Note: Though the CEE 7 standard was superseded by the IEC 60083 standard, many of the plugs and sockets have changed little in design—but perhaps more in material—since the last CEE 7 update was published. Despite the very earliest CEE 7 plugs and sockets having been more or less obsoleted, you will still find a few of them hiding out indoors in a few countries—specifically CEE 7/1 and 7/2, which were not grounded (earthed) plugs and sockets. However, the 7/3 German Type F socket that came soon after the 7/1 and 7/2 was the first grounded socket in the CEE 7 series.

The CEE 7 standard and its wide range of electrical plugs and sockets are still extremely popular, and not just in the whole of Europe—many other countries use them. First published in 1951 by the former International Commission on the Rules for the Approval of Electrical Equipment (IECEE), the CEE 7 standard is still crashing parties at archives everywhere—a second edition was published in 1963, and another in 1983. Supplements to these publications were added specifically for plugs and sockets. However, there were myriad CEE publications such as Publication 17 on Plugs and Socket-Outlets for Industrial Purposes, or Polyvinyl Chloride Insulated Cables and Flexible Cords in CEE Publication 13, etc.

The following versions of plugs and sockets cover a wide spectrum that is only touched on here, with odd numbers representing sockets and even numbers representing plugs, e.g., CEE 7/1 is the socket, and CEE 7/2 is the plug (as previously mentioned, this combination does not have grounding protection). This combination was considered a shock hazard, and while nearly phased out completely, the 7/1s can still be found in indoor “dry” areas but the country-specific codes on its uses or outright obsoletion varies from country to country.

And the others: CEE 7/3, 7/4; 7/5, 7/6. The CEE 7/7 plug is a bit different, accepting Type E sockets (Belgium/French 7/5) and Type F sockets (“Schuko” German 7/3). Also noteworthy, is that the 7/5 socket has an earthing pin protruding 23 mm beyond the live contacts. Therefore, the 7/6 French plug has a slot or round contact opening to accept the grounding pin.

CEE 7/7 Plug PN: 88010802	CEE 7/5 Socket PN: 88010550	CEE 7/3 Socket PN: 88011082

In German, the word “Schuko” from "Schutzkontakt” means “protective contact” in reference to its grounding ability. The Schuko plug and socket system originated in Germany in the 1920s. The German Type F, versions 7/3 and 7/4, were the first versions to add two grounding clips on recessed sides of the socket to ensure the plug is always grounded when inserted into the 7/3 socket. The 7/7 also takes a Type K socket (Danish), but without grounding.

A supplement to the 1951 standard published in June of 1962, included the 7/16 “Europlug” that is a flat plug with 4 x 19 mm pins and carries a rating of 2.5A—it is used for Class II applications. There is also a CEE 7/16 “Alternative I” plug that mates with 7/3 and 7/5 sockets, which is rarely used.

CEE 7/16 Plug PN: 86234030	CEE 7/5 Socket PN: 88010550	CEE 7/3 Socket PN: 88011082

However, its sibling, the CEE “Alternative II Europlug” is also a flat two-pin plug that accepts more sockets than its predecessor: the 7/1, 7/3, 7/5, as well as Israeli, Italian, Danish and Swiss sockets—the Europlug’s pins flex a minimal amount to accept a variety of sockets.

Finally, there is a CEE 7/17 plug which is round and unearthed. It offers ratings of 10A or 16A, and can be used for unearthed Class II appliances. The plug is also found in the Italian standard (CEI 23-50). It can also be found in the Russian standard.

CEE 7/17 Plug PN: 86532200

It is also important to know that there is no EU regulation for country-specific plugs and sockets, and the Low Voltage Directive from 2014 specifically excludes domestic plugs and sockets. EU countries rely on their own autonomous country-specific regulations and national standards via their own disparate safety agencies, e.g., VDE, DIN, DEMKO, OVE, and many others. Also, the CE marking is not applicable to plugs and sockets. However, One common theme in the standards throughout the years concerning the aforementioned plugs is the spacing between the two rounded pins at 19 mm.

Unlike the standards in North America, the standards for plugs in Europe cited in this article don’t have medical cord set standards. A few European hospitals have “preferences” such as cord set color, etc., yet they will still use typical household cord sets in hospital and clinical settings.