International harmonization of standards

Now that the market for electrical apparatus has become global, there are efforts underway to compare standards with an intent to harmonize these standards. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has made strides in this area. Specifically, the Electric Machinery Committee (EMC) of the IEEE Power Engineering Society is at the forefront of the IEEE harmonization effort. This paper will give some historical background and summarize the details of this effort.