Legislation and policy concerning mercury in the European Union

Abstract

This paper presents an introductory overview of legislation and policy concerning mercury in the European Union (EU). It only summarises actions taken at the EU level, and does not attempt to cover the many actions taken individually by Member States or at other levels. Moreover, there is a very broad range of EU-level action, and the paper therefore only covers the main elements. Finally, where the paper attempts to summarise the requirements of EU legislation, some loss of precision is inevitable. Therefore, readers wishing to know the exact legal requirements should refer to the specific legal texts referenced.