CHAPTER IIIRESTRICTIONS ON USE AND STORAGE OF MERCURY, MERCURY COMPOUNDS AND MIXTURES OF MERCURY
Article 8New mercury-added products and new manufacturing processes
1
Economic operators shall not manufacture or place on the market mercury-added products that were not being manufactured prior to 1 January 2018 (‘new mercury-added products’) unless authorised to do so F1in accordance with paragraph 6 of this Article or allowed to do so under F2the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2012.
The first subparagraph shall not apply to any of the following:
a
equipment which is necessary for the protection of the essential interests of the security of F3the United Kingdom, including arms, munitions and war material intended for specifically military purposes;
b
equipment designed to be sent into space;
c
technical improvements made to or the redesign of mercury-added products that were being manufactured prior to 1 January 2018 provided that such improvements or redesign lead to less mercury being used in those products.
2
Economic operators shall not use manufacturing processes involving the use of mercury or mercury compounds that were not processes used prior to 1 January 2018 (‘new manufacturing processes’) unless authorised to do so F4in accordance with paragraph 6.
The first subparagraph of this paragraph shall not apply to processes manufacturing or using mercury-added products other than those subject to the prohibition laid down in paragraph 1.
3
Where an economic operator intends to apply for F5authorisation in accordance with paragraph 6 in order to manufacture or place on the market a new mercury-added product, or to use a new manufacturing process, that would provide significant environmental or health benefits and pose no significant risks either to the environment or to human health, and where no technically practicable mercury-free alternatives providing such benefits are available, that economic operator shall notify F6one of the competent authorities. That notification shall include the following information:
a
a technical description of the product or process concerned;
b
an assessment of its environmental and health benefits and risks;
c
evidence demonstrating the absence of technically practicable mercury-free alternatives providing significant environmental or health benefits;
d
a detailed explanation of the manner in which the process is to be operated or the product is to be manufactured, used and disposed of as waste after use, in order to ensure a high level of protection of the environment and of human health.
F74
The competent authority concerned shall forward to the Secretary of State, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, the Scottish Ministers and the Welsh Ministers the notification received from the economic operator if the competent authority considers on the basis of its own assessment of the information provided that the condition in the second subparagraph of paragraph 6 is fulfilled.
The competent authority concerned shall inform the Secretary of State, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, the Scottish Ministers and the Welsh Ministers of cases in which it considers that the condition in the second subparagraph of paragraph 6 is not fulfilled.
F85
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6
The F10Secretary of State shall examine the notification received and assess whether it has been demonstrated that the F11condition in the second subparagraph is met.
F12The condition is that the new mercury-added product or new manufacturing process would provide significant environmental or health benefits and pose no significant risks either to the environment or to human health, and that no technically practicable mercury-free alternatives providing such benefits are available.
The Secretary of State shall inform the competent authority of the result of the assessment under the first subparagraph.
Where the Secretary of State assesses that the condition in the second subparagraph is met, the Secretary of State shall, by regulations, specify that the relevant new mercury-added product or new manufacturing process is authorised.
F97
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