Commercial Information Circular

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref.: EIC 230/2/12

22 June 2017

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 519/2017

European Union (EU)* : Regulation on Mercury

The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union have adopted Regulation (EU) 2017/852 to repeal Regulation (EC) No. 1102/2008 on the banning of exports of metallic mercury and certain mercury compounds and mixtures and the safe storage of metallic mercury; and to establish measures and conditions concerning the use and storage of and trade in mercury, mercury compounds and mixtures of mercury, and the manufacture and use of and trade in mercury-added products, and the management of mercury waste, in order to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds.

DETAILS

2.The Regulation lays down a new regime on trade and manufacturing restrictions concerning mercury, mercury compounds, mixtures of mercury and mercury-added products; the restrictions on use and storage of mercury, mercury compounds and mixtures of mercury; as well as the disposal of waste and mercury waste.

3.In order to allow sufficient time for relevant parties in particular the affected economic operators to adapt to the new regime, the Regulation should apply from 1 January 2018. Please refer to the Regulation for greater detail, which can be accessed through the link below:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32017R0852&from=EN

ENQUIRIES

4.For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5556.

Yours faithfully,

(Charles LO)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU member countries are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.