CNEL code of Italian collective agreements

The CNEL code is the unique alphanumeric code that CNEL, Italy's National Council for Economics and Labour, assigns to every collective agreement filed in its archive: H011, for example, is the retail and services agreement signed by Confcommercio. Since 1 May 2026 it must appear on payslips and, for private employers, in the information given to workers. Look it up here by code, by agreement name or by ATECO code, using the official CNEL and INPS files.

Find an agreement

A free tool by LiftyUP, an AI-native software studio. We build automations and AI agents for people who work with documents.

What the CNEL code is

The unique alphanumeric code for collective agreements was introduced by article 16-quater of Decree-Law no. 76 of 16 July 2020. CNEL assigns it when it records an agreement in its archive, so that every public body identifies the agreement the same way.

It is used in mandatory employment notices and in the monthly UniEmens return to INPS. Article 11 of Decree-Law no. 62 of 30 April 2026, in force since 1 May 2026, added it to payslips and to the information private employers give to workers.

How the search works

You can type four different things in the box, and the tool works out which one it is.

  • A CNEL code, such as H011 or C011: the agreement's details.
  • An old three-digit INPS contract code, such as 042: the CNEL code INPS links to it.
  • An ATECO 2025 code, such as 62.10.00 or just division 62: the agreements CNEL links to that code.
  • One or more words: the agreement title, then the signatories. Titles are in Italian.

Which agreements are included

Every code in the CNEL summary document updated to 30 September 2026: 1,648 private and public sector codes, of which 1,166 in force, 186 expired and 296 merged into other agreements.

Results list the 159 sector agreements first, then the other agreements in force, then expired or merged ones. Within each group, agreements covering more employees come first. Every sector agreement also has its own page.

CNEL code and INPS code

From the December 2021 pay period the UniEmens return accepts the CNEL code, and from the February 2022 pay period it is the only one accepted (INPS circular no. 170 of 12 November 2021). Before that INPS used its own three-digit codes: the INPS contract code file still links them to CNEL codes, and the tool shows that link.

The same file lists the CNEL codes accepted in UniEmens and two codes that exist only there: CPUB, for public staff, and CDIV, for when none of the agreements recorded in the CNEL archives applies, or no agreement applies at all.

With message no. 3014 of 29 September 2026 INPS removed the "CNEL macro sector" from the file: CNEL now places agreements by ATECO 2025 sections and one agreement can belong to several sectors. That is why the tool does not show the macro sector and lists the ATECO sectors CNEL links instead.

Official sources

Tool built and maintained by LiftyUP using the official sources cited on this page. Sources and files checked on 21 October 2026.

This is information, not advice. The tool does not determine which agreement applies to an employment relationship.

Sector agreements: one page each

The 159 agreements CNEL lists as sector agreements in force or extended. Each page shows signatories, 2025 employers and employees, INPS codes and ATECO sectors.

Data source

Data: CNEL, National archive of collective labour agreements, and INPS, UniEmens Contract Codes file. We reorganised the files for search: extra spaces removed, dates written out, rows merged by code. Titles, signatories and figures are as in the files.

Files used

Tool built and maintained by LiftyUP using the official sources cited on this page.

Frequently asked questions

What is the CNEL code of an agreement?

It is the unique alphanumeric code CNEL assigns to a collective agreement when it records it in its archive (article 16-quater of Decree-Law no. 76 of 2020). It has four characters, such as H011 for the retail and services agreement signed by Confcommercio or C011 for the metalworkers' agreement signed by Federmeccanica.

Since when must the CNEL code appear on payslips?

Since 1 May 2026. Article 11 of Decree-Law no. 62 of 30 April 2026, converted by Law no. 112 of 25 June 2026, requires the payslip to state the agreement applied with its unique alphanumeric code. For private employers the code is also part of the information on the employment relationship given to the worker.

What is the difference between the CNEL code and the INPS code?

The INPS code was the three-digit contract code used in UniEmens. From the February 2022 pay period, after a two-month transition, UniEmens accepts only the CNEL code (INPS circular no. 170 of 2021). The INPS contract code file links each old code to the matching CNEL code: if you type the INPS code, the tool shows that link.

What does the CDIV code mean?

It is a code that exists only in UniEmens. According to INPS it is used whenever none of the agreements recorded in the CNEL archives applies, or no agreement applies at all. Public staff use CPUB instead.

What are sector agreements (CCNL di settore)?

They are agreements in force or extended for non-executive private-sector employees that CNEL places in a separate section of its archive. An agreement covering a single ATECO division qualifies if, according to UniEmens data, at least 5% of the division's employees are under it; one covering several divisions qualifies at 3% in at least one.

Does the tool tell me which agreement to apply?

No. It shows agreements with their codes and the ATECO codes CNEL links to each, but CNEL itself states that this link is its own analysis of each agreement's scope. Which agreement to apply is the company's decision, ideally with an employment consultant.