Read the whole thing for info.

http://www.nlb.org/index.cfm?pid=10213&cdid=10606

T12s are not getting banned. As long as they meet the required efficacy standards for the wattage and length, they're legal.
The attached chart shows everything.

Banning T12s in the US isn't practicable, since the majority of T12 ballasts there, are rapidstarts and not preheaters like in 2x0V regions, and therefore T8 retrofits can't retrofit them.
The first step that required, is to move from rapidstart to preheat, which i see that the new US >30W 120V preheaters can operate both local T12s (F40T12) and european T8 retrofits (F36T8) successfully, and not only in 2x0V regions.

@dor123 : I agree with you, converting to preheat and then to 36W T8 would make sense. However, the governments who decide what energy consumption should be do not share our opinion on this matter. In fact, I believe that the EU will ban switch start ballasts sometime in the near future (2015?)

I think that Switch starts are banned in the UK next year sometime, Dispite me emailing the EU on numourous occasions i have had no reply! I was not even rude to them!

Looks like it still only applies to 4 foot and 8 foot lamps.

It doesn't make sense that slimlines need to have almost 30 lm/W more in efficiency than T5s. You can very easily see which lamps they want the most to disappear. They expect that manufacturers will probably simply cease the production of T12s since their sale volume is going to drop significantly with the ban. For most customers still using classic lighting installations, it'll be time to convert to electronic T8s, unless /DX tubes stay in production. Those seem to have good popularity in commercial applications, it could keep some people from converting to T8.

It is complete crap that 8-footers need to have higher efficiency than T5s
Very obvious that they are simply trying to "get rid of" these

Thats a shame. There are several smaller stores in my town lit with rows of 8 foots, one is an antique store in an old building and the fixtures are equally old and unique. I just don't think T8, T5 or anything modern and electronic would look right in that setting. Besides the fixtures have been going strong since I was a kid and probably longer...if it's not broke...

Thats a shame. There are several smaller stores in my town lit with rows of 8 foots, one is an antique store in an old building and the fixtures are equally old and unique. I just don't think T8, T5 or anything modern and electronic would look right in that setting. Besides the fixtures have been going strong since I was a kid and probably longer...if it's not broke...

They can simply install high efficacy triphosphor T12 lamps, which meet the lumens per watt requirements. 

It would be nice to have  a list of the banned lamps and from which manufacturer.

I expect GE's REVEAL won't make it. 


Powell

I am surprised there has not been a T8 switchstart lamp introduced to directly replace the 8 foot European T12s like they have done with the 36 watt 4 foot and 58 watt 5 foot lamps.

It would be nice to have  a list of the banned lamps and from which manufacturer.

I expect GE's REVEAL won't make it. 


Powell

Look in Philips Lighting's latest catalog.  It actually marks out which lamps are getting phased out.  One of them is the F32T8/TL865 6500K, because it doesn't quite make the cut on 88lm/W needed four four foot lamps with a CCT of over 4500K. 

I am surprised there has not been a T8 switchstart lamp introduced to directly replace the 8 foot European T12s like they have done with the 36 watt 4 foot and 58 watt 5 foot lamps.

So was I, I use a T12 8ft switchstart to light my room (Thorn) and it has been working for many years, but the EU are not going to introduce an alternative, so all 8ft T12s will have to go, I think 

I would guess, then big part of the reason is the rather impractical length of the tube, making it rather difficult to handle, making the logistic cost quite high.
Another reason, then these do not have any efficacy advantage over smaller (4' or 5') lamps
And yet another: it is cheaper for given light output to use pair of 4' or 5' lamps, because these are made in way larger quantities, so have huge manufacturing and logistic cost advantage over longer tubes sold only in small volume.
And still another: Many of their uses was commercial sector (in fact I mean long burning hours per start), where HID's (mainly CMH) offered same and/or better light quality for better efficacy and better light control. Mainly in the era, when these are getting rather cheap...

All this together mean net loss for these long tubes on the market, so they were long time made only for replacement purposes...