Resumen

The ESSPROS Manual is the reference document in the four Commission Regulations implementing the EP and Council ESSPROS Regulation. It contains all detailed definitions and classifications. Concurrently, an extended Manual (or the "ESSPROS Manual and user guidelines") was produced. Its nature is serving as a User's Guide for compiling and using ESSPROS. The "ESSPROS Manual and user guidelines" contains in addition examples, further explanations and a complete list of schemes for each country. These specific items will be updated if necessary. 

The objectives of ESSPROS are to provide a comprehensive and coherent description of social protection in the Member States: 

• covering social benefits and their financing;
• geared to international comparability; 
• harmonising with other statistics, particularly the national accounts, in its main concepts.