It started paying on Saturday, February 25 ban on importing other types of light fixtures to the European market. After classic light bulbs, halogen lamps for the home, or linear T2 and T12 fluorescent lamps, other types have now come to the fore:
- linear fluorescent lamps T5 and T8 with a long service life of over 25,000 hours,
- circular T5 fluorescent lamps,
- fluorescent lamps without their own integrated ballast.
The ban on these lamps was accelerated by an amendment to the original ecodesign regulation, which responds not only to low efficiency, but also to health risks. These mercury-containing fluorescent lamps were not covered by the original regulation thanks to an exception, but that has now ceased to apply.
This does not mean the withdrawal of these light sources from the shop counters, but manufacturers can no longer launch new models and importers can no longer bring them to the European market. As with light bulbs, it will be possible to resell current stocks, but they will gradually disappear from the market.
| Luminaire type | End of production and import |
|---|---|
| Mercury discharge lamps | 13. 5. 2015 |
| Halogen bulbs with reflector (E14, E27, GU10) | 1. 9. 2019 |
| Compact fluorescent lamps with ballast (E14, E27 and others) | 1. 9. 2021 |
| Linear halogen lamps | 1. 9. 2021 |
| Low voltage halogen bulbs (GU4, GU5 and others) | 1. 9. 2021 |
| Linear fluorescent lamps T2 and T12 | 1. 9. 2021 |
| Compact fluorescent lamps without ballast | 25. 2. 2023 |
| Linear fluorescent lamps with a lifespan of over 25,000 hours | 25. 2. 2023 |
| T5 circular fluorescent lamps | 25. 2. 2023 |
| T5 linear fluorescent lamps (14 W-80 W) | 25. 8. 2023 |
| T8 linear fluorescent lamps (18 W-58 W) | 25. 8. 2023 |
| G9 halogen bulbs | 1. 9. 2023 |
| Low voltage halogen lamps G4 and GY6.35 | 1. 9. 2023 |
It will have an even bigger impact on August 25 when it happens to a similar ban for all types of remaining linear fluorescent lamps, including the widely used T5 and T8 regardless of liveliness. These will be fluorescent lamps very often used in production halls, schools and households.
In all these applications, quality alternatives can be found, which usually offer orders of magnitude higher luminances, more efficient operation and health safety. In the vast majority of cases, these will be LED lights, which will gradually replace most categories of static light sources.
