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Abstract. The United Nations Environment Programme Mercury Air Transport and Fate ResearchPartnership Area (UNEP F&T) started its activity in 2005 and since then have provided a valuable contribution to the UNEP Mercury Programme and established a close cooperation with other international programs (i.e., GEO Task HE-09-02d / GEOSS) and conventions (UNECE-Task Force on Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution). The UNEP F&T aims to improve the global understanding of international mercury emission sources, fate and transport and to encourage collaborative research activities on different aspects of atmospheric mercury cycling at local, hemispheric and global scales. This paper provides an overview of major recent and future activities carried out by the Mercury Air Transport and Fate Research Partnership Area in the framework of the UNEP Mercury Programme and the ongoing negotiation process for developing a global legally binding instrument on mercury.

Heavy metals can cause adverse effects to humans, animals and ecosystems due to their bioavailability and toxicity in various environmental compartments. In the last decades, many policy strategies and measures have been taken at global, regional and local level in relation to heavy metals, due to their adverse effects and ability to be transported over long distances. Several EU measures have been adopted in order to control the pollution from heavy metals in the main sectors. This paper will provide an overview of trends of emissions, air concentrations and atmospheric depositions of heavy metals in Italy and of the main relevant EU legislation and its goals (Directives on paints, batteries, industrial emissions, etc.) together with policies adopted at Italian level.

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