EU: the use of mercury, a toxic component, will be gradually banned. Member states and MEPs reached an agreement on Thursday to ban dental amalgam and the manufacture of certain lamps.
“When released into the environment, mercury can seriously endanger our lungs, our brain and our kidneys,” says Belgian Minister Alain Maron. The European Parliament and member states will still need to give the formal green light before the legislation comes into force. The European Commission will be required to make proposals to completely eliminate remaining uses of mercury and review the treatment of contaminated waste.