Editorial: European Arrogance Must Stop!
Article Category:
2002/07/26
When reading the April 2002 Vector Editorial headline, my first thought was that the Europeans had at last seen the light (albeit through the wrong end of a telescope) ...
EDITORIAL
European Arrogance MUST STOP
Helmuth H. Fischer, Managing Director of Circuit Breaker Industries Ltd. and chairman of the Electrical Manufacturers Association of South Africa (EMASA)
When reading the April 2002 Vector Editorial headline, my first thought was that the Europeans had at last seen the light (albeit through the wrong end of a telescope) – given that its author is representing an interest group of predominantly European importers. However, when reading on, I was disappointed to learn that it was not agricultural products being discussed, but rather installation protection equipment. You can imagine my amusement when I subconsciously replaced the references to technical products in the editorial with those of agricultural products. This, in recognition that the OECD countries not only protect their agricultural industry, but in addition, subsidise it with more than $1bn per day ! (Luke 6,41 refers).
This same hypocritical approach was used to uphold the European attempts to dominate South African circuit breaker standards. These attempts were supported by massive diplomatic pressure from the EU administration, as well as from the ambassadorial staff of individual EU countries. It is extremely difficult to believe that all of these influential people had reason to be concerned about electrical safety in South Africa. In a related situation, the only local manufacturer of the installation protection equipment in question, would probably not believe or understand his fortune if suddenly, South African diplomatic staff were to fight for the removal of the relevant technical trade barriers of the EU and the USA.
In the context of the IEC specifications (where in any event, South Africa has given valuable inputs for decades) the invitation to participate (in the April 2002 editorial) must be regarded as bordering on cynical, when considering that the IEC working groups are dominated by European multinationals. For example, the "... global standard IEC 60898 ..." was written entirely around a European designed circuit breaker. It is highly debatable if products complying with that particular standard will ever enter into any installation in the USA or Japan. As a consequence, one can only pity those poor people being "... denied market access to global innovations ...".
One of South Africa’s unwritten standards [etiquette] (albeit non-technical) is, not to speak in a derogatory manner of competitive products. However this appears not to be the case when one is obsessed with the desire for European supremacy. To put the record straight: In the early Fifties, (for residential applications) South Africa changed totally from the use of fuses to circuit breakers – at a time when Europe, almost exclusively, relied on fuses. Still today, the European fuse replacement market is an order of magnitude larger than the total South African circuit breaker market. Fuchs Electrical (today part of CBI), way back in the Fifties were the inventors of the highly sensitive earth leakage unit known today all over the world, allowing South Africa to become the first country in the world to legislate the use of these safety devices. South African circuit breakers and earth leakage protection products are sold to all continents, albeit in small volume and in technically demanding applications. So what do the Europeans want to tell us?
The local manufacturer, through its office in Germany tried to get onto the standards committee of the VDE. The application was refused on the grounds that CBI GmbH was not manufacturing locally. Perhaps it is as a result of typical South African hospitality or plain commercial naiveté that we afford importers the privilege of participating in the work for South African standards. This generosity has resulted in the local industry, the SABS and the Minister of Trade and Industry being attacked when matters do not develop totally to the liking of the Europeans. Hypocrisy does not appear to be something the Europeans have a problem with. We however need to ask ourselves, for how much longer we wish to entertain this type of arrogant behaviour in interfering with South Africa’s work on standards.