Globalisation is one of the most important economic phenomena of recent decades and presents challenges for data providers and policymakers in understanding the flows of global
business transactions. In particular, current systems of data collection do not capture economic globalisation and “global value chains” (as they are known) to the extent necessary.
To address this challenge, Eurostat in cooperation with the Central Statistics Office (CSO), is holding a seminar today at Trinity College Dublin with international stakeholders (e.g. United
Nations, OECD and World Trade Organisation), to present a new measurement framework.
Traditionally, statistics have been domestically oriented and there have been gaps in the information on the activities of multinational enterprises. As outlined in the opening remarks by Padraig Dalton,
Director General of CSO, very often the elaborate global value chains that have been established by multinational enterprises are not effectively mirrored in official statistics.
In order to create an internationally accepted measurement framework for global value chains and economic globalisation, Eurostat commissioned a study from Dr. Timothy Sturgeon of the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - a renowned expert on global value chain analysis. The Sturgeon Report is being presented to Eurostat today in conjunction with a globalisation conference
hosted by Philip Lane, Whately Professor of Political Economy at Trinity College Dublin.
The Sturgeon Report highlights the gaps in current business and trade statistics, makes concrete proposals on how to fill these gaps and calls for the establishment of an integrated international data
platform. This tool, with unique enterprise identifiers and ownership linkages between enterprises, will allow statisticians to better monitor multinational enterprises and their cross border transactions. It will
also present a more complete picture of globalisation to policymakers.
Mr. Walter Radermacher, Director General of Eurostat, calls the Sturgeon Report both ambitious and inspiring and concluded a panel discussion by announcing an international programme to close the
gaps identified by Dr. Sturgeon. Mr Radermacher also called the framework a valuable tool for better analysing how the proposed EU-US free trade zone might affect the competitiveness of businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Sturgeon Report is available at the following link: www.globalvaluechains.eu
Central Statistics Office 18 April 2013
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