Andris Piebalgs, 51, the European Commissioner for Energy, leads the team which drafted the controversial regulations that will see all incandescent bulbs phased out by 2012. Far from being a faceless bureaucrat, Mr Piebalgs has waged a public war against opponents of the ban, mocking their stance and accusing them of being “resistant to change”. Five UK MEPs – including representatives of Sinn Fein, Plaid Cymru, Labour and the Liberal Democrats – endorsed the policy in a vote earlier this year, before the ban started to take effect at the beginning of this month. Mr Piebalgs was a Communist party member in the 1980s, when he worked as a headteacher in what was then part of the USSR. He went on to become a government minster in newly-independent Latvia, then a diplomat, before being appointed to the European Commission in 2004. Writing on his blog, he likened the negative reaction to energy-saving light bulbs from many consumers to the response generated by past inventions such as the automobile and the telephone. He recounted how the British Parliament had passed the Red Flag Act in 1865, which required early motor cars to have someone walking in front of them carrying a red flag. He said: “Great ideas are sometimes slow to catch on ... These are understandable reactions as people are naturally resistant to change and more comfortable with what they (sic) already familiar with. “Much like the car and the telephone caught on with everyone, I have no doubt that once Europeans start using the modern alternatives to the inefficient light bulbs, they will start to enjoy the advantages they have to offer.” His comments in his blog, on the Commission’s website, brought angry responses from across Europe. Martin Callanan, a Conservative MEP who opposes the bulb ban, said: “That is a stupid and ignorant assessment. Rather than forcing people to switch my removing their choice we should be using the right incentives to encourage change.” One critic left a comment on the blog pointing out that when cars was invented, the authorities did not ban horses. Ferran Tarradellas, spokesman for Mr Piebalgs, said the Commissioner had not intended to cause offence with his blog entry. He said: "He was just putting forward explanations of why there is some resistance by people to new things. He was trying to say it was understandable some people react to some things with a certain amount of resistance." The regulation to ban incandescent light bulbs falls under the so called Eco-design directive, which came into force in 2005, setting rules to make electronic products across the EU more energy-efficient. The European Council, made up of the leaders of all EU member states, decided at 2007 at a summit chaired by Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, that the Commission should draw up proposals under the directive to phase out old-style bulbs. Mr Piebalgs’ department was asked to draft the plans. The regulations were drawn up in a two-year process in discussions with consumer groups and the light bulb industry before a draft was put before the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. When the issue came to a vote in the Environment Committee of the European Parliament in February of this year, a proposal to block the regulations were defeated by 44 votes to 14. John Bowis, then a Conservative MEP, was the only UK member of the committee to vote against the ban. He said last night: “It was clear to me, after having heard from a number of health groups, that there was a risk to health with low-energy bulbs. "There is some evidence of these bulbs causing burns, migraines and affecting people with sight problems. “I am not totally against low-energy light bulbs, but I do not think incandescent light bulbs should be phased out until there are enough adequate alternatives.” The UK MEPs who voted in favour of the ban were Bairbre de Brun (Sinn Fein), Jill Evans (Plaid Cymru), Linda McAvan (Labour), Glenis Willmott (Labour) and Fiona Hall (Liberal Democrat). Mrs Hall said: “I am a long-standing supporter of bringing in low-energy lighting. "It is understandable that people are nostalgic and reacting negatively to change, but the fact is we do need to change as we can’t achieve the sort of cuts in greenhouse gases we need to achieve by carrying on as we have in the past.” Two British MEPs on the committee, Chris Davies (Lib Dem), a supporter of the ban, and Martin Callanan (Conservative), an opponent, were unable to attend the vote due to other commitments.Official responsible for light bulb ban is a former communist
The man responsible for the Europe-wide ban on traditional light bulbs can be revealed as a former Soviet Communist party member from Latvia.
Sunday, 13 September 2009
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