Country experience: France: collection of data for financial services

6.56.        Over the last three years, Banque de France (BdF) has improved the way it collects data on financial services. As of 2013, data on financial services are collected through four channels:

(a) The relevé de transactions économiques (RTE), a monthly report concerning a sample of 408 non-financial companies that generate the most important flows with entities abroad. In 2012, 58 of those companies reported that they were involved in financial services flows with non-residents; 

(b) The enquête complémentaire sur les échanges internationaux de services (ECEIS), an annual survey of data from non-financial companies that have generated service flows with non-resident entities. In 2011, 162 among 3,921 companies reported significant financial services flows with non-residents; 

(c) The compte rendu de transactions (CRT), a report by financial intermediaries. Data is collected on an annual basis for 1, 523 companies, or on monthly basis for the 37 most significant companies; these reports account for over 75 per cent of the overall flows of financial services with non-residents; 

(d) A monthly pro forma report concerning the financial services of the Government. 

6.57.        The above-mentioned reports enable Banque de France to meet the breakdowns required in BPM6 and produce an estimate based on monthly data, with relevant coverage for monthly financial services flows.

6.58.        The national accounts incorporate an FISIM measurement of imports and exports. A joint workflow with the National Statistical Institute (INSEE) is currently being developed to base the balance of payments FISIM on national account data for the production process and for back data. This will ensure the consistency of the BOP FISIM data with those of the national accounts. The FISIM geographical breakdown will be based on the geographical breakdown of the stock of loans and deposits.

6.59.        Regarding financial services embedded in margins from buy-sell transactions, and asset management costs deducted from property income, methodological work is being carried out on the basis of case studies with the industry.

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