Activites

• 2000/11/01 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Directive 2000/55
  • OJ L 279 01.11.2000, p. 0033
• 2000/09/18 Final act signed
• 2000/09/18 End of procedure in Parliament
• 2000/07/05 Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading
  • T5-0290/2000 summary

    The European Parliament adopted the text relating to energy efficiency requirements for ballasts for fluorescent lighting under the codecision procedure second reading. (Procedure without report).�

• 2000/06/21 Vote in committee, 2nd reading
• 2000/06/15 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 2nd reading
• #2267
• 2000/05/30 Council Meeting
  • 07034/1/2000 summary

    The Common Position is similar to the Commission's initial proposal and accepts, in full or partially, 12 out of the 19 amendments adopted by the European Parliament in its first reading. The Council deems it necessary to provide a third phase in order to improve energy efficency. The Common Position emphasises, and makes it clearly explicit to all interested parties, that an additional effort shall be vital. Furthermore, the Council believes that it is too early, as from now, to set the objectives of the third phase. Any new objective, or even any other measure, should be created based on an evaluation by the Commisson of the progress made during the two initial phases and also take into consideration technical as well as economic conditions at the time.�

• 2000/04/03 Modified legislative proposal published
  • COM(2000)0181 summary

    The aim of the amended proposal is to correct and clarify the original proposal, without modifying its general structure and objectives. Of the 19 amendments adopted by the European Parliament, 15 have been accepted by the Commission and 1 more has been accepted in principle but with some rephrasing. The Commission has accepted that a certain strengthening of the proposal is needed if any substantial contribution to CO2 emission reduction is to be achieved, and therefore has accepted the first part of the Parliament's amendment 1 to clearly indicate that the Directive should have the goal of transforming the ballast market towards electronic ballasts. The Commission shares the Parliament's view that a dynamic approach is needed and especially a third set of efficiency requirements to enter into force later on. However, the Commission considers that it would be difficult to introduce in the proposal a fixed third level of efficiency requirements as proposed by the European Parliament. Accordingly, the Commission proposes to evaluate the technical and economical situation following the entry into force of the second level and, in consultation with interested parties, determine the optimum technical/economical levels of efficiency requirements and the best measures to achieve them, which would consist in either a voluntary agreement by manufacturers, or in a new proposal to set new requirements associated with the mandate to the normalisation bodies or a modification of the present proposal. Therefore, the Commission has not accepted amendments 17, 19 and 20. The Commission shares the Parliament's desire to have an effective enforcement of the Directive, and therefore it accepts the Parliament's 12. All technical amendments dealing with the introduction of the definition of ballasts "as single components or incorporated into luminaires" have been accepted by the Commission as they tend to specify the scope of the proposal. Finally, amendments 15 and 16 extending the transition period for the first phase is also acceptable.�

• 2000/01/20 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
  • T5-0016/2000 summary

    In adopting the report by Mr Turmes (Greens/EFA, Lux), the European Parliament approves the Commission proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on Energy Efficiency Requirements for Ballasts for Fluorescent Lighting. The European Parliament's amendments to the proposal relate to: - the exclusion of certain types of ballasts, such as ballasts which are integrated in lamps; non-standardised ballasts designed specifically for luminaires to be mounted in furniture; ballasts to be exported from the Community, either as single component or incorporated into luminaires; - the "CE" marking being affixed improperly, the manufacturer or his authorised representative established within the Community shall be obliged to bring the product into conformity and to end the infringement, within one month of the conditions imposed by the Member States; - the placing on the market of ballasts which comply with the same conditions as those which were applied on their territory at the date of adoption of this Directive, this shall be carried out during an 18-month period following adoption of this Directive. Furthermore, after 8 years from the adoption of this Directive the third set of maximum allowable power consumption values defined in Annex 1B shall become applicable. The Commission may on request, having obtained appropriate technical advice, permit specific EU-wide exemptions for certain uses of the most energy-efficient magnetic ballasts on the basis that electronic ballasts could not perform the function in question efficiently, from a purely technical standpoint. Before the expiry of a period of 6 years from the adoption of this Directive, the Commission shall make an assessment of the results obtained as compared with those expected. This will include an assessment of the necessity for the exemption provided for in the preceding paragraph, and could, based on the state of electronic ballast technology at that time, seek to remove that exemption clause. Lastly, the Commission shall also: - assess the share of EU production of ballasts exported outside the European Union either as a single component or incorporated into luminaires. - further assess the possibility of applying to it the flexibility mechanism defined under the Kyoto Protocol. - promote in the appropriate international fora international standards based on the principles of this Directive.�

• 1999/12/13 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A5-0102/1999
• #2230
• 1999/12/02 Council Meeting
  • 2230
• 1999/07/23 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 1999/06/16 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(1999)0296 summary

    PURPOSE: to achieve cost-effective energy savings in fluorescent lighting. CONTENT: The objective of the proposed Directive is to achieve cost-effective energy savings in fluorescent lighting, which would not otherwise be achieved with other measures. The proposed Directive covers only newly produced ballasts, which are responsible for large electricity consumption and present a large potential for energy savings. In order to minimise the impact on manufacturers, a gradual approach is proposed. Manufacturers will have to phase out progressively in time production of low efficiency ballasts - or just refrain from marketing them in the EU. There will be a relatively long transition period before the entry into force of the proposed efficiency levels. An energy classification system has been developed by the EU manufacturers association, CELMA, in collaboration with the Commission. The proposed efficiency levels are based on the CELMA classification scheme. There are no EU manufacturers who cannot meet the first efficiency level. The first level of the proposal is envisaged to phase out class D ('high loss') ballasts and to come into force one year after the adoption of the Directive (assuming adoption by 1.1.2001, it will come into force on 01.01.2002). A one-year transition period is judged consistent with the small investments and adaptations needed to meet the first step. After three years (01.01.2005), a second efficiency step is envisaged to come into force, by which class C ('conventional') ballasts will be phased out. As these ballasts represent the bulk of the actual market, considerable time has been allowed for this step. In particular, taking into account that manufacturers afgreed to such a step in early 1996, this represents a long transition period. The third and final step of the proposal will then be implemented after a further three years (01.01.2008) and will be based on the then present market situation, in particular on the price of electronic ballasts (classes A1, A2, and A3) and the most efficient magnetic ballast on the market (class B1). As the market might change considerably in response to the introduction of the first two levels, it is proposed to analyse the technical and market situation again at the time of the entry into force of the second level. The proposal is part of an overall strategy to improve the energy efficiency of electrical equipment and follows on from the 'Boilers' and 'Refrigerators' Directives and the negotiated agreements for TVs, VCRs and washine machines. Other equipment such as electric motors, electric water heaters, etc. will be the subject of future initiatives.�

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(1999)0296
• Debate in Council: 2230
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A5-0102/1999
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T5-0016/2000
• Modified legislative proposal published: COM(2000)0181
• Council position published: 07034/1/2000
• Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T5-0290/2000
• : Directive 2000/55
• : OJ L 279 01.11.2000, p. 0033

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)