Energy efficiency: requirements for ballasts for fluorescent lighting

This proposal aims to establish minimum energy efficiency standards for ballasts sold in the European Union. Overall, the Common Position is rather close to the Commission's original proposal. The only substantial modification is the deletion of "putting into service" in Article 2. However, this is replaced by the new definition of ballasts "as a single component or incorporated into luminaires" throughout the Directive. This would be equivalent in practical terms to the definition of "putting into service". With respect to the third phase, the Common Position states that the Commission will evaluate the results achieved by the first and second phases and, if appropriate, to establish a third step, which in any case would be based on efficiency levels which would be economically and technically justified at that time. It is understood that this third step could consist in a modification (with more stringent standards) of the present proposal or an acceptable voluntary agreement reached with industry or a framework Directive associate to a standardisation mandate. In conclusion, there is a general agreement between the Commission's amended proposal and the Common Position. On the passage to the third phase, there is an agreement on the need to consider all possible measures to implement the then optimal level of efficiency. Some minor difference still exist in the definition in Article 2 and in the fact that the Common Position makes reference to Council Decision 93/465/EC whenever it is possible. However, it can be concluded that the Commission fully supports the Common Position.�