MC-4/3: Review and amendment of annexes A and B to the Minamata Convention on Mercury
Source: https://www.mercuryconvention.org/en/documents/report-conference-parties..., downloaded on 20220713
Adopted: 25 March 2022
The Conference of the Parties,
Noting that that paragraph 8 of article 4 and paragraph 10 of article 5 of the Minamata Convention on Mercury provide that, no later than five years after the date of entry into force of the Convention, the Conference of the Parties are to review annex A and annex B and may consider amendments to those annexes in accordance with article 27,
Recalling that the Conference of the Parties, in its decision MC-3/1, established the ad hoc group of experts on the review of annexes A and B, requested the secretariat to collect relevant information and submit a report on the work of the ad hoc group of experts and a compilation of relevant information to the Conference of the Parties,
Recalling also that the Conference of the Parties, in its decision MC-3/2, requested the secretariat to present the compilation of information on dental amalgam for consideration by the Conference of the Parties,
Recognizing the efforts of the parties and other stakeholders in providing information pursuant to decisions MC-3/1 and MC-3/2,
Appreciating the work of the secretariat and of the ad hoc group of experts in making the information relevant to the review of annexes A and B available to the Conference of the Parties,
Having considered the information submitted pursuant to decisions MC-3/1 and MC-3/2,
Having also considered the three proposals for amendment to those annexes submitted by the European Union; by Botswana, Burkina Faso and Madagascar on behalf of the group of African States; and by Canada, Norway and Switzerland; respectively,
1. Decides to amend part I of annex A to the Convention as set out in the following table;
Mercury-added products: Date after which the manufacture, import or export of the product shall not be allowed (phase-out date)
Batteries, except for button zinc silver oxide batteries with a mercury content < 2% and button zinc air batteries with a mercury content < 2%: 2020
Switches and relays, except very high accuracy capacitance and loss measurement bridges and high frequency radio frequency switches and relays in monitoring and control instruments with a maximum mercury content of 20 mg per bridge, switch or relay: 2020
Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) for general lighting purposes that are ≤ 30 watts with a mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp burner: 2020
Compact fluorescent lamps with an integrated ballast (CFL.i) for general lighting purposes that are ≤ 30 watts with a mercury content not exceeding 5 mg per lamp burner: 2025
Linear fluorescent lamps (LFLs) for general lighting purposes:
Triband phosphor < 60 watts with a mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp;
Halophosphate phosphor ≤ 40 watts with a mercury content exceeding 10 mg per lamp: 2020
High pressure mercury vapour lamps (HPMV) for general lighting purposes: 2020
Mercury in cold cathode fluorescent lamps and external electrode fluorescent lamps (CCFL and EEFL) for electronic displays:
short length (≤ 500 mm) with mercury content exceeding 3.5 mg per lamp
medium length (> 500 mm and ≤ 1,500 mm) with mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp
long length (> 1,500 mm) with mercury content exceeding 13 mg per lamp: 2020
Cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL) and external electrode fluorescent lamps (EEFL) of all lengths for electronic displays, not included in the listing directly above: 2025
Cosmetics (with mercury content above 1ppm), including skin lightening soaps and creams, and not including eye area cosmetics where mercury is used as a preservative and no effective and safe substitute preservatives are availablea: 2020
Pesticides, biocides and topical antiseptics: 2020
The following non-electronic measuring devices except non electronic measuring devices installed in large-scale equipment or those used for high precision measurement, where no suitable mercury free alternative is available:
(i) barometers;
(ii) hygrometers;
(iii) manometers;
(iv) thermometers;
(v) sphygmomanometers.: 2020
Strain gauges to be used in plethysmographs;: 2025
The following electrical and electronic measuring devices except those installed in large-scale equipment or those used for high precision measurement, where no suitable mercury free alternative is available:
(a) melt pressure transducers, melt pressure transmitters and melt pressure sensors: 2025
Mercury vacuum pumps: 2025
Tire balancers and wheel weights: 2025
Photographic film and paper: 2025
Propellant for satellites and spacecraft: 2025
2. Decides to amend part II of annex A to the Convention as set out in the following table ;
Mercury-added products: Provisions
Dental amalgam: Measures to be taken by a Party to phase down the use of dental amalgam shall take into account the Party’s domestic circumstances and relevant international guidance and shall include two or more of the measures from the following list:
(i) Setting national objectives aiming at dental caries prevention and health promotion, thereby minimizing the need for dental restoration;
(ii) Setting national objectives aiming at minimizing its use;
(iii) Promoting the use of cost-effective and clinically effective mercury free alternatives for dental restoration;
(iv) Promoting research and development of quality mercury free materials for dental restoration;
(v) Encouraging representative professional organizations and dental schools to educate and train dental professionals and students on the use of mercury free dental restoration alternatives and on promoting best management practices;
(vi) Discouraging insurance policies and programmes that favour dental amalgam use over mercury free dental restoration;
(vii) Encouraging insurance policies and programmes that favour the use of quality alternatives to dental amalgam for dental restoration;
(viii) Restricting the use of dental amalgam to its encapsulated form;
(ix) Promoting the use of best environmental practices in dental facilities to reduce releases of mercury and mercury compounds to water and land.
In addition, Parties shall:
(i) Exclude or not allow, by taking measures as appropriate, the use of mercury in bulk form by dental practitioners;
(ii) Exclude or not allow, by taking measures as appropriate, or recommend against the use of dental amalgam for the dental treatment of deciduous teeth, of patients under 15 years and of pregnant and breastfeeding women, except when considered necessary by the dental practitioner based on the needs of the patient.
3. Notes that each product entry in paragraphs 1 and 2 above is a separate amendment for the purposes of entry into force under article 27 of the Convention;
4. Requests the secretariat to draft a revised reporting format under article 21 to collect information on the measures taken related to the provisions that were added by the present amendment, for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its fifth meeting;
5. Decides to consider at its fifth meeting the following phase-out dates for annex A, part I;
Mercury-added products: Date after which the manufacture, import or export of the product shall not be allowed (phase-out date)
Button zinc silver oxide batteries with a mercury content < 2% and button zinc air batteries with a mercury content < 2%: [2025] [2029]
Very high accuracy capacitance and loss measurement bridges and high frequency radio frequency switches and relays in monitoring and control instruments with a maximum mercury content of 20 mg per bridge switch or relay [except those used for research and development purposes]: [2025]
Linear fluorescent lamps (LFLs) for general lighting purposes:
(a) Halophosphate phosphor ≤ 40 watts with a mercury content not exceeding 10 mg per lamp
(b) Halophosphate phosphor > 40 watts: [2025] [2027] [2030]
Linear fluorescent lamps (LFLs) for general lighting purposes:
(a) Triband phosphor < 60 watts with a mercury content not exceeding 5 mg/lamp: [2027] [2030]
6. Also decides to further consider adding the production of polyurethane using mercury containing catalysts to part I of annex B at its fifth meeting;
7. Requests the secretariat to compile information on the availability and technical and economic feasibility of mercury free alternatives in the production of polyurethane using mercury containing catalysts and to submit it to the Conference of the Parties at its fifth meeting to facilitate its consideration of the matter described in paragraph 6 of the present decision;
8. Also requests the secretariat to prepare, for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its fifth meeting, a short report on the technical and economic feasibility of mercury free alternatives for the two processes (vinyl chloride monomer, and sodium or potassium methylate or ethylate) listed in annex B, part II, that refer to the Conference of the Parties establishing such feasibility, and, in so doing, to first identify those parties that have reported the use of those two processes in their national reports under article 21, and then request information from those parties regarding whether they continue to use those two processes, whether either is scheduled to be phased out nationally, and to what extent mercury free alternatives are technically and economically feasible.
9. Decides that, if necessary, the secretariat may request other parties and stakeholders to provide additional information.
