Parliament backs ban on mercury devices

The European Parliament has endorsed a proposed ban on the sale of mercury-containing devices for domestic use, such as thermometers, by 2010. Antique instruments and mercury-containing blood pressure devices used by medical professionals will be exempt.

The ban, approved by Parliament in a plenary vote on 10 July, means that earlier calls for an open-ended derogation for barometers have been dropped, with MEPs backing a Council compromise solution to introduce a two-year exemption instead.

The Greens welcomed the vote, saying that it “finally puts to an end the sad chapter on barometers. Exactly the same overall ban could have been adopted in first reading last year, but it was delayed by the Conservatives and many Liberals who then won support for their attempts to exempt barometers. Fortunately, they were clearly defeated this time around. There is no good reason to keep producing mercury-containing barometers, as both traditional and modern mercury-free alternatives are available.”

In June, MEPs in the Parliament’s environment committee withdrew support from an exemption for mercury-containing barometers proposed by UK Conservative MEPs (EURACTIV 06/06/07), paving the way for an agreement with Council. 

NGOs, such as the European Environment Burea (EEB) and Health Care Without Harm (HCWHE), generally welcomed the plenary vote, but lamented that “blood pressure devices for professional use which contain mercury haven’t been banned, because safe, precise and reliable alternatives are available”.

The Commission, which expects the ban to reduce mercury emissions by 33 tonnes, will review the issue of professional blood pressure devices in two years. If it judges that an alternative is readily available and reliable, the Commission will propose an extension of the ban to cover such devices.

Parliament remains in opposition to the Council on a separate issue of mercury trade and storage (EURACTIV 29/06/07).

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