If the Europeans take a technical issue seriously, you can be sure it is worthless. I lived in Europe, specifically the southwest of France for nearly two years. The power distribution system there stinks. Like everything else I saw, it was designed and built on the cheap. They transmit at 230 volts because they can use lighter gage wire to transmit a given amount of power. The price is that if you get a shock, you have a much better chance of dying. Every time there was an electrical storm, power went out with every lightening strke. My French made Thompson television set failed several times in electrical storms. Once a capacitor across the AC line input exploded. Another, a fuse for the flyback transformer popped. Each time, a technician fixed it under warranty. He had special parts to jury rig a quick fix and knew exactly what had happened having fixed the same problem on these sets again and again. My friend was nearly burned to death with a defective electric blanket. He returned it to the department store (Nouvelle Galleries) which sent it back to the factory. After about 6 months, the factory said they had determined that it had been used improperly as they had decided that it must have been folded. No appology, no refund, not credit, no nothing. In Britain, if you buy an electrical applaince it comes without a plug. You have to buy your own and it's always the same one. It's designed for an appliance which can draw up to three kilowatts. And that's the one you use even if the appliance is a two watt alarm clock. Somebody from Britain, please say it ain't so. At least not anymore.

Do you know what IEC is about? After the second world war, American engineers working in Atlanta set up cheapo standards to be used in Europe. They needed a uniform standard to built equipment to, could not afford to build to American standards, and the risk of successful lawsuits with big payouts to victims of defective items was non existant. That's how they got it. Now some Americans want it too. Anything to save a buck. At an industrial level, I instinctively hate it because equipment built to that standard is invariably flimsy compared to what I am used to. As a consumer, I don't like it any better.

By the Way, the FCC sets standards for RF emissions from all electrical appliances sold in the US. Just look at the back or inside of any remote control or any cordless telephone or the beginning of any operations manual for an appliance. Certificaton of compliance will be there.