Adopted under the framework of the EU’s chemicals regulation, the measure will help to protect the environment by significantly reducing lead pollution while preventing the avoidable death by lead poisoning of around 1 million waterbirds every year. Lead is a highly toxic substance, which released to the environment contaminates both the soil and water. Every year, 4000 to 5000 tonnes of lead are released into wetlands from lead gunshot. There are affordable alternatives, for example steel gunshots, which currently cost about the same as lead gunshots. The measure adopted today will harmonise and enhance the effectiveness of national legislation limiting the use of lead gunshot in wetlands already in place in 24 Member States. It will start applying in two years’ time. The restriction supports the goals of the Chemical Strategy for Sustainability and the Green Deal. It also supports the objectives of the Birds Directive, and is a first concrete deliverable under the new EU 2030 Biodiversity Strategy.
More information
European Chemicals Agency page on lead in shot, bullets and fishing weights
Details
- Publication date
- 25 January 2021
- Author
- Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs