Discontinuation of Fluorescent Tubes 2023

The phase-out of fluorescent tubes is ongoing.

In 2023, the European Commission removed the exemption for mercury in light sources. This means that all linear fluorescent tubes (T5 and T8), compact fluorescent tubes, and circular fluorescent tubes for general lighting can no longer be manufactured, imported, or marketed in the EU. Remaining stock can be sold, and products already installed can continue to be used.

If you have a lighting system that uses this technology, it is important to plan for a transition to LED now, as the availability of traditional fluorescent tubes is decreasing. We offer several solution options to help you easily and cost-effectively upgrade your system.

What are my options?

Keep the existing fixture and replace with an equivalent LED light source

Check if there are LED tubes compatible with the fixture and driver. The risk of keeping the existing fixture/driver is that it may not support the lifespan of a light source replacement. The advantage of possibly keeping the existing fixture/driver is not discarding something that works, and the replacement is relatively simple. Examples of replacement products:

LED tubes 230V
LED tubes with external driver
Modern LED module with dimmable LED driver (OEM retrofit kit)

Replace with completely new fixture and driver

If the lighting fixtures are old and in poor condition (materials like lamp holders, terminals, and cables are often worn out), it is always recommended to switch to new, more energy-efficient LED fixtures. This itself is a significant environmental benefit and leads to reduced energy consumption with a short payback period depending on electricity costs. Adding controls and sensors can further reduce energy consumption.

Continue using conventional light sources for a while longer

There is no requirement to replace all fixtures at once, and existing stocks of fluorescent tubes can be sold until August 23, 2023. However, by not reviewing and updating the lighting, the environmental savings that the EU aims for are missed. Switching to LED lowers both energy and maintenance costs.