The EU Beginning to Waver on Light Bulb Regulations?

Lighting designer Kevan Shaw (who runs the Save the Bulb blog) knows more than most about the goings-on in Brussels:
He is a recognised stakeholder, regularly consulted over regulations, and has been a participant in relevant meetings for several years.
If anyone can stick a finger in the air and see what way the wind is blowing, it's someone like him.

Interesting therefore his last post, which almost answers his own previous one, that called for the EU to take note of the irregularities and lack of savings evidence from hitherto implemented regulations (and which was also covered here, see "SaveTheBulb on The Incandescent Light Bulb Ban").

His last post then from October 2, slight editing
(photo, also from blog post: Storm Clouds Above Wind Farm; Margarie Card, Pikes Peak Camera Club)

Political Storm Clouds

It seems that there is a growing political backlash against the EU lamp ban legislation.
We noticed that the forthcoming reflector lamp and associated items that was due to be implemented in September 2013 has failed to be published and a recent question to the EU was answered with a holding reply saying that there would be further information in the middle of October.

A fellow traveller, Rik Gheysens has posted a comprehensive listing of questions raised by MEPs of all parties and across Europe about the ban in the impacts along with links to the replies. This make interesting if somewhat sad reading as most of the answers just do not provide any real information, in fact the stamp of bureaucracy is very clear in the language and tone.

We can hope that DG Energy is now beginning to get the message that this rule making is both unpopular and infective in achieving the aims of energy saving.
While I doubt that they have the appetite to rescind the ban we can hope that they will not try and push further and get rid of Halogen energy savers in the review of non directional lamps next year, we may also hope that they do not implement the reflector lamps ban as it is currently drafted, I guess we may know more in a couple of weeks.

Kevan Shaw
October 2, 2012

The point about continuing to allow halogen lamp replacements,
otherwise due to be banned by 2016 on the Class "B" requirement is a good one
(EU rules: http://ceolas.net/#li01inx)

No doubt there are always egos involved in backing down, but a good compromise is surely to allow the similar halogen lighting, including the frosted varieties, banned at the outset for no good energy saving reason.
[Rather, it was simply to force EU citizens to buy fluorescent lighting when clear transparent lighting was not seen as of essence... though the regulators put it conversely, that they showed magnanimity in allowing clear lighting a little longer..."ye pays yer money and ye take yer choice" on what to believe].