Italian Classification of Medical Devices: new CID adopted
On 13 February 2026, Decree 29 December 2025 was published in the Official Journal of the Italian Republic, including the New Classification of Medical Devices (Nuova Classificazione dei Dispositivi Medici, CID). The new CID will play a fundamental role in the implementation of a new governance system for the sector of medical devices and in vitro diagnostics, and will take over from the CND, the national medical device classification in use so far. Decree 21 December 2025 became effective on 14 February 2026. However, the repeal of decree 20 February 2007 (with which the CND was adopted) is retroactive, and it is officially effective as of 1 January 2026.
A system in line with the European nomenclature
The new classification was designed to ensure consistency with the European Medical Device Nomenclature (EMDN), adopted by the European Union to integrate data into the EUDAMED database. The CID adopts its essential principles and criteria, and it is organised according to a tree structure with alphanumeric codes and their relevant descriptions. The first seven levels of the CID exactly match the EMDN structure, whereas the following levels are dedicated to the specific identification of devices with special technical features.
The CID adoption represents a relevant change for this sector, made official especially by the above mentioned decree of the Ministry of Health, whose goal is to improve the management, traceability and efficiency of the national health system on medical devices.
Aims and goals of the new classification
The introduction of the CID has several strategic goals. First of all, it aims at making the use of health technologies more effective and appropriate, especially in the assistance activities of the National Health System. Moreover, it promotes a more accurate monitoring of consumption and expense, contributing to a more efficient clinical management and to a better planning of purchases by public facilities.
Timetable and additional provisions
The new classification will be made available in the medical device database in the course of 2026. The inclusion of the CID code in the database, especially as of level 8, will be regulated by a future decree of the Ministry of Health. The CID updates will be adopted annually with a decree of the general director of the General Direction for medical devices and drugs.
Institutions and industry involved
The process to draft the CID involved the General Direction for medical devices and drugs of the Ministry of Health, the Italian Regions and Autonomous Provinces, and the manufacturing sector. To confirm the relevance attributed to this project, the European Commission has entrusted Italy with the task of developing and maintaining the EMDN nomenclature, in the framework of the SMEMDN initiative, funded with the funds of the EU4Health programme.
A crucial step for the sector’s governance The adoption of the CID is part of a wider project to reform and digitalise the sector, as already provided for by the budget law of 2024. The clear goal is to build an analytic classifying system that can be updated annually, and able to ensure a unique identification of medical devices. Regions and Autonomous Provinces are entrusted with the task of ensuring the appropriate operativity of the CID in the territory they are competent for.
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