Summary
Serious problems with product liability could arise with electrical products in the European Union (EU) as a result of power surges allowed by European Union standard EN 50160:2000, Voltage Characteristics of Electricity Supplied by Public Distribution Systems. There is a mismatch between the allowed 6 kV voltage surge specified in the EU standard and the 2.5kV surge allowed by IEC standard 60664-1, used as the basis for the safety of consumer electronics, telecommunication and IT electrical equipment.