About IECEE
In recognition of the need to
facilitate international trade in electrical equipment, primarily intended
for use in homes, offices, workshops, healthcare facilities and similar
locations, for benefit of consumers, industries, authorities etc, and to
provide convenience for manufacturers and other users of the services
provided by various National Certification Bodies (NCBs), an
international Scheme is operated by the IECEE (IEC System for Conformity
testing and Certification of Electrotechnical Equipment and Components), known as the CB
Scheme.
The Scheme is based on the principle of mutual recognition (reciprocal acceptance)
by its members of test results for obtaining certification or approval at
national level.
The Scheme is intended to reduce
obstacles to international trade which arise from having to meet different
national certification or approval criteria. Participation of the
various NCBs within the Scheme is intended to facilitate certification or
approval according to IEC standards.
Where national standards are not yet completely based on IEC standards,
declared national differences will be taken into account; however,
successful operation of the Scheme presupposes that national standards are
reasonably harmonized with the corresponding IEC standards.
Use of the Scheme to its fullest extent will promote the exchange of
information necessary in assisting manufacturers around the world to
obtain certification or approval at national level.
The operating units of the Scheme
are the NCBs accepted according to these Rules. Those NCBs employ testing
laboratories also accepted according to the Rules, known as CB Testing
Laboratories (CBTLs). A list of NCBs is published in the CB Bulletin.
The CB Scheme is based on the use of
CB Test Certificates which provide evidence that representative
specimens of the product have successfully passed tests to show
compliance with the requirements of the relevant IEC standard.
A supplementary report providing evidence of compliance with declared
national differences in order to obtain national certification or approval
may also be attached to the CB Test Report.
The first step for an NCB, intending
to operate in the CB Scheme, is to be accepted as a Recognizing NCB.
Such an NCB is prepared to recognize CB Test Certificates as a basis for
certification or approval at national level for one or more categories of
products.
The second step for an NCB, which
can be taken at the same time as the first step, is to be accepted as an Issuing
and Recognizing NCB. Such an NCB is entitled to issue CB
Test Certificates for the categories of equipment for which it
recognizes CB Test Certificates. It should, however, be noted that an NCB
may recognize CB Test Certificates for more categories of equipment than
for which it is entitled to issue CB Test Certificates.
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