Guiding principles for the preparation of IRES

In line with the accepted practices of updates and revisions of the UN statistical documents, the preparation of IRES will be guided, inter alia, by the following principles:

(i) needs of major user groups should be considered as a starting point and be taken into account to the maximum extent possible to ensure that the compiled data are policy relevant, meet the needs of the energy community (both producers and users) and provide a solid foundation for integration of energy statistics into a broader accounting framework;

(ii) the revision should be conducted in close consultation with both national statistical offices and national energy agencies as well as with the relevant international and supranational organizations;

(iii) while providing recommendations on data items and their definitions care should be taken that (a) necessary data sources are available in at least some countries to compile such data, (b) collection of such data items will not create significant additional reporting burden, and (c) collection procedures can be implemented by most countries to ensure improved cross-country comparability;

(iv) the revision should be seen in the context of promoting an integrated approach in the national statistical system which requires, to the extent possible, the use of harmonized concepts, classifications, and standardized data compilation methods in order to achieve maximum efficiency and minimize reporting burden;

(v) additional guidance on more practical/technical matters to assist countries in the implementation of IRES should be treated in ESCM. During the revision process, the Oslo Group will decide on what will be covered in ESCM and to what extent.