NSI launched a project “Linking micro-data on international sourcing and global value chains with other statistical repositories” which is carried out in accordance with the Grant agreement with the European Commission № 30102.2012.006-2012.576.

The general objectives of the project are:

• Test and assessment of the micro data linking methodology, developed by the ESSnet on measuring global value chains;

• Creation of linked data sets containing all enterprises in the so called non-financial business economy with 100+ employees that have performed any international organisation and sourcing of business activities in the period of 2009-2011 and enterprises with similar characteristics that have not performed any international organisation and sourcing of business activities in the same period, from the Structural Business Statistics Foreign Trade and FATS statistics;

• Production of table output with data on the population of sourcing and non-sourcing enterprises in order to analyse the internationally fragmented production chains on, for example, employment, international trade in goods patterns and the economic performance of enterprises.

The final goal for Bulgaria is to gain experience in micro data linking which can be regarded as a very important future tool for gaining further knowledge and statistical evidence by utilising existing data sources without carrying out specific new surveys that will enable to reduce the response burden on business.

The duration of the project is 14 months and it will be completed in December 2013.