Monthly external trade bulletin/Bulletin mensuel du commerce exterieur: 1979.

Abstract

Standard methodology in the external trade statistics of the Community and statistics of trade between Member States. Since 1 January 1978, the provisions of Council Regulation (EEC) No 1736/75 on the external trade statistics of the Community and statistics of trade between Member States have been implemented by all Community countries. On this date therefore, EU ROSTAT amended its procedures and now publishes all external trade statistics in accordance with uniform principles (with the exception of a few special movements of goods such as those for bunker supplies and ships' stores, returned consignments, joint production, postal consignments, mixed consignments, etc., which have not yet been standardized). The harmonization of concepts and definitions leads inevitably to a change in the information content of the statistics and thus to a certain extent to a break in the homogeneity of the time series — a state of affairs to be noted, particularly with regard to analyses covering long periods.