The aim of CIS 2010 is to understand the mechanisms that explain in which area an enterprise it innovative. It is governed by a European framework and covers active, market and agricultural enterprises with 10 or more employees.

The European regulation stipulates that data should be provided according to indicators based on the following 9 main themes:
1 - enterprises with innovation activity
2 - enterprises that have introduced a new product on the market
3 - turnover related to new products on the market
4 - turnover related to innovative products but which already existed on the market
5 - cooperation with other enterprises for innovation activities
6 - innovation expenditure
7 - very important effects of innovation
8 - very important information sources
9 - hampering factors Eurostat drew up a list of tables where information on all these indicators could be entered and a series of additional elements.

The regulation stipulates that information should be provided at several sector levels, up to division level (2 digits in NACE), several size classes (10-49, 20-49, 50-249, 250 and more) and regional level for SMEs (defined as enterprises of 10 to 249 employees).