page_title: IEC 60906-1
section_title: Possibility of acceptance in European Union
hierarchical_section_title: IEC 60906-1 / Possibility of acceptance in European Union
caption_attribution_description: English: The types of plugs in Europe &#160;&#160; Schuko (Type F, CEE 7/4 plug, CEE 7/7 plug) &#160;&#160; French (Type E, CEE 7/6 plug, CEE 7/7 plug) &#160;&#160; British (Type G, BS 1363) &#160;&#160; Swiss (Type J, SEV 1011) &#160;&#160; Danish 107-2-D1 (Type K) &#160;&#160; Italian CEI 23-50 (Type L)
context_page_description: IEC 60906-1 is an international standard designed "to provide a standard for a safe, compact and practical 16 A 250 V AC system of plugs and socket-outlets that could be accepted by many countries as their national standard, even if not in the near future." The standard was originally published by the International Electrotechnical Commission in 1986; the current edition is ed2.0 published in 2009. Although it is almost identical to the Swiss SEV 1011 T12 plug for 10 A 250 V a.c. standardized in 1937, its dimensions are slightly different and its polarization is flipped. As of July 2014, only South Africa has introduced a standard based closely on IEC 60906-1. Brazil used it as the basis for its NBR 14136 standard, but this is not compatible with IEC 60906-1. In 2017 the European Union published recommendations advising against the harmonisation of domestic plug and socket systems in the EU.
context_section_description: In the 1990s the EU requested CENELEC to devise a harmonized plug and socket system for Europe. In 1995 that attempt was abandoned as it was not possible for CENELEC delegates to agree an acceptable solution, CENELEC forecast that converting European households, offices and factories to a common standard would cost about $125 billion.
  In response to a suggestion that the European Commission introduce a common system across the whole of the EU, the Commission's Regulatory Fitness and Performance (REFIT) programme issued recommendations in 2017.  REFIT found that "the harmonisation of plug and socket outlet systems in Europe, by introducing changes in national wiring legislations (would have) important transitional periods (above 75 years)", and that the cost to "replace the old socket-outlets (and the corresponding plugs of the appliances being used)" was estimated at 100 billion Euro, "generating a huge environmental impact, producing some 700 000 tons of electrical waste". REFIT does not recommend harmonising the plugs and socket-outlet systems in Europe.
caption: Currently used AC mains plugs in Europe.   Schuko (Type F, CEE 7/4 plug, CEE 7/7 plug)   French (Type E, CEE 7/6 plug, CEE 7/7 plug)   British (Type G, BS 1363)   Swiss (Type J, SEV 1011)   Danish 107-2-D1 (Type K)   Italian CEI 23-50 (Type L)
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