rec_20

(20) The use of mercury and mercury compounds in artisanal and small-scale gold mining and processing accounts for a significant share of mercury use and emissions worldwide with negative effects both for local communities and at a global level. Such use of mercury and mercury compounds should therefore be prohibited under this Regulation and regulated at international level. Without prejudice to the prohibition of such use and in addition to the implementation of effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties by Member States in respect of infringements of this Regulation, it is also appropriate to provide for a national plan in the event of there being more than isolated cases of non-compliance with that prohibition, in order to tackle the problem of artisanal and small-scale gold mining and processing in which mercury amalgamation is used to extract gold from ore.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-05 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.