The mandatory colors for power wiring in the National Electrical Code (NEC) are Green, Bare, or Green/Yellow (a yellow stripe or band on green) for the protective ground (PG), and White (or alternatively Gray) for the neutral wire. These color codes are used for electrical distribution systems, and while some are mandatory, others are optional. This guide covers European wire color codes for both AC (Alternating Current — mains and wall outlet power) and DC (Direct Current — batteries and electronics) supply wiring. The IEC 60446 standard, “Basic and Safety Principles for Man-Machine Interface, Marking, and Identification,” establishes global guidelines for identifying electrical equipment terminals, conductors, and wiring colors. For typical building AC circuits (commonly up to 600 volts nominal), the NEC specifies identification rules for grounded conductors (neutral), requirements. Colour codes for wiring have been developed as an international standard to easily identify what colours should be should be used when wiring an electrical system. The majority of Europe now uses a standard set by the International Electronics Commission or IEC. It works like a “language” for wires.