Govt faces obstruction to light bulb ban - small electrical appliances

A spokesman for the European Commission confirmed that if the government wants to ban incandescent lamps by the end of this year, there will be problems.
Environment Minister John Gormley insists there is no disagreement between his department and the European Commission.
Problems arise because, under the EU mutual recognition rules governing the internal market, member states must allow the sale of any legally sold product in another Member State.
This will make it impossible for Ireland's ban because there is nothing to stop retailers from purchasing incandescent lamps in another Member State.
The minister spoke this evening saying that the rules of the EU's internal market could make exceptions in the context of environmental improvement measures.
In contrast, the French government wants to ban Red Bull on health grounds.
However, according to legal advice, it was found that France could not impose a ban due to the legal sale of the drink by other Member States, which was withdrawn.
The ban can only take effect if all other member states agree and pass the Council of Ministers agree to the restriction.
After Australia announced the ban, both Austria and Germany wanted to introduce the ban, and the proposals for both countries were the same.
The European Commission has a policy to support energy-efficient light bulbs, but it has not yet become law.
The draft EU directive on ecological design of energy products is currently under discussion.
It aims to improve energy efficiency by adjusting a range of electrical appliances, especially those with standby appliancesby modes.
The directive attracts interested parties from industry, Member States, small and medium-sized enterprises and non-governmental organizations to find a way to ensure that electrical products are more energy-efficient in the future.
One option is to phase out incandescent lamps in 2009, but according to the regulations of the European Federation of lamps and lanterns companies, the industry hopes to postpone the elimination until 2015.