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Gormless Gormley in dark over EU light bulb ban

Issued : Friday 4 January, 2008

Correspondence I have received from the EU commission casts a huge doubt as to whether John Gormley’s half-baked proposal to ban the sale of traditional lightbulbs can now go ahead as scheduled.

It is now apparent that Minister Gormley simply did not do his homework on this. The EU is already working on measures to regulate the energy efficiency of light bulbs, and in these circumstances, the Commission is entitled to put a halt to any legislation at Member State level that might adversely affect a legislative harmonisation process. In other words, if the EU is already in the process of preparing regulations or legislative measures on particular matter, as they are in this case, they may require Member States to postpone local plans to change laws.

In addition, under EU law, the Minister is required to furnish the Commission with draft legislation or regulation that would give effect to any proposal to ban or change standards in relation to any industrially manufactured product, so that other member states can be have their say. That whole process can take up to 21 months after the drafting of regulations, so the prospects of Minister Gormley being in a position to introduce the ban this year are remote to say the least. The fact is they may never be introduced in the form that he has proposed.

I am tempted to suggest that the Minister was fully aware that the EU could take these steps, considering it was the Govt that negotiated the directive concerned, but so desperate was he to grab the headlines with his damp-squib ‘Carbon Budget’ that he simply pressed ahead with the announcement of his poorly thought-through plans.

I welcome any steps that will reduce our carbon emissions and that will reduce our reliance on imported fossil fuels, but the issues relating to a ban on incandescent light bulbs should have been teased out to a much greater extent, rather than being pressed through by the Minister in such a ham-fisted manner.

As I have previously outlined in detail, I believe that the Minister has overestimated to a significant extent the impact that the ban on bulbs will have on our carbon emissions.

I also believe that the overall environmental impact of CFL bulbs, given that they contain mercury, has not been fully assessed. The full effect of CFL on the health of people suffering with lupus and epilepsy also needs to be taken into account.

Minister Gormley has been silent on whether he has any plans at all to assist low-income families in the move to CFL, and given the cost of the these products that is something that he must address.

He needs to consult with all the stake holders, and that includes our own domestic lighting industry.