{"id":104187,"date":"2021-05-04T10:29:37","date_gmt":"2021-05-04T08:29:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/?p=104187"},"modified":"2021-05-04T15:29:49","modified_gmt":"2021-05-04T13:29:49","slug":"africa-lights-a-path-for-europe-to-ban-toxic-mercury-in-fluorescent-bulbs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/fr\/africa-lights-a-path-for-europe-to-ban-toxic-mercury-in-fluorescent-bulbs\/","title":{"rendered":"Africa lights a path for Europe to ban toxic mercury in fluorescent bulbs"},"content":{"rendered":"

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With African countries demanding the phasing out of fluorescent light bulbs containing mercury, it is high time for the EU to roll out its much-delayed ban of these toxic products.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

A group of African countries is taking the global lead have proposed the phasing out of mercury<\/a> in the most commonly used fluorescent lighting under the Minamata Convention on Mercury<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This represents a golden opportunity for Europe to seize the initiative. Although the European Union\u2019s standards are amongst the highest in the world, EU legislation currently contains exemptions and loopholes that allow the continued marketing of certain fluorescent lights containing mercury and the exporting of a wider range of mercury bulbs outside Europe.<\/p>\n

\u201cMercury in lighting is a major public health concern in Africa, where disposal and recycling facilities are in short supply. But even in Europe mercury light bulbs are a worry because they are often not disposed off properly and end up in the environment,\u201d explains Elena Lymberidi-Settimo, a Policy Manager at the EEB and International Co-coordinator of the global\u00a0Zero Mercury Working Group<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor that reason, the EU should support the African proposal at the next Minamata Conference of the Parties meeting later this year,\u201d she adds. “Europe should take inspiration from Africa\u2019s example and reclaim its mantle as a global leader by urgently banning in the EU all kinds of mercury in light bulbs and avoiding double standards by prohibiting export to countries with no or less stringent regulations.”<\/p>\n

No safe level of mercury<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Government studies also suggest that, under certain conditions, toxic lamp breakage can pose an acute health risk, especially to infants or young children who linger near where the bulb broke.<\/div>\n

If adopted, the proposed African amendment would keep 232 metric tonnes of mercury out of homes and businesses around the world, and ultimately the global environment, by 2050, according to the\u00a0Clean Lighting Coalition (CLiC)<\/a>. This would be a boon for public health.<\/p>\n

Eliminating fluorescent light bulbs containing mercury also has massive environmental benefits. Not only does it significantly slash mercury pollution, it also benefits the climate. Replacing these energy-guzzling lights with LED alternatives would cut global electricity demand by an estimated 3%, avoiding 3.5 gigatons of CO2 emissions.<\/p>\n

The situation in Europe<\/strong><\/h4>\n

In Europe, the use of mercury is already\u00a0banned in electrical and electronic products<\/a>\u00a0under the EU\u2019s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS<\/a>) directive.<\/p>\n

However, fluorescent lamps enjoy a temporary exemption from this prohibition. Although more energy-efficient and longer-lasting LED alternatives have existed for some time now, this\u00a0exemption remains inexplicably in place<\/a>, benefiting a small number of legacy manufacturers at the expense of public health, energy bills and the environment.<\/p>\n

If the EU were to eliminate fluorescent lights this year, this would deliver the following benefits by 2035, according to a\u00a0report commissioned by the European Commission<\/a>\u00a0and an\u00a0independent analysis<\/a> by CLASP and the Swedish Energy Agency:<\/p>\n