EU Strategy on Mercury

Responding to a 2002 request from the Council of Ministers, the European Commission prepared a draft Community Mercury Strategy that, if adopted and implemented, would lead to substantial reductions in worldwide mercury pollution and exposure.

The NGO activities and developments on the issue are presented below in chronological order:

In response to the EU developments and awaiting the EU strategy, EEB , Ban-Hg-WG , Greenpeace and European Public Health Alliance Environment Network, sent a letter expressing their opinion, to all EU Commissioners and Directors General, on the 30/11/2004.

A letter was then sent from the EEB to all Environment Ministers in preparation for the Environment Council of 20/12/2004. One of the items mentioned was mercury.

Considering that the Strategy had to be adopted by the Commission before the end of the year, which did not happen, the EEB together with other NGOs sent a press release on 18/1/2005 on the Commission’s delay.

On the 20 January 2005, Arnika, a Czech NGO working on mercury, organized and event in front of the venue where Eurohlor – the European Chlor-alkali federation – organized a seminar, mainly for its members. On that occasion, the EEB, Arnika and other NGOs distributed a letter to the seminar participants.

Finally the EU Strategy on Mercury was presented by the Commission on 31 January 2005 ; a press release was sent on this occasion from the NGOs.

Under this European update we should not forget that Spain has a major role to play considering that the world’s biggest mercury mine is in Almaden. Under the Zero Mercury campaign, an EEB member environmental NGO, and the biggest one in Spain, Ecologistas en accion, have hired a part time campaigner to follow and report on developments from that front. Her name is Leticia Baselga.

The EEB organised an International conference "Towards a Mercury Free World" took place on the 22 April 2005, in Madrid. Discussions covered many aspects discussed in the EU Mercury strategy.

On the 25 May 2005, a fax was sent to the Member State Ambassadors reiterating the need for an EU mercury export ban, in view of the Ambassadors' meeting on the 25-26th May, where mercury is on the agenda. A press release followed on the same issue [25/5/2005].

On the 26 May 2005, a letter was sent to the EU Environment Ministers in preparation of the Council conclusions on Mercury, foreseen for 24th June 2005.

On 24 June 2005, the Environment Council drew conclusions concerning the EU strategy. The Council stressed the importance for an EU mercury export ban by 2011 and further underlined the importance of the actions proposed to be taken by the Commission. At the same time proposed a few additional issues, that should be addressed in view of reducing the releases and uses or mercury in the environment, such as mercury use in vaccines and gold mining, consider the social problems arising from the closure of mercury mines – rehabilitation of contaminated sites and community assistance and further tackling of emissions from fuel combustion. An NGO press release was published on the same day.

Further to all above, the EU Strategy on Mercury was discussed at the European Parliament. Only at the end of May, a rapporteur (responsible Member of the European Parliament) was appointed with respect to the Mercury strategy. His name is Mr. Marios Matsakis, from the Liberals, and he is Cypriot.

An exchange of views on the EU Mercury Strategy was foreseen to take place at the Environment Committee of the European Parliament on Monday 21 November 2005. To that end, the NGO coalition sent a letter to all Members of the Environment Committee on 16 November 2005. The letter was accompanied by a copy of the Report from the International Conference "Towards a mercury-free world", April 2005, Madrid. The hearing was postponed at the end, to take place on the 23rd January 2006.

On the basis of the above mentioned letter the Comments of the Environmental and Health NGOs on the mercury strategy have been published for general use.

On January 23, 2006 the Environment Committee of the European Parliament debated for the first time the draft report of the rapporteur on the Community Strategy Concerning Mercury. The NGOs had already sent their comments on November 16th, when the debate was initially foreseen. The draft report has been very good and really in line with our requests. Amendments were then submitted by other Members of the Committee.

In view of the vote for a resolution of the Environment Committee of the European Parliament on the EU mercury strategy, on 22nd February, the NGOs established contact and met several of the key deputies, to ensure that the NGO line was taken on board. In January , the Environment Committee of the European Parliament debated for the first time the draft report of the rapporteur. Amendments were then submitted by other Members of the Committee.

On the February 17th, 2006 the NGOs send their comments on the rapporteur's draft report on the EU mercury strategy as well as suggestions on how deputies should vote on the proposed amendments. The comments from the NGOs can be found below:
  *  EEB/Ban Hg WG comments on the Environment Committee's forthcoming vote (22/02/06) on the   MATSAKIS report on the Community Strategy on Mercury.
  *  EEN(HEAL)/HCWH letter to the Environment Committee on the Matsakis report on the EU Strategy on mercury
  *  Note on Misconseptions about mercury and health
  *  Environmental and Health NGOs’ voting list on the proposed amendments for the Environment Committee vote (22/02/06) on the Community strategy concerning mercury (Matsakis Report)

On February 21, 2006 the European Commission adopted a proposal for the restriction of mercury in certain non-electrical and electronic equipment such as thermometers. Official text can be found here.
The NGOs reacted on that by a press release on the same date. Our press release was picked up by several journals (see press clippings/products) and EEB was called by journalists. EPHA-EN were contacted as well and gave an interview at BBC World on the 22nd February.

On February 22, 2006 the Environment committee of the European Parliament voted on the draft report on the EU Mercury Strategy and amendments. The outcome was very positive and was applauded by the NGOs, via a press release.

On March 10, 2006 the NGOs sent their comments and voting list to all the Members of the European Parliament, in view of the vote in plenary session, on the EU strategy on mercury, foreseen for the 14th March 2006, after a debate held on the 13th March 2006, in Strasbourg. The result was very positive and along the lines with the NGOs requests. To that end a press release was sent on the 14th March , following the vote. Once more our press release was picked up by several journals (see press-clippings/other).

The final text of the European Parliament's resolution on the EU Mercury Strategy can be found here.