German MEP Peter Liese (EPP-ED) said in Strasbourg that the proposed directive (EurActiv 09/12/08) was intensively prepared both on a technical and political level with representatives of consumer and environmental interests, and as such represents a compromise that both NGOs and the industry could live with.
The directive, if adopted by MEPs, would take classic incandescent light bulbs (which use over 100 watts of electricity) off the market by autumn this year. Bulbs with lower wattage would be phased out more gradually. They would be replaced by compact fluorescent lamps, which consume up to 75% less energy, and by efficient halogen bulbs, with energy savings of 25-50%, according to Commission figures.
Liese stated that moving from energy-guzzling incandescent light bulbs to new lighting, using significantly more efficient techniques, will prevent some fifteen million tonnes of CO2 emissions and save European customers €5 billion in electricity bills every year. The Commission, meanwhile, was even more optimistic, estimating that €5-10 billion will be injected back into the EU economy on an annual basis.
Health aspects
Liese's comments aimed to counter criticism that the new types of light bulbs would incur serious health risks. Conservative MEP John Bowis, a former UK health minister, argued that while energy-saving light bulbs were good for the environment, the Commission and the UK government had to be "careful not to cause pain and disability in the process".
He cautioned that a number of medical conditions, including epilepsy, lupus, migraines and autism, can be adversely affected by fluorescent lightingm, calling on the Parliament to ensure that incandescent lighting remains on the market until "adequate alternatives" have been researched and are in production.
The call came amid reports that British consumers have been going on shopping sprees to buy the remaining stock of 100-watt light bulbs since the UK government started to voluntarily phase them out in major stores at the beginning of the year.
As for Liese, he argued that possible health problems are only related to compact fluorescent lamps, while halogen and LED alternatives can be deemed safe. Moreover, he pointed out that the Commission had been advised by a scienfic committee. The committee concluded that many potential health risks are not based on scientific evidence. Fluorescent tubes can have a similar impact, but they have already been in use for decades, he countered.
The fact that energy-saving lighting contains mercury will not bring new environmental problems either, according to Liese. In fact, net mercury emissions related to lighting will be reduced by more than 50%, as fewer kilowatt hours of electricity will need to be produced in coal-fired power plants, which emit a "relatively high percentage" of the substance through their chimneys, he said.
"The high energy consumption in all EU member states causes drastic problems that citizens with climate-friendly lifestyles also have to shoulder. Climate change can only be stopped if we make great progress in energy efficiency," Liese concluded, calling for a "coordinated procedure to enhance energy saving," entailing price decreases for every European consumer.
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