Global ban on mercury in dental treatment adopted

Today, the United Nations Minamata Convention on Mercury banned the manufacture and trade of mercury-added dental amalgam at the global level, starting 1 January 2035.

The decision, taken at the sixth Conference of the Parties to this Convention, represents an important milestone in the EU’s environmental leadership towards protecting human health and the environment from the harmful impacts of mercury. EU law prohibits the use and export of mercury-added dental amalgam since 1 January 2025. 

In a continued effort to enhance global environmental protection, the EU participated in the sixth Conference of the Parties (COP6) to the Minamata Convention on Mercury, taking place on 3-7 November 2025 in Geneva.  

More information

Towards a mercury-free environment: Revised Mercury Regulation enters into force | European Commission