Between 1-3 April, experts from the National Institute of Statistics (NIS) of Romania, Ms. Andreea Patulea and Ms. Alida Țurcanu, carried out a working mission at the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The purpose of this mission was the exchange of experience and best practices between the NBS and NIS of Romania on the implementation of the road freight survey (ASTRM) in accordance with the Regulation (EU) No. 70/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 January 2012 on statistical returns in respect of the carriage of goods by road.

During the mission, the experts jointly discussed and analyzed the results of the pilot survey on road freight transport statistics, carried out by the NBS in October 2024. The experts provided support and guidance on the requirements of Regulation (EU) No 70/2012, particularly on the variables and definitions used, as well as the classifiers and nomenclatures used. Moreover, they provided recommendations on the selection of statistical units, data collection, compilation, processing and validation of road freight transport data, dissemination of results, and the production of quality reports and submission of data to Eurostat.

The NBS experts, in close collaboration with experts from NIS Romania, developed a roadmap for the implementation of the ASTRM statistical survey in line with the requirements of Regulation (EU) No 70/2012.

The "Road Freight Statistical Survey" is designed to provide information on the volume of goods transported, the routes of goods and vehicles, with the aim of ensuring data comparability at the European level.

The expert mission took place within the framework of the TAIEX project -(Technical Assistance and Information Exchange) an instrument of the European Commission, that supports public administrations in the approximation, application and enforcement of EU legislation as well as in facilitating the exchange of EU best practices and policies. The instrument is primarily targeted towards accession countries and the European Neighbourhood Policy countries.