This paper investigates the feasibility of using earlier provisional data to improve the now- and forecasting accuracy of final and official statistics. We propose the use of a multivariate structural time series model which includes common trends and seasonal components to combine official...

The European Commission’s growth forecasts play a crucial role in shaping policies and provide a benchmark for many (national) forecasters. The annual forecasts are built on quarterly estimates, which do not receive much attention and are hardly known. Therefore, this paper provides a...