European GFS are based on the concepts and definitions set out in ESA95, the European manual for national accounts. ESA95 is derived from, and almost entirely consistent with the worldwide manual for national accounts (SNA93). Since ESA95 is a general text, it has been necessary for Eurostat to supplement it with additional guidance in the form of the ESA95 Manual on Government Debt and Deficit, Eurostat Decisions, and bilateral advice to Member States.
Main Committees and Working Groups
Eurostat, the Member States and other interested parties meet several times per year. The National Accounts Working Group and Financial Accounts Working Group discuss methodological and practical issues relating to national accounts, including GFS issues. The Committee on Monetary, Financial and Balance of Payments Statistics (CMFB) is a high-level advisory group composed of senior officials from National Statistical Offices and Central Banks.
