WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/NOR/14 
10 January 2007 
 (07-0126) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   NORWAY
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:         
Ministry of Environment Department for Pollution Control P.O. Box 8013 Dep. 
N-0030 Oslo,  
Norway  Telephone: +(472) 2249090   Fax:  +(472) 2249560 
E-mail:   postmottak@md.dep.no 
Internet:  www.miljoverndepartementet.no 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:         
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:         
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   General prohibition on 
the use of mercury in products with certa in exceptions.  The prohibition concerns 
substances on their own, preparations and ar ticles for which the content of mercury or 
mercury compounds is higher than 0.001 per cent by weight.  Products that will be 
concerned by the draft regulation are, e.g.: 
1. Dental amalgam 
2. Switches and relays 3. Measuring devices  
4. Chemical analysis 
5. Vaccines 6. Transmitters for predators  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Proposal for a 
regulation that amends Regulati ons of 1 June 2004 nr. 922 rela ting to restrictions on the use 
of chemicals dangerous to health and th e environment and other products (Product 
Regulations) (1page, in English). G/TBT/N/NOR/14 
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6. Description of content:   The proposal for a general prohi bition amends existing section 2-6 
on mercury and mercury compounds in regulatio ns relating to restriction on the use of 
chemicals and other products hazardous to hea lth and the environment.  Norway proposes to 
prohibit the production, import, export, sale a nd use of substances or preparations that 
contain mercury or mercury compounds.  Norway also proposes to prohibit the production, 
import, export and sale of articles that contain mercury or mercury compounds. This 
amendment will make the existing restrictions in  section 2-6 into a more general prohibition 
instead of  prohibiting various specific areas of use. 
The prohibition concerns substances, prepara tions and articles for which the content of 
mercury or mercury compounds is higher than  0.001 percent by weight.  There are 
exemptions to the general pr ohibition, both permanent and time-limited, see enclosed 
proposal for regulation. 
The proposed exemptions are based on a need to develop or standardise alternatives or 
allow the necessary time to invest in new equipment for both fi nancial and production-
related reasons.  Previous restricti ons on the use of mercury will remain. 
Products that will be concerned by the propo sed amendment of existing mercury regulation 
are mentioned under section 4 above. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Mercury is one of the most hazardous substa nces and poses a risk to the environment and 
human health.  Mercury is a priority substa nce in the Norwegian chemical policy.  The 
national target for mercury is to  substantially reduce the emissions of mercury at the latest 
by 2010 and cease emissions by 2020.  Mercur y contamination in Norway is caused both by 
national discharges and long-range transport of  mercury pollution from other parts of the 
world.  In Norway, high values of methylme rcury in some species of fish have caused 
dietary advisories to be issued.  The scope of  the long-range mercury pollution in the Arctic 
is increasing.  The proposed ban will reduce th e use of mercury in pr oducts and thus reduce 
emissions of mercury. 
8. Relevant documents:    
i) The Norwegian action plan on mercury in April 2005, see: 
http://www.sft.no/arbeidsomr/kjemikalier /kvikksolv/mercury_actionplan.pdf.  
 ii) The Norwegian Product Regulations;  Sec tion 2-6 regulates thermometers. Norway 
has prohibited mercury in thermometers since 1998, including use for analysis and research 
purposes.  Section 3-11 regulates packaging
, Section 3-13 to 3-14 regulates batteries , 
Section 3-15 regulates components in end-of-life vehicles  and Section 3-17 to 3-19 
regulates EE equipment  in line with EU-regulation, see: 
http://www.sft.no/seksjonsartikkel_30217.aspx 
iii) Impact of a General Ban on Mercur y in Products in December 2006, see 
http://www.sft.no/nyheter/dokum enter/0701_impact_ban_products.pdf . 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    1 May 2007 
1 June 2007 
10. Final date for comments:   1 April 2007  G/TBT/N/NOR/14 
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11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [    ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
Norwegian Pollution Control Authority,  
Department for Local Environmental Protection 
P.O. Box 8100 Dep 
N-0032 Oslo Norway  Telephone: +(472) 2573400   
Fax:   +(472) 2676706 
E-mail:  postmottak@sft.no  Internet: www.sft.no