Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 5 • Number 2 • 4th February 2005

European Commission Proposed Mercury Ban

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The European Commission proposed a comprehensive strategy on 31 January to prevent mercury pollution that includes instituting a ban on mercury exports by 2011. The proposal, which needs to be approved by the European Parliament and Council before going into effect, also seeks to limit emissions, curb marketing of mercury thermometers, ensure safe storage of mercury from industrial plants and aims to reduce global supply and protect EU citizens from mercury’s effects. Mercury can be fatal in large amounts and even relatively low amounts threaten the environment and human health. The EU is the largest mercury exporter in the world and will be using the strategy as the basis of the EU position in international discussions on the chemical at the 21-25 February 2005 meeting of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi. In February 2003, the Governing Council had called for national, regional and global actions to reduce the risks to humans and wildlife from the release of mercury to the environment.

Further information on UNEP’s mercury programme is available here.

ICTSD Reporting; ” Commission proposes strategy to deal with mercury pollution including a ban on exports,” EU PRESS RELEASE IP/05/114, 31 January 2005.