Standardization structures in the electrical/electronics sector

The need for standardization emerged in the world of electricity at the beginning of the 20th century. The need to ensure the safe use of electricity and to make electrical systems compatible with each other (voltages, currents, power transmission systems, equipment, etc.) imposed an agreement between suppliers and users.

In standardization, the notion of the market deserves particular attention, as its organization must be based on the formulation of mutually accepted technical rules. The Electrical, Electronic and Communication Industries (IEEC) became involved in standardization work very early on, and rely on an autonomous or virtually autonomous network of standards bodies that they have created:

• worldwide: the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC – );

• at European level: the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC);

• in France: Union Technique de l'Électricité et de la Communication (UTE).

There are other general courses of study:

• worldwide: the International Organization for Standardization (ISO);

• at European level: the European Committee for Standardization (CEN);

• in France: the Association Française de Normalisation (AFNOR).

In France, UTE became one of the standardization offices attached to AFNOR following the standardization law of May 24, 1941, but retained its operational independence.

In more specific fields, mention should be made of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU – ), which brings together national telecoms regulators and plays an international regulatory role under the aegis of the UN, as well as sector-specific organizations. At European level, ETSI brings together telecoms operators and manufacturers.

Within the Europe-World networks, the electrical sector had few links with the general sector. Activities were carried out independently, which sometimes led to duplication or inconsistency between the electrical and non-electrical sectors. Today, the closer links between sectors have led to closer links between standards bodies.

Regulation remains the act of an administrative authority, and can be binding, whereas standardization is always a voluntary act, possibly carried out under administrative supervision. However, the relationship between standardization and regulation has evolved considerably with the construction of Europe.

In this article, we will define "standardization" and explain the interactions between the various...