Parliament approved with amendments a draft regulation on the banning of exports and the safe storage of mercury. MEPs voted for the proposed ban on exports to be brought forward to 1 December 2010 and for stricter rules on storage. They also voted for an import ban, which was not included in the Commission's draft legislation.
The House approved the first-reading report drafted by Dimitrios Papadimoulis (GUE/NGL, EL) for the Environment Committee by 673 votes to 14, with 9 abstentions.
As a result of the MEPs' vote:
- the ban on exports of mercury would now start on 1 December 2010, one year earlier than the Commission proposed;
- in addition to metallic mercury, the ban would also cover products containing mercury which may not be sold in Europe and also mercury compounds (e.g. cinnabar ore and calomel and other mercury compounds with a mercury concentration of above 5% by weight, but not mercury sulphide);
- an import ban on mercury would start on 1 July 2010 (no import ban was proposed by the Commission);
- tougher conditions on storage would be required when the ban comes into effect.
MEPs voted for any storage of mercury to be temporary, pending its final disposal. Whereas the Commission had proposed using an underground salt mine for this purpose, MEPs voted for an underground salt mine or an above-ground facility to be used. They also said that, under the polluter-pays principle, the owner of the storage facility must be responsible for safety.
Parliament suggests examining the possibility of using a site at Almadn, Spain, as the chief storage depot. As this site was until 2003 the biggest mercury mine in Europe (it is now disused), MEPs argue that it would be a good idea to use it now for the storage of mercury to assist the economy of the region.
Uses and hazards of mercury
Mercury can come from waste recycling (e.g. fluorescent lamps, batteries), natural gas cleaning or the industrial treatment of non-ferrous metals. It is used above all in the chlor-alkali industry, which has undertaken to convert towards techniques that are less dangerous to health and the environment; the old methods produce large quantities of highly toxic calomel (mercurous chloride).
Mercury is highly toxic to humans, especially when transformed into methylmercury. It is also bio-accumulative, meaning that it concentrates in the food chain. Numerous scientific studies blame it for cardiovascular and immune-system ailments. Above all it can affect the brain development of unborn children, even in minimal doses.
Mercury use is declining both in the EU and globally. Global demand is around 3,400 tonnes per year, with the EU-15 accounting for 440 tonnes in 2005.
Globally, the main uses of mercury are in small-scale gold mining, the chlor-alkali industry and production of vinyl-chloride monomer, the basis of PVC plastic. In the EU only the chlor-alkali industry remains a significant user, and it is progressively phasing out the use of mercury-containing cells in its production of chlorine.
EU legislation on mercury
In March 2006 Parliament adopted a resolution on a general strategy for mercury put forward by the Commission (see link below). The draft regulation on exports and storage is a specific application of the general strategy.
A separate regulation introducing restrictions on measuring instruments containing mercury, such as thermometers and barometers, comes before Parliament's plenary in July.
Bron : Europees Parlement