One consequence of the signing of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) in 1995, the first global trade agreement on trade in services, and the current GATS 2000 negotiations has been a much greater need for detailed, relevant and internationally comparable information on trade in services by type of service, by direction of trade flows and mode of delivery.

In response to the GATS and the wider needs of government, business and analysts an interagency task force has produced a Manual on Trade in Services Statistics . As well as providing services by way of trade between residents and non-residents of an economy this Manual also deals with the measurement of services supplied internationally through the activities of foreign affiliates abroad.

In addition to the work of the task force, OECD and Eurostat organise an annual meeting of Experts of Trade in Services Statistics   in order to discuss methodological issues with European and other OECD Member countries  .

OECD and Eurostat collect and publish detailed data on trade in services by type of service according to the Extended Balance of Payments Services classification (EBOPS). For the first time in 2002 OECD published total trade in services data broken down by partner country . OECD also published in 2002 a first publication of Foreing Affiliates Trade in Services.

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