Digital Agenda: Commission consults on massive expansion of LED lighting in Europe

European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes said: "Expanding LED lighting is a 'no-brainer'. It means more money in your pocket, and a healthier planet. Please give us your ideas on how to speed up its deployment and maximise the number of jobs and savings Europe can gain from expanding the use of LED lighting."

LED lighting faces a number of challenges in the market: high purchase prices because it is a more sophisticated technology compared to the alternatives, lack of familiarity among potential users and a lack of common standards.

Key questions for the public consultation include:

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  Which actions would help to overcome existing barriers and accelerate LED deployment in Europe?

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  How to ensure good quality and safe LED products on the European market that meet consumer expectations

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  How to reinforce cooperation of the lighting sector with architects, lighting designers, electrical installers and the construction and buildings sectors

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  How can the EU best support entrepreneurship and competitiveness in the lighting sector?

Boosting energy saving LED-based lighting is a key objective of the Digital Agenda for Europe (see IP/10/581, MEMO/10/199 and MEMO/10/200).

Background

With the phasing out of the sale of traditional light bulbs in the EU by September 2012, in the next few years about 8 billion incandescent lamps in European homes, offices and streets will need to be replaced by more energy efficient lighting solutions. These include LED and organic LED (or OLED) lighting technologies also known as Solid State Lighting (SSL).

SSL offers both high quality light and visual performance and increasingly good design options.

SSL can drive innovation in the lighting and construction sectors and offers tremendous opportunities for our businesses - many of them SMEs - leading to jobs and growth in Europe.

Useful links:

The Green Paper and public consultation

Digital Agenda website

Neelie Kroes' website

Follow Neelie Kroes on Twitter