An EU lighting strategy that would freeze a phase-out of energy-guzzling lamps for two years would hurt clean energy firms, dampen the EU’s environmental legislation and threaten future green laws, according to a Danish Energy Agency (DEA) paper, seen by EurActiv.
The document was sent to Brussels in response to the EU’s proposal to postpone a 2016 ban on inefficient ‘non-directional’ halogen lamps in ‘Stage 6’ of the lighting Ecodesign requirements until 2018.
The official Danish paper says: “We cannot support the delay of stage 6 since it would: significantly reduce the effectiveness of the Ecodesign directive, negatively impact the businesses in Europe who have invested and integrated stage 6 into their business strategy [and] lead to uncertainty about other existing and future regulations.”
It would also “establish a precedent of rolling back regulation” in response to business lobbying, the Danish experts contended.
Last November, the Commission said that LED technology was not mature enough to replace non-directional halogen lamps so soon. But according to the Danish agency’s study, compatible LED lamps are ready to replace nearly all halogen and comparable applications. (more)
Read the whole story here:
http://www.euractiv.com/energy/draft-lighting-strategy-keep-eur-news-534066
Source: EurActiv