Oh Dear

[MAF]

another example of the EU going over the top??

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6725161.stm

i find this difficult to accept as the use of mercury has been done so for many many years. why is is suddenly such a toxic/dangerous thing. has it not always been so??

what do you think?

[The Penguin]

F.F.S!

When was the last person in Europe killed by their barometer, may I ask?

[MAF]

F.F.S!

When was the last person in Europe killed by their barometer, may I ask?

other than been hit over the head with one? it just amazes me that yet again the EU seem to be able to dictate who has what

[Bobby]

Why don't ban something really harmful, like say, cigarettes, instead?

[VillagePlank]

Why don't ban something really harmful, like say,....

.... free speech.

[tugmistress]

Barometer makers lose battle over mercury

Britain's traditional barometer makers and restorers were facing closure last night after the European Parliament voted to uphold a ban on the use of mercury. The decision effectively consigns more than 350 years of unique British tradition and craft to history.

The Parliament's environment committee, including two British Labour MEPs, Linda McAvan and Glenis Wilmott, opted not to challenge a European commission ban on the use of mercury in barometers.

After a two-year phase-out period, production of thermometers and barometers containing mercury will be banned, ostensibly to prevent the toxic metal entering the food chain. The small but highly skilled barometer industry thought it had won a reprieve from the legislation after winning an initial exemption last year but yesterday's decision signals the end of their campaign to save the instruments.

The move, already approved by national governments, was hailed by environmental groups but criticised by Conservative MEPs and makers of traditional barometers.

Philip Collins, of Barometer World, based in Devon, and the secretary of the British Barometer Makers Association, said: "I deal with mercury every day and the levels are so small that I have never been adversely affected. The commission has no justification for banning our barometers. They should have preserved our tradition by ensuring we can continue to practice this ancient art."

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Charles Allen, of Russell Scientific Instruments, based at Dereham, Norfolk, said the EU ban would force him to lay off virtually all his employees. The hopes of a reprieve were dashed when Lord Rooker, the UK minister for sustainable farming and food, failed to back the British barometer makers. He ruled that the use of mercury in traditional barometers, "which are essentially decorative, cannot be considered an essential use".

Martin Callanan, a Tory member of the environment committee, who unsuccessfully sought an exemption for barometers, said: "A 400-year-old tradition had been crucified by the nanny state."

Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies backed the exemption in order to protect jobs in the industry. He said the perceived health risk involved was "negligible."

Miss McAvan, a Yorkshire MEP, voted for the ban because there was "clear evidence" that mercury in barometers was "highly dangerous".

About 300 tonnes of mercury is used by industry in the EU each year but just 0.2 per cent of this is used in barometers. Britain's three registered manufacturers had joined forces with those in Belgium and Holland to create the European Barometer Association in an attempt to block the proposals.

The ban excludes essential equipment used in hospitals.

Taken from here

[johnholmes]

sad but its the EU all over.

So less than 1% of the total used in the EU each year is involved in meteorological instruments but its to be banned.

Do we know what the other 90+% is used for and is that also being banned.

Seems a very large hammer to crack an incredibly small nut!

[Osbourne One-Nil]

Allow me to merge the two threads

[flagpole]

Dangerous stuff Mercury. Only the other day Jessica Fletcher caught out a master forger because the two hundred year old document they tried to fake used whale oil containing mercury. Silly sausage!

Another example of The EU blundering in with a big hammer again. I can understand them wanting to reduce mercury pollution etc but it seems very extreme, especially when they are still allowing restricted use anyway.

[Thundery wintry showers]

This sort of thing no longer surprises me- the trend in the developed world seems to be that if something could potentially be harmful if abused, it gets banned, even (especially?) if the risk is negligibly small.

Some of it is often down to the fear of being sued for "negligence" (i.e. failing to carry out such "necessary" blanket measures for everyone's protection), and some of it is probably related to certain other issues that I regularly rant about, summed up in a blog entry of mine on telephones.

[The PIT]

Can't we Ban the EU. I hate the damn thing.

[rossco89]

Can't we Ban the EU. I hate the damn thing.

yes i think we should, its probably the most pointless thing ever. At one point they wanted straight bananas, they also wanted to ban the use of lead in pipe organs, something thats needed in the metals used in the pipes.

What else will they think of, breathing tax?

Mercury has been used safely for years, why ban it now.

[Rustynailer]

In the Eighty's my Gran said "if they can ban Black eyed peas, they can ban anything", she was right :lol:

Whats next? Ban fun because its failed its risk assessment

[skifreak]

Whats next? Ban fun because its failed its risk assessment

Don't need the EU for that, the UK has proved very adept at that all on its own.