Comparing US and international power and control cable standards

Cables made to IEC and US standards, while having the same purpose, are of widely different designs. Cables made to one standard cannot be made to match the requirements of the other. The cable made to the US standards have been used in the US and throughout most of the world. The IEC standards have not been widely used in Europe where national and private industrial and utility standards have prevailed. IEC standards have been mainly used in countries where there have not been strong electrical codes. The European Union's adaptation of the IEC standards under the harmonized EN standards of CENELEC adds the force of law to the standards. This will promote a wider use of the IEC (CENELEC) standards on the European continent, although each country could still apply its national rules to the CENELEC standard. This is scheduled to change because all CENELEC European harmonized documents have already been withdrawn and replaced by European Norms. These are the same, word for word, in all European countries. CENELEC members are also members of the IEC and, therefore, do not operate a competitive policy with respect to the IEC. International harmonization of standards must be done at the IEC level. The addition of the CE mark to products meeting CENELEC is similar to the application of the UL mark to products meeting UL standards in the US Worldwide harmonization of standards looks to be a long process. North American and European electrical systems are based on different voltages or frequencies, different conductor sizes, and a different concept of what an electrical system should do.