Primer on Standards - OEK - OVE

For doing this, CENELEC is strongly committed toLead the improvement of product quality, product safety, service quality andservice safety in the fields of electricity, electronics and associated technologies,including protection of the environment and as result, make a major contributionto the welfare of societyServe and promote the interests of CENELEC's members and stakeholders, theelectrotechnical industry, the cooperating organizations, and the social andeconomical partners in the areas of standardization and conformity assessmentin the fields of electricity, electronics and associated technologiesSupport IEC, the International Electrotechnical Commission, in achieving itsmission: to be globally recognized as the provider of standards and conformityassessment and related services needed to facilitate international trade in thefields of electricity, electronics and associated technologiesBut in addition to the regular standardization work achieved by CENELEC sinceits foundation, a European Council Resolution of 7th May 1985 gave CENELECa new dimension to its mission by recognizing it as the Standardization Bodyable to provide harmonized standards for the electrotechnical field under theNew Approach (see Chapter 5).CENELEC Historical BackgroundIn 1959, five European IEC National Electrotechnical Committees (Belgium, France,Germany, Italy and the Netherlands -all six EEC member countries but Luxembourg),met and formed a body which became known from 1963 as CENELCOM, theEuropean Committee for the Coordination of Electrical Standards in the CommonMarket Countries. The aim was to harmonize national standards in areas wheretrade barriers existed. By the end of 1959, some principles that are still validtoday, had already been drawn up:Priority to IEC standardization work whenever possibleMutual information on new national workTechnical cooperation in technical groupsCooperation in testing and certificationUncovering the mysteries of standardization in Europe7