IEC 61167:2011 specifies the performance requirements for metal halide lamps for general lighting purposes. This second edition replaces the first edition published in 1992 and its Amendments 1 (1995), 2 (1997) and 3 (1998). This second edition constitutes a technical revision. Compared to the 1st edition, measurement methods for electrical and photometric parameters are included and safety related requirements are deleted as far as they are now covered by IEC 62035. Modern kind of ignition (e.g. aggregated pulse widths) and operation (low frequency square wave) is added with extensive description of methods of calculation for peak current ratio. At the same time, a review was made on lamps in the market which are fit for standardising, leading to a big number of new lamp data sheets in the range of 20 W up to 250 W lamp power.