Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 7 • Number 3 • 16th February 2007

Ministers Agree Steps to Regulate Mercury

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Ministers at a recent high-level environmental gathering have agreed to take steps to limit global exposure to the toxic chemical mercury. As countries remain divided on whether to opt for voluntary commitments or legally-binding rules, they decided to focus on a voluntary programme for the time being, leaving open the possibility to start negotiations on a treaty in two years’ time.

The mercury issue has been divisive at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Governing Council in the past (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 4 March 2005, http://www.ictsd.org/biores/05-03-04/inbrief.htm#3), and those involved in the process said that the decision to scale up activity in this area was significant.

“The mercury decision… underlines a new determination by environment ministers to rise to the challenges of our time,” commented UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. The Zero Mercury Working Group, however, said that the current approach did not go far enough and stressed the need for a legally-binding instrument.

At the UNEP Governing Council, the EU, the African Group, Norway and Switzerland pushed for negotiations on a treaty (which would also cover trade aspects). The US, Australia, Canada, Japan, China and India preferred to extend voluntary partnerships. Under the two-track approach agreed, a new ad hoc open-ended working group of government and stakeholder representatives will be established “to review and assess options for enhanced voluntary measures and new or existing international legal instruments.”

Currently, the EU is the main exporter of mercury, with India and China being the main importers. The EU has taken steps to ban mercury exports by 2011 (see Bridges Trade BioRes, 3 November 2006, http://www.ictsd.org/biores/06-11-03/inbrief.htm#2)

Exposure to high levels of mercury in any form — metallic, inorganic or organic — can permanently damage the brain, kidneys, and developing foetus. Mercury is released from coal-fired power stations, waste incinerators and as a by-product of artisanal mining of gold and silver.

For more on trade-related discussions the UNEP Governing Council, see the lead story of this issue of Bridges Trade BioRes.

“New UN-backed voluntary programme seeks to curb toxic mercury pollution,” UN NEWS CENTRE, 14 February 2007; “Governments Agree Action on Mercury, but no Treaty,” REUTERS, 12 February 2007; ENB Vol. 16 No. 60, 12 February 2007.