UN Secretary-General communicates amendment of Annex A (mercury-added products) to Minamata Convention 
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, acting in his capacity as depositary, issued a notification dated September 28, 2022 announcing that the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-4) to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (“Minamata Convention” or “the Convention”) adopted amendments to Annex A (Mercury-added products) of the Convention adding new product categories and measures to Part I (Products subject to Article 4, paragraph 1) and Part II (Products subject to Article 4, paragraph 3) of Annex A. This adoption was made in the decision MC-4/3 (Review and amendment of annexes A and B to the Minamata Convention on Mercury; UNEP/MC/COP.4/Dec.3) of the COP-4, which was held in Bali, Indonesia, from March 21 to 25, 2022. Article 4 of the Convention provides for the control of mercury-added products.
Any Party that is unable to accept an amendment to the Annex shall so notify the depositary, in writing, within one year from the date of communication by the depositary of the adoption of the amendment (i.e. within one year from September 28, 2022) in accordance with paragraphs 3 (b) and 3 (c) and paragraph 4 of Article 27 (Adoption and amendment of annexes) of the Convention. On the expiry of one year from that date of the communication by the depositary, the amendment shall enter into force for all Parties that have not submitted a notification of non-acceptance in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 3 (b) of Article 27.
The table below is the amended Part I of Annex A (items in bold indicate newly added mercury-added products). The “phase-out date” shows the date after which mercury-added products are no longer allowed to be manufactured, imported or exported.
| Mercury-added products | 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:
(a) Triband phosphor < 60 watts with a mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp; (b) 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:
(a) short length (≤ 500 mm) with mercury content exceeding 3.5 mg per lamp (b) medium length (> 500 mm and ≤ 1,500 mm) with mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp (c) 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 available.
Note: The intention is not to cover cosmetics, soaps or creams with trace contaminants of mercury. |
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:
(a)barometers; (b)hygrometers; (c)manometers; (d)thermometers; (e)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 |
| Tyre balancers and wheel weights | 2025 |
| Photographic film and paper | 2025 |
| Propellant for satellites and spacecraft | 2025 |
The table below lists the mercury-added products in Part I of Annex A that will be, under paragraph 5 of the decision MC-4/3, discussed for phase-out dates thereof by the Conference of the Parties at its fifth meeting to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from October 30 to November 5, 2023.
| Mercury-added products | 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] |
Related URL
Reference: C.N.313.2022.TREATIES-XXVII.17 (Depositary Notification)
MINAMATA CONVENTION ON MERCURY
KUMAMOTO, 10 OCTOBER 2013
AMENDMENTS TO ANNEX A
https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/CN/2022/CN.313.2022-Eng.pdf
MC-4/3: Review and amendment of annexes A and B to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (UNEP/MC/COP.4/Dec.3)
https://www.mercuryconvention.org/en/documents/review-and-amendment-annexes-and-b-minamata-convention-mercury
