The outlook is grim.
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What is the global situation regarding mercury? Mercury is a global pollutant which can cross international borders and is therefore a matter of international concern. Some of the highest human exposure is seen in native Arctic communities, due to the accumulation of mercury in fish, which makes up a significant part of traditional diets.
In other parts of the world, there are elevated levels of mercury exposure. Whereas European mercury emissions are going down, global emissions continue to rise, largely as a result of increased coal combustion for electricity in countries such as China, India and many developing countries. Global use of mercury also remains high, at about 3,600 tonnes per year, though somewhat reduced compared to former decades. A particularly problematic activity at the moment involves use of mercury in small-scale gold mining, mostly in Africa, Asia and South America. This accounts for more than 1,000 tonnes of mercury per year, much of which is lost to the environment.
Within the framework of the UNECE Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP), a Protocol on heavy metals was adopted in 2003, and revised in 2012. It aims at limiting air emissions of mercury, lead and cadmium from Europe and North America.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) established a specific mercury programme in 2003 to encourage all countries to adopt goals, identify vulnerable populations, minimise exposure through outreach efforts, and reduce human-generated mercury releases.
In 2009, the UNEP Governing Council started negotiating a global legally binding instrument on mercury. The negotiation process ended successfully in January 2013 and the EU signed the new Minamata Convention on Mercury in the town of Kumamoto, Japan, on 10 October 2013.
The Convention covers the whole mercury life-cycle, from primary mining to waste disposal, and contains specific legally binding control measures, not just declarations of intent. Many of the provisions are directly inspired by EU legislation, including the ban on primary mining, the list of mercury-added products and mercury-using industrial processes that will be phased-out, as well as the use of best available techniques (BAT) to prevent and control unintentional industrial emissions of mercury into the air.
The sum of the measures contained in the Mercury Convention will be able to reverse the current increasing trend of mercury contamination in the environment and the food chain. The phase-out of primary mercury mining as well as the reduction of atmospheric mercury emissions will significantly reduce the addition of mercury to the quantity of mercury already present in the environment, and particularly in the food chain.
What does the EU mercury strategy propose? The strategy proposes action in the following areas:
- Global action: The EU will provide input to international activities and cooperation with other countries to address the mercury problem. The strategy proposes an international initiative to reduce mercury supply, including the global phasing out of the production of new mercury from cinnabar and measures to prevent mercury surpluses going back onto the market. The strategy also includes actions to help other countries reduce their use and emissions of mercury, and to support the UNEP mercury programme. The Minamata Convention is the result of this action.
- Reducing EU supply: As a proactive contribution to the proposed international initiative described above, the Strategy proposed the phase-out of exports of mercury from the EU by 2011. The action therefore reduces global supply, complements demand reduction efforts, and demonstrates the EU’s commitment to addressing the global mercury problem. The adoption of Regulation No 1102/2008 responded to this proposal.
- Reducing EU demand: In implementing the strategy, the marketing of measuring devices containing mercury (e.g. thermometers) for consumer use and health care – with certain exceptions – has been prohibited. The few remaining uses of mercury in the EU (e.g. dental amalgam) will be further investigated and appropriate action taken, if needed.
- Addressing EU surpluses: The phasing out of mercury use by the chlor-alkali industry will create a large surplus of this substance. In the past this mercury was returned to the world market but this ended with the phasing out of exports from the EU in 2011 under the above mentioned Regulation which also ensures that the mercury is safely stored. The question of what to do about mercury already in circulation (in old products still in use) has also been considered. The results of a comprehensive study on remaining uses of mercury within the EU are published on the Commission's website:
https://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/mercury/pdf/study_report2008.pdf - Reducing EU mercury emissions: As explained earlier, there is already considerable EU legislation in this area, which should cut emissions further. The effects of the current EU laws will be reviewed as they are implemented to see if further action is needed. Information will also be exchanged between Member States to support greater control of emissions. A specific study of possibilities for additional control of releases from small-scale coal-burning is already available.
- Protecting against exposure to mercury in the EU: The European Food Safety Authority has looked into the dietary mercury exposure of women of child-bearing age and children who are most vulnerable to the effects of mercury. The Commission issued an Information Note to Member States in 2008 on methylmercury in fish and fishery products, with advice on the maximum quantities of certain fish to be consumed by vulnerable groups.
- Improving understanding: Research will be undertaken to fill key gaps in knowledge on the mercury problem.
The strategy provided the basis of an EU position for international discussion of mercury in the context of UNEP. It was revised by the Commission in December 2010 (Communication COM(2010)723). The revision highlighted the priority given to the international negotiation process, on-going at that time, and noted the need to further assess the issue of dental amalgam
What will happen to the strategy now? In 2013/14 the Commission will assess in detail the implications of the Minamata Convention – which the EU intends to ratify as soon as possible – for EU policy and legislation. This will also include stakeholder consultation. Any possible decision to amend the Mercury Strategy and/or existing EU legislation will be based on the outcome of this process.