2002/747/EC: Commission Decision of 9 September 2002 establishing revised ecological criteria for the award of the Community eco-label to light bulbs and amending Decision 1999/568/EC (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2002) 3310)
Date: 2002-09-09
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: eco-label, environmental standard, lighting equipment

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Official Journal of the European Communities

10.9.2002

COMMISSION DECISION

of 9 September 2002

establishing revised ecological criteria for the award of the Community eco-label to light bulbs and
amending Decision 1999/568/EC

(notified under document number C(2002) 3310)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2002/747/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

(8)

Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1980/2000 of
the
European Parliament and of the Council of 17 July 2000 on a
revised Community eco-label award scheme (1), and in parti-
cular the second subparagraph of Article 6(1) thereof,

Labelling Board established under Article 13 of Regula-
tion (EC) No 1980/2000.

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accor-
dance with the opinion of the committee instituted by
Article 17 of Regulation (EC) No 1980/2000,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

Under Regulation (EC) No 1980/2000 the Community
eco-label may be awarded to a product possessing char-
acteristics which enable it to contribute significantly to
improvements in relation to key environmental aspects.

Regulation (EC) No 1980/2000 provides that specific
eco-label criteria are to be established according to
product groups.

It also provides that the review of the eco-label criteria,
as well as of the assessment and verification require-
ments related to the criteria, is to take place in due time
before the end of the period of validity of the criteria
specified for each product group. That review is to result
in a proposal for prolongation, withdrawal or revision.

It is appropriate to revise the ecological criteria that were
established by Commission Decision 1999/568/EC of 27
July 1999 establishing the ecological criteria for the
award of the Community eco-label to light bulbs (2) in
order to reflect the developments in the market. At the
same time, the period of validity of that Decision and the
definition of the product group should be modified.

A new Commission Decision should be adopted estab-
lishing the specific ecological criteria for this product
group, which will be valid for a period of four years.

It is appropriate that, for a limited period of not more
than twelve months, both the new criteria established by
this Decision and the criteria established by Decision
1999/568/EC should be valid concurrently, in order to
time for companies that have been
allow sufficient
awarded or that have applied for the award of the eco-
label for their products prior to the date of application
of this Decision to adapt those products to comply with
the new criteria.

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

In order to be awarded the Community eco-label under Regula-
tion (EC) No 1980/2000, a light bulb must fall within the
product group ‘light bulbs’ as defined in Article 2, and must
comply with the ecological criteria set out in the Annex to this
Decision.

Article 2

1.

The product group ‘light bulbs’ shall comprise:

‘single-ended light bulbs’: all light bulbs which provide general
purpose lighting and have single-ended, bayonet, screw or pin
fittings. The light bulbs shall be connectable to the public elec-
tricity supply.

‘double-ended light bulbs’: all light bulbs which provide general
purpose lighting and have fittings at both ends. This includes,
principally, all linear fluorescent tubes. The light bulbs shall be
connectable to the public electricity supply.

The following types of lamps are not included in the
2.
product group: compact fluorescent lamps with a magnetic
ballast, projector lamps, photographic lighting and solarium
tubes.

Article 3

For administrative purposes the code number assigned to the
product group ‘light bulbs’ shall be ‘008’.

Article 4

Article 3 of Decision 1999/568/EC is replaced by the following:

(7)

The measures provided for in this Decision are based on
the draft criteria developed by the European Union Eco-

‘Article 3

(1) OJ L 237, 21.9.2000, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 216, 14.8.1999, p. 18.

The product group definition and the specific ecological
criteria for the product group shall be valid until 31 August
2003.’

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Article 5

Article 6

This Decision shall apply from 1 September 2002 until 31
August 2005. If on 31 August 2005 revised criteria have not
been adopted, this Decision shall apply until 31 August 2006.

Producers of products falling within the product group ‘light
bulbs’ which have already been awarded the eco-label before 1
September 2002 may continue to use that label until 31 August
2003.

Producers of products falling within the product group ‘light
bulbs’ which have already applied for the award of the eco-label
before 1 September 2002 may be awarded the eco-label under
the terms of Decision 1999/568/EC. In these cases the label
may be used until 31 August 2003.

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 9 September 2002.

For the Commission

Margot WALLSTRÖM

Member of the Commission

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ANNEX

FRAMEWORK

The aims of the criteria

These criteria aim in particular at promoting:
— the reduction of environmental damage or risks related to the use of energy (global warming, acidification, depletion

of non-renewable resources) by reducing energy consumption,

— the reduction of environmental damage or risks related to the use of resources in both the manufacture and

treatment/disposal of a light bulb by increasing its average lifetime,

— the reduction of environmental damage or risks related to the use of mercury by reducing the total emissions of

mercury during the lifetime of a light bulb.

The criteria also encourage the implementation of best practice (optimal environmental use) and enhance consumers'
environmental awareness. The criteria are set at levels that promote the labelling of light bulbs that are produced with low
environmental

impact.

Assessment and verification requirements

The specific assessment and verification requirements are indicated within each criterion. Testing should be performed by
appropriately accredited laboratories or laboratories that meet the general requirements expressed in standard EN ISO
17025 and are competent to perform the relevant tests.

Where the applicant is required to provide declarations, documentation, analyses test reports or other evidence to the
competent body assessing the application in order to show compliance with the criteria, it is understood that these may
originate from the applicant and/or his supplier(s) and/or their supplier(s), et cetera, as appropriate. The competent body
assessing the application may carry out independent verifications.

The competent bodies are recommended to take into account the implementation of recognised environmental manage-
ment schemes, such as EMAS or ISO14001, when assessing applications and monitoring compliance with the criteria
(Note:

it is not required to implement such management schemes).

CRITERIA

1. Energy efficiency, lifetime, lumen maintenance and mercury content

Single-ended light bulbs shall meet the following requirements:

Single-ended with integral ballast (compact
fluorescent lamps)

Single-ended without integral ballast (pin
based lamp)

Energy efficiency

Class A

Class A or B

Lifetime

over 10 000 hours

over 10 000 hours

Lumen maintenance

over 70 % at 10 000 hours

over 80 % at 9 000 hours

Average mercury content

maximum of 4,0 mg

maximum of 4,0 mg

Double-ended light bulbs shall meet the following requirements:

Energy efficiency

Class A

Class A

Double-ended, normal life

Double-ended, long life

Lifetime

over 12 500 hours

over 20 000 hours

Lumen maintenance

over 90 % at 12 500 hours

over 90 % at 20 000 hours

Average mercury content

maximum of 5,0 mg

maximum of 8,0 mg

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Note: Energy efficiency is as defined in Annex IV of Commission Directive 98/11/EC of 27 January 1998 imple-

menting Council Directive 92/75/EEC with regard to energy labelling of household lamps (1).

Assessment and verification: The applicant shall provide a test report stating that the energy efficiency, lifetime and
lumen maintenance of the light bulb have been determined using the test procedures referred to in EN 50285. The
report shall state the energy efficiency, lifetime and lumen maintenance of the light bulb. If the appropriate lifetime test
has not been completed, the operational lifetime as stated on the packaging is acceptable pending the result of the test.
However, the result of the test must be provided within 12 months of the date of application for the eco-label.

The applicant shall provide a test report stating that the mercury content has been measured using the method
described below. The report shall state the average mercury content, calculated by analysing ten lamps, and then
deleting the highest and lowest values before calculating the arithmetic mean of the remaining eight values.

The test method for the mercury content is as follows. The arc tube is first separated from its plastic surrounds and
associated electronics. The associated leadwires are cut as close to the glass seal as possible. The arc tube is taken to a
fume cupboard and is cut into segments. The segments are placed in a suitably sized robust screw-capped plastic bottle
to which is added a 1 inch diameter porcelain ball and 25 ml of high purity concentrated nitric acid (70 %). The bottle
is sealed and shaken for a few minutes to reduce the arc tube to fine particle size, the stopper is periodically loosened
to eliminate any possibility of pressure build-up. The contents of the bottle are allowed to react for 30 minutes during
which time the contents are periodically agitated. The contents of the bottle are then filtered through an acid resistant
filter paper and collected in a 100 ml graduated volumetric flask. Potassium dichromate is then added to the flask so
that the final concentration is 1 000 ppm with respect to chromium. The flask is then made up to volume with pure
water. Matched standards are made up on a concentration range up to 200 ppm mercury. The solutions are analysed
using flame atomic absorption at a wavelength of 253,7 nm with background correction on. From the results
obtained and knowledge of the solution volume, the original mercury content of the light bulb can be computed. The
competent body may agree adaptations to the details of this test method if they are necessary for technical reasons,
and these shall be applied in a consistent manner.

2. Switch on/off

For compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), the number of switch on/off cycles shall be greater than 20 000.

Assessment and verification: The applicant shall provide a test report stating that the number of switch on/off cycles for a
CFL has been determined using a rapid cycle test (0,5 minute on, 4,5 minutes off) and the test procedures for lifetime
referred to in EN 50285. The report shall state the number of switch on/off cycles achieved when 50 % of CFLs tested
meet the requirements for lamp lifetime referred to in EN 50285.

3. Colour rendering index

The colour rendering (Ra) index of the light bulb shall be greater than 80.

Assessment and verification: The applicant shall provide a test report stating that the colour rendering index of the light
bulb has been determined using the test procedure referred to in CIE-standard/publication 29/2. The report shall state
the colour rendering index of the light bulb.

4. Flame retardants

(a) Plastic parts heavier than 5 g shall not contain the following flame retardants:

Name

Decabromodiphenyl

Monobromodiphenyl ether

Dibromodiphenyl ether

Tribromodiphenyl ether

Tetrabromodiphenyl ether

Pentabromodiphenyl ether

(1) OJ L 71, 10.3.1998, p. 1.

CAS No

13654-09-6

101-55-3

2050-47-7

49690-94-0

40088-47-9

32534-81-9

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10.9.2002

Name

Hexabromodiphenyl ether

Heptabromodiphenyl ether

Octabromodiphenyl ether

Nonabromodiphenyl ether

Decabromodiphenyl ether

Chloroparaffins with chain length 10-13 C atoms,
chlorine content > 50 % by weight

CAS No

36483-60-0

68928-80-3

32536-52-0

63936-56-1

1163-19-5

85535-84-8

(b) Plastic parts heavier than 5 g shall not contain flame retardant substances or preparations containing substances
that are assigned at the time of application any of the following risk phrases (or combinations thereof):

R45 (may cause cancer)

R46 (may cause heritable genetic damage)

R50 (very toxic to aquatic organisms)

R51 (toxic to aquatic organisms)

R52 (harmful to aquatic organisms)

R53 (may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment)

R60 (may impair fertility)

R61 (may cause harm to the unborn child)

as defined in Council Directive 67/548/EEC of 27 June 1967 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and
administrative provisions relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances (1) and its
subsequent amendments.

Assessment and verification: The applicant shall declare the compliance of the product with these requirements.

5. Packaging

Laminates and composite plastics must not be used.

For single-ended light bulbs, all cardboard packaging must contain a minimum of 65 % recycled material (by weight).

For double-ended light bulbs, all cardboard packaging must contain a minimum of 80 % recycled material (by weight).

Assessment and verification: The applicant shall declare the compliance of the product with these requirements.

6. User instructions

The product shall be sold with relevant user information providing advice on its proper environmental use. In
particular:

(a) Information (pictogram or otherwise) on the packaging shall draw attention to the appropriate disposal conditions,

including regulatory requirements.

(b) For single-ended light bulbs: light bulbs which do not operate on dimmer switches shall be labelled, and the
relative size and shape of the light bulb compared to a conventional incandescent lamp shall be indicated on the
packaging.

(c) For double-ended light bulbs: information on the packaging shall indicate that the environmental performance of

the light bulb is improved when it is used with high frequency electronic control equipment.

(d) The product packaging shall indicate that more information on the eco-label can be found at the web-site address:

http://europa.eu.int/ecolabel.

Assessment and verification: The applicant shall declare the compliance of the product with these requirements, and
shall provide a copy of the packaging to the competent body assessing the application.

7. Information appearing on the eco-label

Box 2 of the eco-label shall

include the following text:

‘High energy efficiency
Long lifetime’

(1) OJ 196 of 16.8.1967, p. 1.

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If the light bulb does not contain mercury, Box 2 of the eco-label may state that the lightbulb does not contain
mercury.

Assessment and verification: The applicant shall declare the compliance of the product with this requirement, and shall
provide a copy of the eco-label as it appears on the packaging and/or product to the competent body assessing the
application.