Relevance
The
European System of integrated Social PROtection Statistics (ESSPROS) is an instrument
which enables international comparison of administrative national data on
social protection in the EU member states.
Social
protection encompasses all interventions from public and private bodies
intended to relieve households and individuals of a defined set of risks or
needs, provided that there is neither a simultaneous reciprocal nor an
individual arrangement involved. Social
protection systems are crucial to reduce poverty levels and help people towards
social inclusion. The social protection
risks or needs included in ESSPROS are: disability, sickness/health care, old
age, survivors, family/children, unemployment, housing and social exclusion not
classified elsewhere.
Commission
Regulation (EC) No. 10/2008 establishes the main definitions and
classifications used in the ESSPROS domain, for the data on social protection
expenditure and receipts for the total of social protection schemes.
Methodological
description
Administrative
data sources are used throughout in order to compile three modules (core
system, pension beneficiaries, and net).
For all three
modules, data is collected on an annual basis and is compiled in accordance
with the ESSPROS manual. Data is
calculated separately for each scheme and the figures are then aggregated in
order to compile the total social protection expenditure. Missing or incomplete figures are estimated.
Accuracy
and reliability of data
Quality
of data is assured by adherence to the ESSPROS manual. ESSPROS
data is compiled in line with the corresponding budget reforms announced for
the reference year in question.
Particular
ESSPROS schemes which contain missing data are estimated through the use of
administrative sources. For other particular ESSPROS schemes where only a single total value is
available, the necessary breakdown is estimated by apportioning the total
through the use of pre-established ratios used in previous years.
Timeliness
and punctuality of data
Since 2008, the National Statistics Office has published an annual publication entitled ‘Social
Protection: Malta and the EU’. This publication is published within one year after the reference year, and is available on the NSO’s website.
Data on social protection expenditure and receipts for calendar year n, together with any revision of previous years, are transmitted to Eurostat by end of June of year n+2. Data on pension beneficiaries for the calendar year n at ‘all schemes’ level are transmitted to Eurostat by end of May of year n+2. Data on net social protection benefits for the calendar year n, together with any revision of previous years, are
transmitted to Eurostat by end December of year n+2.
Accessibility
and clarity of data
In 2015, the publication was issued in conjunction with a news release entitled ‘A
Holistic View of Social Protection Expenditure: 2013’. This analysed the European System of Integrated Social Protection Statistics on a gross and net basis. This
is available on the NSO’s website and was published on the pre-established date, as scheduled
in the
Advance Release Calendar.
For a particular reference year n, a quality report on the core system is submitted by September of year n+2. The quality report on the module on pension
beneficiaries is annual and for a particular reference year n this is
transmitted to Eurostat by end Septemberof year n+2. A metadata report is also produced at national level and disseminated on NSO’s metadata website.
Coherence
and comparability/consistency of data
Geographical
comparability is possible at 'all schemes level' only for quantitative
data as harmonised European rules are used by all member states for compiling
ESSPROS data.
Malta's ESSPROS data is
comparable from 1995 onwards and is in line with ESA2010 and the Classification of Functions of
Government (COFOG) data. Prior to year 2008 the
unit of measure was the Maltese Lira (Lm) and the conversion rate to euro used
was the fixed rate of 0.4293.
Pension beneficiaries’ module data is available
from 2006 onwards. Net social protection
benefits data covers from reference year 2007 onwards.
ESSPROS data referring up to the
2007 collection were compiled in accordance with a former version of the
ESSPROS methodology, the ESSPROS Manual 1996.
Starting from 2008, an updated version of the methodology came into
force. From 2011 to 2016, the ESSPROS
methodology was in accordance with the 2011 edition of the ESSPROS Manual. As from 2017, ESSPROS data is being compiled
according to the 2016 edition of the ESSPROS manual. This is the reference document in the two
Commission Regulations implementing the EP and Council ESSPROS Regulation.
Coherence tests
between the quantitative, the pension beneficiaries’ data and the qualitative information are possible. The qualitative information includes a
general description of the scheme, a detailed description of the benefits and
information on recent changes and reforms.
Metadata