NEWS | Wednesday, 10 December 2008

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No cut-off date for ban on bulbs

Julia Farrugia
Malta has no cut-off date yet for the ban of old fashioned bulbs first pioneered by Thomas Edison 129 years ago.
The European Union wants to ban the use of the incandescent light bulbs by 2012, however the Maltese government still has no concrete measures on this issue.
In August, the Ministry of Resources and Rural Affairs had told this newspaper that government had no policy or report on whether to abolish the use of incandescent light bulbs in Malta.
Asked whether a cut-off date existed for the phasing-out of the incandescent bulbs, Minister George Pullicino said there was none. “The Maltese government is undergoing work to implement green procurement principles.”
In the last budget the government introduced a €0.25 tax on each incandescent bulb, saying the tax would discourage consumers from buying these lamps.
An EU report has recommended the banning of the lamps in an effort to lower energy consumption and cutting down greenhouse gas emissions. The EU says switching to low-energy bulbs could curtail household bills by up to €50 a year.
The report still needs the backing of the European Parliament and the EU-27’s ministers. However countries like the Philippines, Australia and Canada have already announced plans to ban incandescent light bulbs and replace them with more efficient fluorescent bulbs.

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