Letters | Wednesday, 17 December 2008

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Proactive measures by Government

The article ‘No cut-off date for ban on bulbs’ (MaltaToday, 17 December 2008) is quite misleading.
Malta, together with other EU Member States, has agreed to a European Commission proposal for a Europe-wide ban on the use of incandescent bulbs by end 2012. The Minister had already publicly declared in Parliament last month that Malta favours the ban on traditional light bulbs, however Malta considers a Europe-wide ban proposal as the best option available to implement an effective ban on traditional light bulbs. It is considered as far more effective than a national ban whereby Malta would have had no control whatsoever on the importation of traditional bulbs from other Member States.
Once the deadline proposal is ratified by the European Parliament and adopted by the Commission, it will also become Malta’s cut-off date for the ban of the traditional light bulbs.
It is also worth mentioning that the Maltese Government has been proactive on the issue of incandescent bulbs. In the last Budget, Government introduced a 25 cents eco-contribution on each incandescent bulb in order to discourage the use of such bulbs. On top of that, in the last budget Government made good on its electoral promise to distribute free energy saving lamps to all households in Malta and Gozo according to the family size and announced that this initiative will be implemented in 2009.
These measures are intended to serve two purposes primarily, environmental and behavioural. Lesser use of incandescent bulbs will translate into fewer emissions. The transition onto energy-saving lamps will help a change in behaviour towards wider use of environmentally friendly products.

Keith A. Galea
Communications Officer
Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs

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