On Wednesday 17 January, MEPs adopted by a large majority the proposal to revise the regulation banning mercury in Europe, presented by the European Commission in July 2023.
Today, no one can ignore the fact that mercury is a dangerous substance for the health of Europeans. Ingested mercury causes major neurodevelopmental disorders in babies exposed in utero. If inhaled or ingested, it is also harmful to the digestive and immune systems, vision, lungs and kidneys, and can cause tremors, memory loss and insomnia.
These clearly identified health consequences should encourage us more than ever to make a rapid transition towards a mercury-free economy, a mercury-free Europe.
This is why the European Parliament, in line with the European Commission's proposal, has defended ambitious positions on:
- Introduce the total elimination of the use of mercury in dental amalgams from 1 January 2025;
- Ban the manufacture and export of dental amalgam from the EU from 1 January 2025;
- Ban the manufacture and export of six additional mercury-containing lamps from 1 January 2026.
This is a major victory for the health of European citizens. The disastrous health consequences of mercury can no longer be ignored. This is a real public health issue. We still have to negotiate with the Belgian Presidency of the EU in trialogues, but we are optimistic that our common ambitions will be aligned. The majority of Member States no longer use mercury in dental amalgams, and prefer alternatives that are safer for health and less polluting for our environment. This report is simply a matter of common sense, says Catherine Amalric MEP, the Renew Europe group's rapporteur on the mercury regulation.
