The update to NACE Rev. 2.1 reflects major shifts in the global economy since the previous version was introduced in 2008.
The new NACE nomenclature introduces new concepts at all levels of the classification and restructures a number of headings. Additionally, it simplifies and consolidates former codes that are of no or little importance in today’s economy.
One of the most significant changes is in the automotive trade (division #45). It has now been split between the Retail Trade section (Divisions 46 and 47) and the Maintenance section (Division 95). Similarly, Online shops are now categorized based on the type of products sold rather than the sales channel used. These are just a few examples. More information can be found in the additional resource section below.
Resources
In order to let you have a better understanding of the changes, we have gathered useful information as below:
NACE Change Study (PDF, 23 pages) : Explanation of what changes between the 2 NACE version by Altares
Implementation Documentation (PDF, 14 pages): Detailed explanations and json sample
List of Industry Types (Excel, 10 tabs): List of all existing industry types available in Direct+; Roll-Out planning, Mapping between NACE 2 to NACE 2.1; Content of all new industry types (in English and native language).
Overview with SBI codes and business activities from SBI 2008 to SBI 2025 V1.03 (Only available in Dutch)
An overview of the SBI codes for intermediary services (only available in Dutch)
The table of NL SBI 2025 codes (only available in Dutch)
The table of NACEBEL codes(FR / NL version)
Eurostat : https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/nace (FR / NL version)
INSEE Information : https://www.insee.fr/fr/information/8181066
Support
We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available and timelines are further defined. Upon request, our team of consultants is also available to advise on best practices on how to manage both nomenclatures simultaneously. If you have questions, please reach out to your contact at Altares or contact our Customer Services Team. Click here for The Netherlands and here for Belgium.