February 22, 2002

70,000,000 Dwellings in Europe are Electrically Unsafe!
Action plan launched February 22^nd in Barcelona

A survey carried out on 16,000 dwellings in eleven European countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Turkey and Ukraine) on behalf of the European Copper Institute confirmed that 70 million dwellings in Europe are electrically unsafe.

This alarming conclusion has led to an action plan aimed at improving national safety levels by 2007 through transaction-oriented regulation.

Considering the lack of regulation on a European level concerning regular inspection (i.e., the only existing document is a recommendation from the Cenelec published in 2000 prescribing inspection at intervals not exceeding 10 years), a seminar aimed at "Improving Domestic Electrical Safety Standards in Europe" was held on Friday 22nd February in Barcelona at the initiative of the European Copper Institute and in the presence of consumers, regulators, inspectors, and electrical installers associations.

The following was proposed at the seminar:

1. Periodic inspection implemented through national laws requiring owners' certificates at the time of sale / change of tenancy;
2. Specific fiscal incentives,
3. Subsidies for less well off families
4. Action plan focused on selected countries: France, Italy, Poland and Spain to assess the programme