• EN - English
  • FI - suomi
Parliamentary question - P-001340/2021Parliamentary question
P-001340/2021

RoHS Directive and banning the use of mercury

Priority question for written answer  P-001340/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Petri Sarvamaa (PPE)

The 2011 RoHS Directive, which bans the use of mercury from electrical and electronic products, exempts and allows the continued use of certain mercury-containing lamps. The exemptions were valid for 5 years until 2016, by which time the Commission had to take a decision on whether to discontinue them.

The Commission funded a study by the Öko-Institut[1], which concluded in 2016 that the exemptions should be discontinued, recommending a ban on CFLs and most fluorescent tubes by 2018.

The Commission did not take this decision and launched a supplementary socio-economic study. After several revisions, this study was finalised in July 2020[2] and reported net savings of EUR 29.9 billion for European citizens from phasing out fluorescent lighting under the RoHS.

The Commission has not, however, taken any action. A report by CLASP[3] concludes that this delay wipes out EUR 5.6 billion in savings and adds 570 kg to our mercury pollution burden.

Taking a decision to phase out fluorescent lamps will be a ready-made boost to all the pillars of the Commission’s flagship Green Deal policy, and will help give tangible form to the Commission’s commitments under the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability. Can the Commission confirm that this decision will be taken immediately and that this environmentally-damaging process will cease without further delay?

Last updated: 12 March 2021
Legal notice - Privacy policy