EU gives more teeth to mercury dental filling regulation with global ban
The United Nations has adopted a global ban on the manufacture and trade of mercury-added dental amalgam, with the rules set to take effect on 1 January 2035. The decision was announced on 7 November at the sixth Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury. The European Union (EU) has already prohibited the use and export of mercury-added dental amalgam since 1 January 2025.
The revised EU regulation eliminates the last intentional uses of mercury and contributes to the goal of a toxic-free environment. It requires dental filling materials to be mercury-free, except in cases deemed medically necessary by a practitioner. Member States needing more time to adapt can apply a temporary derogation until 30 June 2026.
The regulation also covers other mercury-containing products, including certain types of lamps, which must be phased out by 31 December 2025 or 2026 depending on the category, to be replaced by less toxic alternatives like LEDs. Guidance on reducing mercury emissions from crematoria will be published by the European Commission (EC) by the end of 2025.
Mercury, a highly toxic substance used in industrial processes and various products, poses serious risks to human health and the environment. To further restrict its use in the EU, the EC adopted a proposal on 14 July 2023 to revise the Mercury Regulation.
The revised regulation builds on the existing 2017 Mercury Regulation, which covers the full lifecycle of mercury, from primary mining to final disposal of mercury waste.
Meanwhile, at the Minamata Convention, several countries, including the US, have pushed for a global ban on mercury dental fillings by 2030. US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. raised the concern on the continued use of mercury in dentistry despite available safe alternatives.
Mercury, recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a major public health hazard, has already been restricted in some nations, prohibiting its use in fillings; however, others continue to allow its use.
A few African nations proposed a stricter approach, calling for a ban on producing, importing, and exporting mercury-based dental fillings starting in 2030. Some countries, including Britain, India, and Iran, opposed the move, citing costs and the durability of alternatives.
The Minamata Convention, in force since 2017, requires signatories to gradually eliminate mercury in dental applications while addressing safe disposal.
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