After many months of negotiation and work with the Belgian authorities, the Belgian Shiatsu Federation (FBS) has succeeded in obtaining a NACE code to designate the trade code for Shiatsu. Eurostat has just confirmed acceptance of the Belgian proposal to allocate a code to Shiatsu: it’s 86.997!
Shiatsu is listed as follows: 86.997 Activities of shiatsu, Thai massage, watsu, qigong, tuina.
It is also interesting to note that Shiatsu is no longer relegated to a residual category of economic activities but to the residual category ‘86.99 Other activities for human health c.a.’.
‘This is an important step for the recognition of shiatsu in our country, because by listing our profession among the NACE codes, the Belgian state recognises that the practice is sufficiently established in society and that it plays a role in the field of health (without being associated with health care as such)’, says the FBS.
If it’s possible in Belgium, that means it’s also possible in other European countries. In the meantime, congratulations to the Belgian Federation on this achievement.
More information on the Eurostats website.
