Regulation on mercury

Key points:

• The Committee unreservedly recommends adoption of the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on mercury, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1102/2008 as a first step towards ratification of the Minamata Convention by the European Union as a whole and by its Member States.
• The worldwide problem of mercury emissions requires a global approach, as embodied by the Minamata Convention. The EU has been, along with Japan, the prime mover in reducing the burden of mercury on the environment (and on the population), but we have to realise that mercury and its compounds will remain an element of the environment forever.
• The Committee notes that sustained EU action on mercury globally and, in particular, within its own bounds has brought the Union a 75% reduction in man-made mercury emissions since 1990 and the legislation in force guarantees further progressive reduction.

Relevant EESC opinions

• NAT/492: Review of the Community Strategy Concerning Mercury
• NAT/344: Metallic mercury / exports and storage
• NAT/315:  Marketing of certain measuring devices containing mercury
• NAT/207: Ambient air

Related documents

• Commission SWD Executive Summary of the Impact Assessment.
  "Ratification and Implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury Accompanying the document proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on mercury, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1102/2008"
  SWD/2016/014 final - 2016/023 (COD)
• Commission SWD Impact Assessment.
  "Ratification And Implementation By The EU Of The Minamata Convention On Mercury Accompanying the document Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on mercury, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1102/2008"
  SWD/2016/017 final - 2016/023 (COD)

• Roadmap: Ratification and Implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury

• Study on EU Implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury

• Final report, 30 March 2015

• European Parliament
  The Committee for Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) is expected to consider the proposals in the coming months.
  Mercury (Legislative Observatory).
• Mercury: Aligning EU legislation with Minamata - The briefing (European Parliament)
• Mercury: Time to Act / United Nations Environment Programme, 2013.