The International Electrotechnical Commission System of Electrical Equipment and Components (IECEE) offers manufacturers of electrotechnical products and systems an opportunity to increase marketability of products sold globally. The Scheme facilitates the international exchange and acceptance of product-safety test results among participating Certification Bodies for national approval or certification in one or more countries, normally without the need for additional testing.
The CB Scheme applies to manufacturers of products included within one of the IECEE standard categories:
According to the IEC, these manufacturers can expect:
There are National Certification Bodies (NCBs) in 54 Member Body countries participating in the CB Scheme
The recognition of each Member organization identifies the product categories in which the organization participates
The CB Scheme is a multilateral agreement among participating countries and certification organizations based on the use of IEC Standards. If a Member country’s national Standards are not yet completely harmonized with the IEC Standards, national differences are permitted if clearly declared to all other Members.
The CB Scheme utilizes CB test certificates to attest that product samples have successfully passed the appropriate tests and are in compliance with the requirements of the relevant IEC Standard and with the declared national differences of various Member countries.
The IECEE Certification Management Committee (CMC) is the governing body. The list of CMC officers can be found here. The Secretariat is located at the IEC central office in Geneva, Switzerland.
In the U.S., the Member Body is known as the USNC/IECEE. NEMA provides the Secretariat for that organization. The USNC/IECEE coordinates the application of U.S. NCBs to the IECEE Certification Management Committee (CMC) for recognition.
Each NCB must separately apply for participation of specific product categories based on the Standards it intends to use within the Scheme. The issuance and acceptance of IECEE certificates and test reports by NCBs within the IECEE are limited only to those IEC Standards the NCBs are officially recognized for. A list of all NCBs and the scopes of their recognition appear on the IECEE website.
General information on the IECEE website relevant to USNC/IECEE participation can be found here.
The principal purposes of the USNC/IECEE are to:
The USNC operates in accordance with the operating procedures of the USNC/IECEE, last revised November, 2025.
As a U.S. manufacturer, you can use your voice in the IECEE U.S. member body (USNC/IECEE) to directly influence how the IECEE Certification Body (CB) Scheme and related programs operate, ensuring they support open and effective conformity assessment across international markets. Interested in learning more about the benefits of participating in the USNC/IECEE? Check out this article.
Membership in the USNC/IECEE is open to all U.S. National persons (organizations, companies, government agencies, or individuals) who are directly and materially affected by the committee’s activity. The IEC states that “participation shall be fair and equitable without dominance by any single interest.”
Anyone interested in becoming a Member should make a request in writing to the USNC/IECEE Secretary stating why they believe their organization is directly and materially affected by the Committee’s activities
A National Certification Body (NCB) is a certification organization that grants nationally recognized conformity assessment certificates to electrical products. To be accepted as a Member of the CB Scheme, an NCB must meet specified requirements with regard to its internal quality system and technical competence. An NCB can qualify either as a:
Recognizing NCB, which accept CB test certificates and CB test reports as a basis for granting their own national product certification in the areas of specified products and Standards, or Issuing and Recognizing NCB, which are recognizing NCBs that are also authorized to issue CB test certificates and CB test reports (for the same product categories and Standards for which they also accept CB test certificates and reports issued by other NCBs).
Go here for a list of US NCBs.
A CB Testing Laboratory is a laboratory, which, after having been successfully assessed according to the IECEE rules, is accepted into the CB Scheme. CBTLs may apply for recognition in the Scheme through one NCB with which they are associated. Upon request of the NCB, a CBTL can carry out testing of specified individual products according to one or more Standards which are accepted for use in the IECEE, and for which the CBTL is already recognized in the CB Scheme.
For additional information concerning the IECEE and its operation at the international level, visit the IECEE website.
Tim Duffy, Rockwell Automation
Steven Margis, UL Solutions (UL)
Ron Borowski, Eaton Corporation
Mike Leibowitz, NEMA
For further information on the IECEE and how to make an application to be recognized as an NCB, contact:
