Review of NACE and PRODCOM codes of the flat glass sector

Glass for Europe is working with the European Commission and EUROSTAT to update the combined nomenclature when it comes to flat glass products. Indeed, the current structuration of flat glass codes very often create difficulties in economic assessments. In particular, some transformed products like coated glass, are classified under the NACE code for ‘manufacture of flat glass’ (23.11) when they would better belong to ‘transformation of flat glass’ (23.12).

Glass for Europe has sent a formal proposal to the European Commission to fix the problem. It is however not yet clear if the Glass for Europe proposal is agreeable by EUROSTAT or if a more lengthy reform procedure has to be followed. In parallel to this reform of codes, Glass for Europe will start a discussion with Eurostat to investigate how obvious errors in statistics reporting for flat glass can be avoided by way of better guidance provided to Member States.