EEB voting recommendations for a robust revised EU Mercury Regulation European Parliament vote - Wednesday 17 January 2024 - Brussels, 16 January 2024

EEB voting recommendations for a robust revised EU Mercury Regulation European Parliament vote - Wednesday 17 January 2024 [Mortler Report] Brussels, 16 January 2024 The European Environmental Bureau welcomes the release of European Commission’s proposal for a revised EU Mercury Regulation, which aims to establish a mercury-free Europe, and address the last intentional remaining uses of mercury in. [...] We welcome the outcome of the ENVI committee votei calling for 2025 dental amalgam and mercury lamps phase outs, and requesting studies and further work on crematoria, mercury added compounds as well as remaining mercury uses in the EU. [...] • It is known to pose a health risk (dental amalgam contains 50% of mercury!) A delayed phased out date, with the increased rate of cremation and the lack of regulation of mercury emissions from crematoria, would only allow for tonnes of mercury to be directly released, affecting the environment and people’s health. [...] Further (re)assess remaining uses of mercury, including in lighthouses and porosimetry • The 2008 COWI/Concorde report concluded that it would be consistent with the EU objectives to regulate mercury that is no longer used in light houses, and send it directly for safe disposal if no longer needed. [...] • In the same report, mercury consumption for porosimetry was assessed to be substantially larger than previously expected and potentially among the largest remaining uses in the EU.