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The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) started, in November 2004, in collaboration with the (international) Ban Hg Working Group and mainly the Mercury Policy Project, the ‘Zero Mercury’ Campaign having as its ultimate objective ‘Zero’ emissions, demand and supply of mercury, from all sources we can control, in view of reducing to a minimum, mercury in the environment at EU level and globally.

Our work at a global level, from the side of the NGOs, started in 2002, with the formation of the international Ban Mercury Working Group (Ban Hg Wg) ( www.ban.org/Ban-Hg-Wg/) – formed initially by 2 US based NGOs, the Basel Action Network (www.ban.org) and the Mercury Policy Project (MPP) ( www.mercurypolicy.org).
The Ban Hg-Wg is an international coalition of 27 public interest non-governmental organizations from around the world formed in 2002 to reduce and eliminate mercury pollution, trade and exposure.
The Ban Hg WG followed actively the UNEP discussions since then and participated actively in the formulation of the Global Mercury Assessment (December 2002) after request from the 21st UNEP Governing Council  in 2001.
After receiving a special grant in November 2004, the EEB is continuing this work, collaborating closely with the international coalition and coordinating this new ‘Zero Mercury’ Campaign, which builds up on the work done so far and goes even further, extending the network worldwide.

In 2005, an EU network was developed, to bring together and re-enforce the work done on mercury so far by individual environmental and health NGOs. The Zero Mercury Working Group and a respective listeserver was created..

The EU/international group of NGOs working on mercury will continue to broaden to support the project.

Zero Mercury Campaign - Phase III (Nov. 2006-Oct. 2007)

The third phase of the project includes the following activities:

• Follow up of the process at EU level – developments on legislative proposals implementing the Community Strategy on Mercury; follow up on a) the proposed directive on restricting the use of mercury in certain non electrical and non electronic measuring and control devices (e.g. thermometers, barometers) and b) on the proposed regulationon an EU mercury export ban and the storage of surplus mercury. Other studies/actions, resulting from the strategy will be followed up - such as on the dental amalgam.

• Follow-up on the chlor-alkali campaign from Phase II; ensure that the existing mercury cell processes are converted swiftly to cleaner mercury free technologies and that the decommissioned mercury will be safely stored and will not re-enter the market. Follow up actions will continue in the three EU countries (Legambiente/IT, Ecologistas en Accion/SP, Arnika/CZ) with part time campaigners. Actions will start in Germany and France pushing and following up activities at national political level in view of establishing a national commitment/ law on a conversion date and monitoring/contacting the local authorities responsible for the IPPC permits. Emissions will be measured around the specific plants. Events will be organised and a reports will be produced.

• Follow up of the process at UNEP level - Push towards a global legally binding solution. Follow up developments after the decision of the UNEP Governing Council (GC) in 2005 and prepare the ground for the debate and active participation at the UNEP GC, February 2007. Activities include cooperation with NGOs all over the world ( EU, US, Developing countries) and input to UNEP towards that direction. Feeding into this debate, activities in other international fora will be followed up.

• Helping affected Developing countries – financial assistance will continue to the 4 NGOs from developing countries for active involvement. Support will be given for national activities as well as participation at international level, to assist in the global campaign to Toxic Links/India, ACPO/Brazil, groundwork/South Africa and Global Village of Beijing/China.

Zero Mercury Campaign - Phase II (Nov. 2005-Oct. 2006)

The second phase of the project includes the following activities:

• Follow up of the process at EU level – developments on Community Strategy on Mercury ; the strategy will be discussed at the European Parliament; 2 legislative proposals are awaited from the EC: a)on restricting the use of mercury in certain non electrical and non electronic measuring and control devices (e.g. thermometers, barometers) and b) on an EU mercury export ban and the storage of surplus mercury. Other studies/actions, resulting from the strategy will be followed up.

• Providing input focused on the chlor-alkali industry; ensure that the existing mercury cell processes are converted swiftly to cleaner mercury free technologies and that the decommissioned mercury will be safely stored and will not re-enter the market. Three EU countries (Legambiente/IT, Ecologistas en Accion/SP, Arnika/CZ) with part time campaigners will be pushing and following up activities at national political level in view of establishing a national commitment/ law on a conversion date and monitoring/contacting the local authorities responsible for the IPPC permits. Emissions will be measured around the specific plants. Events will be organised and a reports will be produced.

• Follow up of the process at UNEP level - Push towards a global legally binding solution. Follow up developments after the decision of the UNEP Governing Council (GC) in 2005 and prepare the ground for the debate for the next UNEP GC, February 2007. Activities include cooperation with NGOs all over the world ( EU, US, Developing countries) and input to UNEP towards that direction. Feeding into this debate, activities in other international fora will be followed up.

• Helping affected Developing countries – financial assistance will continue to the 4 NGOs from developing countries for active involvement. Support will be given for national activities as well as participation at international level, to assist in the global campaign to Toxic Links/India, ACPO/Brazil, groundwork/South Africa and Global Village of Beijing/China.

Zero Mercury Campaign - Phase I (Nov. 2004-Oct. 2005)

The campaign moves along 4 levels, with complementary activities towards the same goal:

• Take part in the discussions at EU level - Community Strategy on Mercury ; an EU Strategy on mercury has been requested from the European Council and was presented by the Commission on 28 January 2005.
• Activities in Spain - Stop mercury mining and trade in Almaden: The biggest mercury mine in the world is situated in Almaden, Spain. The owner company, MAYASA, is collecting and trading internationally (mainly to Developing countries) the mercury from Western Europe decommissioned chlor-alkali plants (using the mercury-cell process, which is not considered to be BAT (1) under IPPC (2) and will eventually have to be replaced). The EEB is working closely with its Spanish member Ecologistas en Accion towards supporting an EU mercury export ban, stopping MAYASA from becoming the world’s largest platform of mercury pollution and proliferation and amongst other, raising awareness of the effects of mercury export to developing countries.
• Take part in the process at International and UNEP level - Push towards a global legally binding solution. Mercury was on the agenda of the UNEP Governing Council planned for end February 2005. Activities include cooperation with NGOs all over the world ( EU, US, Developing countries) and input to UNEP towards that direction.
• Support environmental organisations in affected developing countries - 4 NGOs from developing countrieswill be financially assisted for active involvement. Support will be given for national activities as well as participation at international level, to assist in the global campaign.

The EEB receives a special grant from the Sigrid Rausing Trust for this activity

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1 Best Available Techniques, http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/ippc/index.html
2 Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control, http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/ippc/index.html