Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken at the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury [Mercury waste thresholds]

Summary:

Proposal presented on 16 September 2019 by the European Commission establishing the position to be taken on behalf of the Union as regards the adoption of a decision establishing thresholds for mercury waste.

Further information:

The Minamata Convention on Mercury is the main international legal framework aimed at protecting human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds to air, water and land. It addresses the whole life-cycle of mercury, from primary mercury mining to mercury waste disposal. The Agreement entered into force on 16 August 2017.

Article 11(2) of the Agreement stipulates that, for the purpose of this Agreement, ‘mercury wastes’ means substances or objects (a) consisting of or (b) containing or (c) contaminated with mercury or mercury compounds, in a quantity exceeding the thresholds to be defined by the Conference of the Parties (COP), and which are disposed of or are intended or required to be disposed of in accordance with national law or the Agreement.

During its second meeting in November 2018, the COP adopted a decision establishing a group of technical experts to proceed with discussions on mercury waste thresholds during the intersessional period leading to its third meeting (COP3). The mandate of the above-mentioned group called in particular for the development of approaches and methodologies for establishing thresholds for mercury waste, including for relevant mining waste. In light of the outcome of the expert work, COP3 is expected to adopt a decision on this matter.

• Primary Source

United Nations Environment Programme: Third meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP3) http://www.mercuryconvention.org/Meetings/COP3/tabid/7854/language/en-US/Default.aspx

---