History

1920/1940
Rapid industrial growth

The years between 1920 and 1940 were marked by rapid technological development. Rationalisation and standardisation were the key words which motivated society. The major industries - engineering, electrical and chemical - were all booming.

Society benefited from a succession of inventions and discoveries. In Geneva in 1920 the blueprints for a European Economic Federation were first presented and in 1936 came the first social rights, with the introduction of the 40-hour working week and paid holidays.

On 10 March 1925 the Belgian law governing energy distribution entered into force, granting the local authorities a virtual monopoly, under the aegis of the Standing Control Committee.

Some key dates

The birth of CEBEC

Electricity use became increasingly widespread as its networks expanded and the applications multiplied. The need to control the quality and safety of electrical equipment brought the need for appropriate measures.

This is why, in 1923, the CEB (a non-profit association since 1924) created the CEBEC mark, the result of several years of careful preparation, allocating the resources for it to devote itself full time to controlling the safety and quality of electrotechnical equipment.

International cooperation

In 1909 the CEB took over from the SBI as representative for Belgium on the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), founded in 1906.

The competence and dynamism of the CEB were soon unanimously recognised beyond Belgium's national borders.

Leading worldwide figures lent their support and encouragement by becoming honorary members of the CEB : the physicists Thomas Edison in 1920, Edouard Branly in 1932, and Paul Janet in 1934.

Discovered in the archives

It was with great interest that we rediscovered documents establishing the awarding of the CEBEC quality mark to two cable manufacturers in 1929 (see previous page). On 11 July to Fabricable for metal sleeve tubes for electrical installations and on 17 September to the Câblerie d'Eupen for leaded iron tubes and steel reinforced tubes.

1931. The first General Regulation

The year was marked by two events :

• The introduction of the first General Regulation on Electrical Installations. Still in force today, this regulation was enacted following the Royal Decree of 28 December 1931, pursuant to the law of 10 march 1925.
  (Number of articles in the General Regulation : 86 in 1931, 279 in 1998).
• On 21 December the Belgian Electrotechnical Committee patented the CEBEC quality mark under No. 40.717.