From September 1, 2009, the EU market began phasing out energy-inefficient traditional incandescent and halogen light bulbs until September 2016, although the most widely used 40-watt and 25-watt bulbs were phased out by September 2012. The EU banned these products under the Environmental Design Directive 2005/32/EC (EuP Directive), and the implementing measure was European Commission Regulation No. 244/2009, published in the Official Journal of the European Union on March 24, 2009.
Starting September 1st this year, all energy-inefficient non-transparent lighting fixtures will be phased out. All non-transparent lighting fixtures must fall under the EU Energy Label Category A. In other words, non-transparent fixtures must be energy-efficient fluorescent lamps that are 80% more energy-efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs, or light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Consumers who prefer other lighting technologies for aesthetic, size, or shape reasons can purchase transparent lighting fixtures.
From September 1, 2009, luminaires with light output equivalent to a 100-watt transparent conventional incandescent bulb must be classified as at least in Category C.
By the end of 2012, luminaires with light output equivalent to other wattage transparent conventional incandescent bulbs must also be classified as at least Category C. The most widely used 60-watt bulbs can still be sold on the market until September 2011; 40-watt and 25-watt bulbs can continue to be sold until September 2012.
The phase-out program, which begins on September 1, applies only to products already on the market, i.e., those sold by EU manufacturers or importers. Therefore, in the first phase starting on September 1, 100-watt conventional light bulbs can continue to be sold in EU stores until inventory is depleted.
Some consumers are dissatisfied with low-energy light bulbs because they only emit a cold light, have an unattractive design, and take a long time to reach maximum brightness. However, manufacturers say that the quality of energy-saving light bulbs has greatly improved over the past 10 years; it's just that consumers hold unnecessary prejudices.
The European Commission issued a "Frequently Asked Questions" document on September 1st, explaining the phased phasing out of energy-inefficient light bulbs. The document can be found at the following URL:http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/368&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
The original implementation method for household non-directional lighting can be downloaded from the attachment.
– Reference source: Hong Kong Trade Development Council website, 2009-09-18
Attachment file:Commission%20Regulation%20244_2009%20Non-directional%20household%20lamps.pdf
