Définition
The summary economic classification (NES), adopted by INSEE in 1994, is an aggregate, national, double (economic activities, products) classification which is relevant for economic analysis. The groups formed are a common denominator for the presentation of aggregate economic statistics, valid for all fields: their purpose is to reflect as far as possible the behaviour of agents confronted with their market, while the structuring of the NACE (classification of activities in the European Community) and the NAF (French classification of activities) bring in other criteria such as the specific technical features of the production process or organisation into production chains.
The NES has three levels including respectively 16, 36 and 114 positions.
With the passage in the NAF rév. 2 (French classification of activities revised on January 1st, 2008), NES disappears as such. Indeed this classification, strictly French, did not allow international comparisons because it did not fit into the arborescence of the CITI and the NACE.