Triggered by a self-aware European industry and supported by a growing European Communi ty , in 1984 information technology (IT) was about to set an historical precedent. The need for standards in the area of IT encouraged CEN and the corresponding organization for electrotechnology, CENELEC, to form a Joint European Standards Institution C E N / C E N E L E C (see 2.1). This endeavour, however, proved to be rather difficult. First, both organization's rules of procedure had to be adjusted. In November 1985 their first five chapters (V, on weighted voting; W, on the starldstill; X, on ENVs; Y, on associated