Mr. Pádraig Dalton:

It is because they want to identify where in Europe the value-add in global value chain is. At the moment the total value is given in the final destination. However, as members will have seen previously from these global value chains, the production of products is not a straightforward process. It does not just happen in a factory in Ireland or a factory in Germany. It involves multiple components some manufactured outside Europe with value added at different parts of the production cycle. EUROSTAT and the Commission want to get a better handle on globalisation and then beyond that a better handle on global value chains. From their perspective this may only be the start of a bigger issue.