Minamata Convention COP-5 amendments enter into force

The COP-5 amendments to Annex A of the Minamata Convention on Mercury entered into force on April 25, 2025, creating binding phase-out obligations for all 153 Parties. The amendments prohibit mercury-added products including all batteries with intentionally added mercury, all switches and relays containing mercury (except for R&D purposes), and all fluorescent lamps for general lighting (CFLs, LFLs, NFLs) with phase-out deadlines through 2027. The amendments also eliminate the previous 1 ppm threshold for mercury in cosmetics, establishing zero tolerance for mercury-added cosmetics including skin-lightening products. Manufacturing processes using mercury catalysts in polyurethane production (deadline 2025) and sodium/potassium methylate or ethylate production (deadline 2028) are also subject to phase-out requirements.