International Organizations for electrical standardization and their operation

How to approach the subject of electrical standardization in 2022, remembering that the previous version of this article was written in 2005! There's no doubt that in almost two decades the field has evolved considerably. This applies not only to the specific subject of electrical standardization, but also to the subject of standardization, both electrical and non-electrical.

Standardization bodies worldwide, in Europe and in France, have also undergone significant transformations. It therefore seems useful, if not necessary, to review all the concepts related to this theme, so that readers can usefully refer to this article in the years to come.

But what lies behind these injunctions? What is a standard? a tool? an objective? a "rule"? who makes it? how does it interfere with regulation? what lies behind the concept of a voluntary standard? If there is a voluntary standard, is there a mandatory standard? Or an involuntary standard?

We hope that this article will help readers answer these questions, and that the example of electrical standardization will have aroused their curiosity about the value of standardization in general.

But let's get back to electrical standardization.

The electrical sector was a pioneer in standardization.

From the beginning of the 20th century, the development of electricity and its extremely rapid penetration into the daily lives of private individuals required the interoperability of the sub-assemblies ensuring the transport and supply of this new energy, which made it possible to operate the final equipment. This need for compatibility was, of course, at the origin of the first electrical standards. This need for compatibility implied agreement between suppliers and customers, at least in terms of the dimensions of the various components. The notion of "modern" standardization was born, since these agreements implied the approval of all stakeholders.

It's also worth bearing in mind that electrical standardization has been international from the outset. The birth of the International Electrotechnical Commission dates back to 1906 in London, although ten countries had already expressed their willingness to cooperate in setting electrotechnical standards in 1905: the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Italy, Canada, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The London congress also attracted representatives from Belgium, Holland, Japan and Spain. But the London congress was in fact the culmination of discussions on standardization that had already begun in 1904 at an international congress in Saint Louis, Missouri. At this congress, 15 countries had undertaken to cooperate by setting up a representative...