01 / 20 The regulation behind NACE Rev. 2.1
How do you read a regulation citation for NACE?
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Statistical classification only
Statistical classification only. This guide does not determine any reader's code. Confirm a code with the national statistical institute or the business register that holds the record. This is general information, not advice on any reader's registration.
A regulation citation for NACE is read in parts: the type of instrument, the number, the date of the instrument, the Official Journal reference, and the application or entry into force date. The EUR-Lex summary gives both NACE instruments in that form. Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006 of 20 December 2006 (FIXED) is cited as OJ L 393, 30 December 2006 (FIXED), pages 1 to 39. Each part answers a different question, and no part on its own gives the full citation.
What does each part of the citation mean?
The instrument type states the legal form. A regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council is the form of the original NACE Regulation. A Commission delegated regulation is the form of the updating instrument. The number identifies the instrument within its year and series: No 1893/2006 for the original regulation, and 2023/137 for the delegated regulation. The date beside the title is the date of the instrument, not the date it started to apply. The Official Journal reference, OJ L followed by a number and a date, identifies where the instrument was published. The page range identifies the pages of the Official Journal on which the instrument appears.
The EUR-Lex summary also gives a CELEX style reference for the delegated regulation in the PDF link used as a source for this guide, in the form CELEX:32023R0137. A CELEX number is a document identifier used by EUR-Lex. It is a finding aid, not a separate instrument, and it must not be confused with the regulation number. A reader who searches EUR-Lex by the regulation number, by the Official Journal reference, or by the CELEX identifier should reach the same instrument, provided the identifier is copied exactly.
| Citation part | Example from the EUR-Lex summary |
|---|---|
| Instrument type | Regulation, and Commission Delegated Regulation |
| Number | No 1893/2006, and 2023/137 |
| Date of the instrument | 20 December 2006 (FIXED), and 10 October 2022 (FIXED) |
| Official Journal reference | OJ L 393, 30 December 2006 (FIXED), and OJ L 19, 20 January 2023 (FIXED) |
| Page range | Pages 1 to 39, and pages 5 to 42 |
Which dates must be kept apart?
Three dates must be kept apart for each instrument: the date of the instrument, the date of publication in the Official Journal, and the date of application or entry into force. For the original regulation, the instrument is dated 20 December 2006 (FIXED), published on 30 December 2006 (FIXED), and applied since 1 January 2008 (FIXED). For the delegated regulation, the instrument is dated 10 October 2022 (FIXED), published on 20 January 2023 (FIXED), and entered into force on 9 February 2023 (FIXED), with application to data transmission staggered from 1 January 2025 to 1 January 2031 (FIXED range). Using the publication date as if it were the application date, or the instrument date as if it were the entry into force date, would misstate the timetable.
The manual adds a further date that must not be confused with the legal dates: the date of the manual itself. The 2025 edition (FIXED) of the manual has a manuscript completed in April 2025 (FIXED). That is the date of the guidance publication, not the date of the regulation. A category described in the manual must be checked against the regulation as amended, and the manual date must not be cited as if it were a legal application date.
How is a citation checked on EUR-Lex?
A citation is checked by opening the instrument on EUR-Lex and comparing the title, the number, the date, and the Official Journal reference with the citation in hand. The EUR-Lex summary for NACE gives the main documents section, where both instruments are listed with their full citations. The summary also gives the aims and key points, which confirm that the instrument found is the instrument intended. A reader who finds a document with a different number, a different date, or a different Official Journal reference has found a different document, even if the title looks similar, and must not treat it as the NACE instrument.
A consolidated version requires an extra check. The summary notes that successive amendments have been incorporated into the original text, and that the consolidated version is of documentary value only. A reader who uses a consolidated text must therefore check the amending instrument for the date and the form of each amendment, rather than relying on the consolidated text alone for legal timing. The consolidated text is useful for reading the current structure. The instruments are the record for timing.
What does a citation not show?
A citation does not show the meaning of a category, the move of an activity between versions, or the entry for a specific business. The citation identifies the instrument. The explanatory notes state what a category includes and excludes. The correspondence tables record moves between versions. The institute or register that holds the record confirms an entry. A complete check therefore moves from citation, to structure, to note, to table, to register, in that order, and no step in that sequence can be skipped by citing the regulation alone.
Use the EUR-Lex summary to verify the citation parts, use the manual annex to see the instruments gathered as the legal basis, and confirm any entry with the institute or register that holds it.