The APE code as an "ID card" for French firms: the non-statistical effects of a classification change

The paradox of the NAF classification is that, although unfamiliar to the general public, it serves to determine a wellknown number in the business world: the APE statistical code, which designates the firm’s principal economic activity. The APE code is therefore the only channel through which a change in NAF version is perceived not only by firms but also by all the public- and private-sector entities that use the code. Because of this high public profile for the APE code, every new NAF version requires a large-scale information campaign that gives advance notice of the change but also reminds us of the limitations of a statistical code often used for management purposes.