30.12.2006 Official Journal of the European Union L 3931 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) REGULATION (EC) No 1893/2006 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 20 December 2006 establishing the statistical classification of economic activities NACE Revision 2 and amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 3037/90 as well as certain EC Regulations on specific statistical domains (Text with EEA relevance) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu- nity, and in particular Article 285(1) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Central Bank (%), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (3, Whereas: 1 Council Regulation (EEC) No 3037/90 (%) established the statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community (hereinafter referred to as ‘NACE Rev. 1’ or ‘NACE Rev. 1.1)). In order to reflect the technological development and structural changes of the economy, an up-to-date classifica- tion, called NACE Revision 2, should be established (hereinafter referred to as ‘NACE Rev. 2)). An up-to-date classification such as NACE Rev. 2 is central to the Commission’s ongoing efforts to modernise the production of Community statistics; it is expected to contribute, through more comparable and relevant data, to better economic governance at both Community and national level. In order to function, the internal market requires statistical standards applicable to the collection, transmission and publication of national and Community statistics so that businesses, financial institutions, governments and all other operators in the internal market can have access to reliable and comparable statistical data. To this end, it is vital that the various categories for classifying activities in the 0J C 79, 1.4.2006, p. 31. Opinion of the European Parliament of 12 October 2006 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and the Council Decision of 19 December 2006. OJ L 293, 24.10.1990, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1882/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (O] L 284, 31.10.2003, p. 1.). Community be interpreted uniformly in all the Member States. Reliable and comparable statistics are necessary to enable businesses to assess their competitiveness, and are useful to the Community institutions in preventing distortions of competition. The establishment of a revised common statistical classifi- cation of economic activities does not oblige Member States to collect, publish or supply data. Only if the Member States use activity classifications linked to the Community classification is it possible to provide integrated information with the reliability, speed, flexibility and degree of detail required for the management of the internal market. Provision should be made for the Member States to be able, in order to meet national requirements, to integrate into their national classifications additional categories based on the statistical classification of economic activities in the Community. The international comparability of economic statistics requires that the Member States and the Community institutions use classifications of economic activities which are directly linked to the International Standard Industrial Classification of all economic activities (ISIC) Rev. 4, as adopted by the Statistical Commission of the United Nations. Use of the classification of economic activities in the Community requires that the Commission be assisted by the Statistical Programme Committee set up by Coun- cil Decision 89/382/EEC, Euratom (*) in particular as regards: the examination of problems arising from implementation of NACE Rev. 2; ensuring a fully coordinated transition from NACE Rev. 1 to NACE Rev. 2; and, the preparation of future amendments to NACE Rev. 2. (% O] L 181, 28.6.1989, p. 47.