in series in that data was now disseminated based on a distinction between production under own account and sub-contracted production.
From a NACE classifictaion perspective, the introduction of NACE Rev. 2 in 2008 resulted in a break in series.
