(09/03/07) Naar een gloeilampvrije EU

• 2007-03-09

Het Groene EP-lid Caroline Lucas heeft samen met enkele collega’s een schriftelijke verklaring ingediend om in de EU een einde te stellen aan de verkoop van de gewone gloeilamp. Het vervangen van deze lampen door spaarlampen verminderd de uitstoot van broeikasgassen met ongeveer 20 ton per jaar en zal de particuliere Europese elektriciteitesgebruiker tussen de 5 en de 8 miljard euro doen besparen. Verlichting is goed voor 19% van het globaal elektriciteitsverbruik en vertegenwoordigen liefst 70% van de uitstoot van alle personenwagens ... Gloeilampen zijn goedkoper bij de aanschaf, maar een spaarlamp gaat gemiddeld 15 keer langer mee. Overschakelen van gloeilampen naar spaarlampen zal er bovendien voor zorgen dat die laatsten goedkoper worden en er ook onderzoek zal worden gedaan naar een mooier design.

Green MEP launches bid to ban old-fashioned, energy-wasting light bulbs

UK Green MEP Caroline Lucas has launched a bid to ban old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs from sale across the EU, with a Written Declaration (1) in the European Parliament calling on the Commission to initiate legislation to this end. The initiative will be presented a press conference in the European Parliament in Strasbourg next week at 14.00 on Tuesday 13 March. The declaration follows today’s announcement at the European Council that the EU will work towards improving efficiency of lighting as part of its climate change strategy. Commenting on the initiative, Dr Lucas said:
“Banning old-fashioned light bulbs across the EU would cut carbon emissions by about 20 million tonnes a year — and save between 5 and 8 billion euros a year in domestic fuel bills. Old fashioned bulbs might be cheaper to buy in the first place — but on average they need to be replaced some 15 times before an energy-saving alternative reaches the end of its life - this is costing householders millions. Lighting accounts for 19% of global electricity production and results in emissions equal to 70% of those from passenger cars, so clinging on to the old energy-wasting incandescent bulb contributes millions of unnecessary tonnes of CO2 to the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions, fuelling climate change.

“Introducing such a ban would create a huge market for energy-saving designs, bringing the initial cost down enabling the least-well off to benefit from regular substantial savings in their energy bills. It really is a win-win proposal: banning old-fashioned lightbulbs would be a step towards tackling both fuel poverty and climate change.”

Commenting on today's proposals from the European Council on lighting, Dr Lucas added:

“The reality is we don’t need to ‘improve efficiency’ of incandescent lighting — we need to ban it as soon as possible both to save cash, preserve energy supplies and cut CO2 emissions. We already have the technology — now it’s time for the political courage to put it into every home in the EU.

“Clearly, such an initiative would only be one small step on the road to promoting greater energy efficiency, and there are a number of other parallel EU initiatives — for example, the framework directive for eco-design of energy-using products - which also need to be monitored and improved. However, if the EU is serious about achieving its energy reduction targets, it needs to take some bold steps now, as well as broader, longer term changes.”

(1) The Written Declaration, which will become the official policy of the European Parliament if it is adopted by more than half its 785 members — has been co-sponsored by three other MEPs: Swedish and Austrian Socialists Jens Holm and Karin Scheele and Slovenian Liberal Mojca Drcar Murko.