ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades Recessed socket outlets - but clean and no dust!

Well, it does make sense to have a properly polarised connector. There are quite a few desirable reasons for it, not just the lamp issue.

I really can't see any reason why we need to have CEE 7/4 (Schuko) and CEE 7/5 (French) side-by-side in Europe. They're both similar specifications and achieve exactly the same purpose, while accepting a common plug!

CEE 7/7 plugs fit both, thus allowing backwards compatibility with CEE 7/4 (German Schuko with the side earth clips).

All they'd have to do is phase out the side-earthed schuko sockets by simply banning their supply and removing them from the regulations in EU countries using them.

Most existing appliances' plugs are already CEE 7/7 so fit either French or German style outlets.

When CEE 7/7 plugs are used with French sockets and the socket is wired correctly they are polarised.

There is also a version of the contour (ungrounded) plug which has a flat slot on one side (enough to allow a schuko grounding clip to pass) and a round slot on the other (to allow a French grounding pin to pass).

It fits side-earthed schuko sockets as normal, but only goes into French style sockets in one polarity.

Thus, it provides a polarised non-grounded plug.

Then the existing flat 2.5amp reversible plugs could continue to be used with small appliances where polarity really doesn't matter.

I'd much rather see a robust standardised French outlet in use across europe, complete with shuttering.

At present there's far too many national variations of the same thing. Same plug might fit, but the safety standards aren't the same.

Also, if they want the UK and Ireland to switch over, the proposed EU-wide solution would have to be safer than BS1363 and the current CEE 7/7 set up simply isn't.