The move, announced by Economy Minister Elvira Nabiullina, is designed to reduce energy consumption, and mirrors a move already under way in the European Union to switch toward less energy-intensive lighting sources.
Nabiullina said that making and selling incandescent bulbs with a power rating of more than 100 watts, which account for about 14 percent of all bulbs used in Russia, would be banned from January 1, 2011.
The ban will include 75 W incandescent lamps starting from January 1, 2013. However, the targets for 2013 and 2014 will not be fixed in law at this stage, but will be determined by the success of the first stage beginning 2011.
The European Union plans to phase out incandescent bulbs by 2012 – see News. Industry bodies have said thousands of jobs in the European Union could be lost, mostly in eastern Europe, as the new regulations favour China-based manufacturers of CFL bulbs.
