EU - Commission Ends Use of Mercury in Lamps

​The Commission has adopted a package of rules ending a broad range of existing exemptions for the use of mercury in lamps. Under EU rules restricting the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (the RoHS Directive), electronics that contain mercury cannot be placed on the market, except if time-limited and application-specific exemptions are granted by the Commission. Most of these exemptions for general lighting will be discontinued as assessments conducted by the Commission since 2016 concluded that safe, mercury-free alternatives are widely available for fluorescent lamps. The new rules aim to increase the protection of health and the environment from this hazardous substance, as well as boost innovation and promote cleaner products.

On a case-by-case basis, transition period of 12 and 18 months will be granted to allow economic operators to adujst to the new rules. Exemptions will be allowed only for few specialised applications, such as for medical use.​​