EU rules on mercury
The EU Regulation on mercury is one of the global efforts to reduce the risk of humans and environment being exposed to mercury. The Regulation restricts the import of mercury and certain mixtures of mercury to the EU. Export of mercury to countries outside the EU is also banned. The Regulation also includes rules on certain types of products that contain mercury, use of amalgam, use of mercury in industrial activities and how mercury waste shall be stored and disposed of.
You will find the latest consolidated version of the Mercury Regulation from 2024-07-30 below. Consolidation means that the original legal act and all subsequent amendments and corrections have been brought together in a single document.
Amendments and corrections
There are no amendments or corrections that are not included in the latest consolidated text of the Regulation above.
Find legal acts in EUR-lex
All legal acts are published in the Official Journal of the European Union in EUR-Lex, the online portal to EU law.
Other EU regulations on mercury
Mercury is also restricted in certain types of articles and chemical products through several other EU regulations. Examples of such regulations is mercury in wood preservatives, measuring devices and electronics.
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive
There are also rules on mercury and articles containing mercury only applicable in Sweden.
Swedish rules on mercury
There is a general ban on mercury and mercury-containing articles in Sweden. According to the ban, mercury and articles containing mercury may not be placed on the Swedish market or professionally exported from Sweden. In addition, mercury as a substance, chemical compound and mixture may not be used. There are exceptions to some of the prohibitions and it is possible to apply for an exemption.