The revised Regulation on Mercury came into force on Tuesday 30 July. It is part of the EU’s zero pollution objective and should put an end to the remaining deliberate uses of this substance in the EU.
The previous mercury regulation in 2017 did not take into account dental amalgam and mercury-based lamps, which make up the largest deliberate use of the substance in the EU, according to the European Commission. Dental amalgam used to consume 40 tonnes of mercury per year in the EU (see EUROPE 13223/19).
The use and export of dental amalgams will be banned from 1 January 2025. The manufacture, import and export of mercury-containing lamps will have to wait until 2026 or 2027, depending on the category of lamp. However, Member States that need time to adapt their national health systems will be able to benefit from a temporary derogation for mercury-containing dental amalgam until 30 June 2026. Mercury-free alternatives are now readily available and cost-effective, says the European Commission. (Original version in French by Florent Servia)