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The text of the Council Decision on the conclusion of the Minamata Convention on Mercury can be found here once published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
More information: press release and questions and answers.
Emissions of mercury and mercury compounds can affect areas located thousands of km away from the sources mainly via transportation throughout the atmosphere and the contamination of fish destined for human consumption.
Therefore, action by the international community was necessary.
This took place under UNEP, the United Nations Environment Programme, and led to the signing in 2013 of the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
For details see the UNEP website.
The Convention addresses the whole life-cycle of mercury with the objective to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions of mercury and mercury compounds, in particular, by:
Ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury by the EU: Preparatory work.