FEE Statistics on affiliates of foreign companies

The Statistics on Affiliates of Foreign Companies in Catalonia provide information on the main characteristics and economic indicators of affiliates located in Catalonia from a dual perspective. Firstly, they examine the characteristics and results of the establishments of the affiliates of foreign companies located in Catalonia. Secondly, they focus on the characteristics and results of the affiliates of foreign companies based in Catalonia.

The information required to create the framework for the survey is obtained from the INE's Central Business Register (DIRCE), which contains data on all the companies residing in Spain and facilitates the identification of those that belong to groups of companies of a supranational nature and constitute the target population of the Statistics on Affiliates of Foreign Companies.

Given the coincidence between the requirements in terms of the variables, coverage and terms of the Statistics on Affiliates of Foreign Companies and the structural business statistics (SBS), for reasons of efficiency and cost reduction the collection of information on the Statistics on Affiliates of Foreign Companies is linked to the structural business statistics (service and industrial sectors).

In order to assess the impact of foreign-controlled companies on the economy of the European Union, Regulation (EC) No 716/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2007 on Community statistics on the structure and activity of foreign affiliates (FATS) was approved. This Regulation was in force until reference year 2020 and was repealed and replaced, as from reference year 2021, by Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 and by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 of 30 July 2020. These regulations apply several methodological improvements that affect the Statistics on Affiliates of Foreign Companies in Catalonia and mean that the data are not strictly comparable with those of previous years.