On 24 May
2017, the Official journal of EU published its Regulation on mercury (EU) 2017/852,
which regulates the use, storage and trade requirements of metallic mercury,
mercury compounds and mercury mixtures, as well as the export, import and
manufacturing of the mercury-added products, and expounds the management of
mercury wastes. The regulations comes into force on the 20th day of the
official publication of the EU, with effect from January 1, 2018, and (EC) No1102/2008 The banning of exports of metallic mercury
and certain mercury compounds and mixtures and the safe storage of metallic
mercurywill be abolished. On 18 May 2017, the European Union and its seven member states (Bulgaria,
Denmark, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Romania and Sweden) signed theMinamata convention,which protects the
public from mercury, one of the world’s top ten chemicals that threaten human
health.
The full name ofMinamata
conventionisMinamata convention on
mercury,which has 128 signatories. This convention will come into effect on
16 August 2017. It is a new global convention in the field of environment and
health in the past decade, promoting the government to take concrete measures
to control anthropogenic mercury pollution.
And the convention published by EU will be more stringent and
specific, compared toMinamata
Convention.According to (EU)2017/852, the import, export and manufacturing
of mercury added products shall comply with the relevant restrictions from the
appointed date, as shown in the table below.
Mercury-added
products | Date from which the export, import and manufacturing of the
mercury-added products are prohibited |
1. Batteries or
accumulators that contain more than 0,0005% of mercury by weight. | 31.12.2020 |
2.
Switches and relays, except very high accuracy capacitance an loss
measurement bridges and high frequency radio frequency switches relays in
monitoring and control instruments with a maximum mercury of 20 mg per
bridge, switch or relay. | 31.12.2020 |
3. Compact
fluorescent lamps (CFLs) for general lighting purposes:
（a）CFL.i≤30watts with a mercury content exceeding 2,5 mg per lamp
burner; （b）CFL.Ni≤30watts with a mercury content exceeding 3,5 mg per lamp
burner. | 31.12.2018 |
4. The following
linear fluorescent lamps (LFLs) for general lighting purposes:
（a）Triband
phosphor < 60 watts with a mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp;
（b）Halophosphate
phosphor ≤40watts with a mercury content exceeding 10 mg per lamp. | 31.12.2018 |
5. High pressure
mercury vapour lamps (HPMVs) for general lighting purposes. | 31.12.2018 |
6. The following
mercury-added cold cathode fluorescent lamps and external electrode
fluorescent lamps (CCFLs and EEFLs) for electronic displays: （a）short length（≤500mm）with
mercury content exceeding 3,5 mg per lamp;
（b）medium
length（＞500mm and ≤1500mm）with mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp;
（c）long
length（＞1500mm）with mercury content exceeding 13 mg per lamp. | 31.12.2018 |
7. Cosmetics with
mercury and mercury compounds, except thos special cases include in entire 16
and 17 Annex V to Regulation(EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and
of the Council(1). | 31.12.2020 |
8. Pesticides,
biocides and topical antiseptics. | 31.12.2020 |
9. The following
non-electronic measuring devices:
（a）barometers;
（b）hygrometers;
（c）manometers;
（d）thermometers
and other non-electrical thermometric applications;
（e）sphygmomanometer;
（f）strain
gauges to be used with plethysmographs;
（g）mercury pycnometers;
（h）mercury
metering devices for determination of the softening point.
This entry does not cover the following measuring devices:
—— non-electronic measuring devices installed in large-scale equipment or
those used for high precision measurement where no suitable mercury-free alternative
is available;
—— measuring devices more than 50 years old on 3 October 2007;
—— measuring devices which are to be displayed in exhibitions for cultural
and historical purposes. | 31.12.2020 |
(1)
Regulation (EC) No 12233/2009 of the European Parliament and the Council of
30 November 2009 on cosmetic products (O)L 342,22.12.2009,P.59). |
According
to 2000/53/EC directive of EC on end-of life vehicles and EU RoHS directive
2011/65/EU, Switches and relays, electronic displays and measuring instruments
containing mercury cold cathode fluorescent lamps and external electrode
fluorescent lamps,When used to replace the relevant components of other
equipment, and have verified that no mercury alternatives are available, can be
exempted. Meanwhile, the published mercury convention does not apply to civil
defense and military use products, as well as for research, instrument
calibration or products for reference.
The new
mercury-added products and the production process with mercury and mercury
compounds will not be permitted unless it proves that it does not cause significant environmental or health hazards.
RoHS directives where restricts use of certain hazardous
substances in EU electrical and electronic products, includes requirements of
mercury that the mercury content of the homogeneous material of electrical and
electronic appliance shall not exceed 1000 ppm; The REACH regulation also
states that five or more phenylmercuric compounds in the article or in any part
containing more than or equal to 0.01% shall not be put on the market after
October 10, 2017; The published mercury convention also includes a limit number
of products including batteries, switches, relays and fluorescent lamps and the
implementation of the time. C&K Testing reminds the business to meet the
relevant regulations.
|Further Information:
(EU) 2017/852
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C&K Testing service - Mercury Testing
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