The industrial classification categorises enterprises, other organisations and individual enterprises into industry groups according to principal activity. The same kinds of functions or activities are grouped into each industry group. The activities are similar when they are alike by the commodities they produce, their production inputs and process.
The industrial classification is the most commonly and widely used classification standard in the system of official statistics. It is utilised in several different statistics and administrative system in the public sector and it is also generally used in private sector information systems and surveys.
The industrial classification is used in such administrative information systems as taxation registers, pension systems, various registers related to businesses, labour and labour protection administration, and environmental administration and environmental protection.
Relationship with international classifications
Finland's national Standard Industrial Classification TOL 2002 is based on the European Union classification of economic activities NACE 2002. The classification is also known as NACE Rev.1.1. NACE was confirmed by a Commission regulation that is binding on all Member States (EC) No 29/2002 of 19 December 2001 amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 3037/90 on the statistical classification of activities in the European Community. This means that the statistics compiled by the Member States using the classification of economic activities must be produced according to NACE or a national classification derived from it. In Finland TOL 2002 is such a derived national classification that has to be used for collection and presentation of statistical data.
TOL 2002 conforms to the structure and code system of the European Union classification of economic activities (NACE 2002) with minor exceptions down to the 4-digit level. The classifications are hierarchical in structure and the code system includes:
When Finland joined the European Union and adopted the new national Standard Industrial Classification (TOL 1995) based on the Community classification of economic activities, agreement was reached on the deviations below. These deviations are included in TOL 2002 as well.
Classes 5147, Wholesale of other household goods, and 5248, Other retail sale in specializsed stores, are divided into more than nine 5-digit Sub-classes (51471-51489, 52482-52499). This means that they also occupy the 4-digit codes 5148 and 5249.
The classification has been extended by adding the categories X, 99, 999, 9999 and 99999 Industry unknown. Extra-territorial organisations and bodies have therefore been given the codes Q, 98, 980, 9800 and 98000 (in NACE Q, 99, 990 and 9900).
Changes made to the previous version
In addition to the NACE updatings, TOL 2002 was updated on the basis of national proposals. Interpretations of TOL 1995 were also specified further. In all, over one hundred 5-digit level updatings were made to TOL 2002, in which Sub-classes were combined or divided, individual activities transferred into separate wholes or new Sub-classes established.
In a few cases the definition of the group has changed so much that the previous code cannot be used with the new meaning; in that case the code was removed from the classification. As a consequence, there are gaps in the systematicity of the classification so as not to break the hierarchy of the classification. Thus, NACE 2002 and TOL 2002 do not include the following groups:
In some cases it was necessary to give a new content to a code already in use because there were no free codes and the order of progress in the classification could not be changed without its logic becoming more difficult to understand. Groups with a completely new content in TOL 2002 include:
Standard Industrial Classification TOL 2002. Helsinki:
Statistics Finland, 2002. Handbooks / Statistics Finland, 4 (in
Finnish)
Standard Industrial Classification TOL 2002, Annex 1 Index.
Helsinki: Statistics Finland, 2002. Handbooks / Statistics Finland,
4 (in Finnish)
Standard Industrial Classification TOL 2002, Annex 2 Summary.
Helsinki: Statistics Finland, 2002. Handbooks / Statistics Finland,
4 (in Finnish, Swedish, English)
Definitions and structure of the classification and suggestions for improvement - Ms Riitta Poukka, IT and Statistical Methods/Classification services, tel. : +358 9 17341 (exchange) or email: luokitukset.tilastokeskus@stat.fi.
Application of the classification - Business Register, tel.: +358 9 17341 (exchange).
Statistics Finland
 Telephone +358 9 17 341
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