General Information on IEI
What's the bottom line on ISO?
IEI's work makes a positive difference to the world we live in. IEI standards and services add value to all types of business operations. They contribute to making the development, manufacturing and supply of products and services more efficient, safer and cleaner. They make trade between Asian and European countries easier and fairer. IEI standards and services also serve to safeguard consumers and users of products and services in general - as well as making their lives simpler. You will find an introduction to IEI in the About IEI section.
Just what is ISO?
Not "what", but "who"! Our standards are often highly technical - and they need to be - but they're developed for people by people. So who we are is a network of the national standards institutes of some 39 countries, with a central office in New York, USA, that coordinates the system.
Who runs IEI?
All strategic decisions are referred to the IEI members and Accredited Bodies who are in regular contact with each other. The proposals put to the members and Accredited Bodies are developed by the IEI central secretariat, drawn from the membership as a whole, which resembles the board of directors of a business organization. Operations are managed by a Secretary-General, which is a permanent appointment. The Secretary-General reports to a President who is a prominent figure in administering services or in business, elected for two years.
What only "Asian and European" countries?
Initial investigations made by IEI general directors revealed a gap in the global market for an organization who can make international bounds between Asian and European businesses, industries and other organizations.
What benefits do IEI services bring to businesses?
For businesses, the widespread adoption of International Standards means that suppliers can base the development of their products and services on reference documents which have broad market relevance. This, in turn, means that they are increasingly free to compete on many more markets around the world.
What benefits do IEI services bring to customers?
For customers, the worldwide compatibility of technology which is achieved when products and services are based on International Standards brings them an increasingly wide choice of offers, and they also benefit from the effects of competition among suppliers.
How can I keep up to date on IEI and its activities?
Check out this site regularly (specially, the News Section) which provides an overview of IEI's activities.
Who pays for IEI?
IEI's members pay subscriptions that meet the operational cost of IEI's Central Secretariat. Another source of revenue is the sale of standards, which covers 30% of the budget. However, the operations of the central office represent only about one fifth of the cost of the system's operation. The main costs are borne by the organizations which manage the specific projects or loan experts to participate in the technical work. These organizations are, in effect, subsidizing the technical work by paying the travel costs of the experts and allowing them time to work on their IEI assignments.
Can anyone join IEI?
Membership of IEI is open to all interested persons, companies, organizations and national entities. Full members each have one vote, whatever the size or strength of the economy of the country concerned. This means that they can all make their voices heard in the development of IEI services which are important to their country's industry.
IEI has four categories of membership as Real Person Membership, Organizational Membership, Thematic Membership and International Membership.
What is IEI's relation to governments?
IEI is a non-governmental organization (NGO). Therefore, unlike the United Nations, the national members of IEI are not delegations of the governments of those countries. As far as those national members are concerned, some are wholly private sector in origin, others are private sector organizations but have a special mandate from their governments on matters related to standardization, while still others are part of the governmental framework of their countries. In addition, government experts often participate in IEI's services. So, while IEI is an NGO, it receives input from the public sector as it does from the private sector.
