Energy ministers meeting in Luxembourg on 10 October expressed "hope" that traditional incandescent light bulbs will be banned from 2010. In their conclusions on implementation of the framework directives on energy labelling (92/75 EEC) and the ecodesign of energy-using products (2005/32/EC), the ministers stop short of a clear ban on energy inefficient lighting. Environmentalists have long criticised EU decision-makers for failing to follow countries such as Australia or Canada, which are phasing out wasteful incandescent light bulbs (from 2010 and 2012, respectively). Despite the soft wording, EU ministers called on the European Commission to submit, in the remaining months of 2008, a draft regulation that should launch a "gradual" process of phasing them out until incandescent lamps and all the worst-perfonning lights are banned. Ministers, however, note that such a ban should avoid any risk of disruption of supply to the internal market or loss of functionality from the users' perspective. All ecodesign review parameters, including cost-effectiveness, need to be respected.
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