Banning of exports of metallic mercury
In October 2008 the UK agreed to European Regulation No. 1102/2008 that:
- places obligations on certain mercury producing companies to provide certain information e.g. amount produced (from 4 December 2009 onwards);
- bans mercury exports from the EC (from March 2011 onwards); and
- requires the safe storage of waste mercury.
The Mercury Export and Data (Enforcement) Regulations 2010 put into place provisions for UK enforcement and management of obligations under Regulation (EC) No 1102/2008. These Regulations make is an offence under UK law to fail to comply with the directly applicable obligations of the EU Regulation: the prohibition on export of metallic mercury and metallic mercury compounds from the European Union; the prohibition of mixing metallic mercury with other substances for the sole purpose of export; requirements on importers, exporters and operators to provide data to competent authorities and the European Commission; and a requirement on the chlor-alkali industry and operators to provide data to competent authorities and the European Commission.
Further legislation will be introduced later this year to deal with the safe storage and disposal of metallic mercury once the prohibition on export of metallic mercury comes into effect in March 2011.