Avril Doyle (PPE-DE). - Mr President, I would just like to respond to some of the criticism on ‘green’ light bulbs that has appeared again in the media, particularly the Eurosceptic media, over this weekend.

Silence lends assent, so I would just like to say that energy-efficient light bulbs are not a danger to the public if properly handled by the consumer, by the householder, and if produced in a proper working environment where the health of the employees and the environment are both respected.

The onus is on European multinationals that have light bulbs manufactured in places like China to ensure that they meet the standards of manufacture we would require if they were manufactured in the European Union. The end product, the light bulb itself, is perfectly safe when used according to instructions, as safe as any existing light bulbs or batteries, for example, are today. They must be properly disposed of and handled according to the instructions.

I think there is an agenda here – an anti-Europe agenda – in relation to the manufacture of modern, greener, cleaner light bulbs, and I think we have to stand up to those who wish misinformation to be the order of the day on these most important products.