Tag: mercury

EU Ministers in the Competitiveness Council yesterday (25 September) adopted a regulation banning all exports of mercury from the EU in 2011, wrapping up a key part of a European strategy to limit emissions of the toxic heavy metal into the environment.

The European Parliament's environment committee voted on Wednesday (26 March) to ban all imports and exports of mercury in the EU by 2010, reinstating earlier demands which had already been rejected by member states in June last year.

Remaining largely faithful to the Commission's original proposals, on 28 June 2007 EU environment ministers reached political agreement on substances in EU surface waters and on the issue of mercury storage and export restrictions, putting them on a collision course with Parliament, which had called for stricter EU standards.

Parliament's Environment Committee, on 5 June, voted to reject a permament exemption for mercury-containing barometers and other measuring devices from a wider ban on the substance in the EU. The vote signals the likely approval of the text by the EP plenary and the Council.

The European Parliament has backed a draft directive banning mercury in thermometers and other measuring devices. But a derogation for barometers won by the British Conservatives has infuriated environmental NGOs.

Parliament's committee wants to extend ban on mercury-containing devices, such as thermometers, to cover professional healthcare devices such as blood-pressure meters.

The European Commission has proposed to ban mercury in household thermometers in order to stop the toxic compound ending up in landfills and posing a threat to humans, wildlife and ecosystems.

The EU intends to address global mercury pollution by setting the example through a comprehensive strategy against mercury pollution. European exports of mercury will be phased out by 2011.

In its first reading of the Commission's draft batteries directive, the Parliament's environment committee has proposed to ban nickel-cadmium batteries.

On 16 June, the Commission sent the Member States a proposal recommending that the EU ratifies two UN agreements on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), the world's most toxic chemicals.

On 24-25 February 2003, the chlorine industry held a conference to take stock of its commitment towards sustainable development. Mercury remains an issue of major concern.