Brussels, 21/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday the European Commission proposed an EU-wide ban on the marketing of mercury in new fever and room thermometers, barometers, blood pressure gauges and manometers and sphygmomanometers. Specialist applications, in particular measuring devices for medical uses, are excluded from the scope of this proposal. The Commission objective is to limit mercury and its compounds, which are highly toxic to humans, ecosystems and wildlife. When entering the waste stream, mercury-using products can change into methylmercury, its most toxic form, mainly concentrated in food, particularly the aquatic food chain, fish and seafood.
The proposed ban would come in to effect through an amendment of directive 76/769/ECC on restrictions to marketing and using mercury in some measuring and inspection apparatuses. The proposal is part of the of the EU mercury strategy adopted by the Commission at the beginning of 2005 to gradually reduce then ban mercury exports from the EU to third countries by 2011 and hence help reduce emissions, use and marketing of this substance worldwide.
Commission Vice President Günter Verheugen responsible for industry said: “This measure will reduce the amount of toxic mercury entering the waste stream. This is good for our citizen's health and the environment. At the same time we create a more coherent and stable legal framework for industry which will be encouraged to develop suitable alternatives.”
An umbrella group of environmental and health protection NGOs: the European Environment Bureau, the European Public Health Alliance Environment Network, the Ban Mercury Working Groups, Health Care Without Harm, immediately welcomed the Commission initiative, which swiftly puts into practice the action proposed in the EU strategy for mercury. The NGOs, however, say that they are disappointed that the field of application for the proposal is now narrower than that planned in the strategy. The NGOs deplore the fact that use of mercury will only be eliminated in measuring devices for consumers and medical or veterinary thermometers and are calling for a general ban on marketing and use of mercury in all measuring and inspection instruments used by the public at large or by professionals, with exemptions in all cases where no alternative exists. The NGOs are also calling on Parliament and the Council to get matters sorted out on this issue.