The Europlug is a flat, two-pole domestic AC

Alternating current

In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....

 power plug that is generally supplied moulded on the end of an appliance's flex or a power cord

Power cord

A power cord, line cord, or mains cable is a cable that temporarily connects an appliance to the mains electricity supply via a wall socket or extension cord. The terms are generally used for cables using a power plug to connect to a single-phase alternating current power source at the local line...

, designed for voltage

Voltage

Voltage, otherwise known as electrical potential difference or electric tension is the difference in electric potential between two points — or the difference in electric potential energy per unit charge between two points...

s up to 250 V

Volt

The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...

 and currents up to 2.5 A. It was designed such that it can safely be used in the domestic power sockets of all
European countries, except for the BS 1363

BS 1363

BS 1363 is a British Standard which specifies the most common type of single-phase AC power plugs and sockets that are used in the United Kingdom. Distinctive characteristics of the system are shutters on the line and neutral socket holes, and a fuse in the plug...

 system found in Britain, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Ireland and Malta.
The Europlug design appeared first in 1963 as Standard Sheet XVI in the second edition of CEE Publication 7, a document that summarized all the national domestic AC plugs and sockets used across Europe.