On 6 December 2005, CENELEC (the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization) and Union of the Electricity Industry-EURELECTRIC signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of electrotechnical standardisation.

The signing ceremony took place at the CENELEC premises in Brussels, where the EURELECTRIC delegation led by Mr Paul Bulteel, EURELECTRIC Secretary-General, was welcomed by Dr Ulrich Spindler, CENELEC President, and Mrs Elena Santiago Cid, CENELEC Director-General.

EURELECTRIC is the sector association representing the common interests of the electricity industry at pan-European level, plus its affiliates and associates on several other continents. In line with its mission, it seeks to contribute to the competitiveness of the electricity industry, to provide effective representation for the industry in public affairs, and to promote the role of electricity both in the advancement of society and in helping provide solutions to the challenges of sustainable development.

CENELEC's mission is to prepare voluntary electrotechnical Standards that help develop the Single Market/European Economic Area for electrical and electronic goods and services, removing barriers to trade, creating new markets and cutting compliance costs.

Following this agreement, EURELECTRIC is invited to formulate advice and contribute to the standardisation activities of CENELEC in line with the provisions described in CENELEC Guide 14 "The concept of cooperation agreements". In this context, CENELEC greatly welcomes EURELECTRIC's participation in the CENELEC Technical Board.

This agreement is a natural extension of the cooperation agreement that had already existed since 1992 between CENELEC and the International Union of Producers and Distributors of Electrical Energy (UNIPEDE), a forerunner and founding association of EURELECTRIC. Thus, while formally becoming a new cooperating partner of CENELEC, EURELECTRIC is recognised as a highly-reputed association with a longstanding background of cooperation with CENELEC's standardisation activities.