"To prepare International standards:

• concerning protection against electric shock arising from equipment, from installations and from systems without limit of voltage;
• for the design, erection foreseeable correct use, proper functioning and verification of all kind of electrical installations at supply voltage up to 1 kV AC. or 1,5 kV DC., except those installations covered by the following IEC committees: TC 9, TC 18, TC 44, TC 97, TC 99;
•  in co-ordination with TC 99, concerning requirements additional to those of TC 99 for the design, erection and verification of electrical installations of buildings above 1 kV up to 35 kV.

The object of the standards shall be:

• to lay down requirements for installation and co-ordination of electrical equipment
• to lay down basic safety requirements for protection against electric shock for use by technical committees
• to lay down safety requirements for protection against other hazards arising from the use of electricity (e.g. thermal effects, overcurrent, fault currents, voltage disturbances)
• to specify the operational characteristics and performance criteria necessary for selection of equipment for installation applications
• to give general guidance to IEC member countries that may have need of such requirements
• and to facilitate international exchanges that may be hampered by differences in national regulations.

The standards will not cover individual items of electrical equipment other than their selection for use.
Horizontal Safety Function: Protection against electric shock for equipment and installations without limitation of voltage.
Group Safety Function: Protection against electric shock for low-voltage electrical installations.
Horizontal Energy Efficiency Function: low-voltage electrical installations."