MEPs of the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) approved by 40 votes to none with 7 abstentions, on Wednesday 26 April, the draft report by Véronique Trillet-Lenoir (Renew Europe, French) on the revision of the directive on exposure to asbestos at work. The mandate to enter into negotiations with the EU Council was adopted by 47 votes in favour, none against and no abstentions.
The report envisages lowering the limit value to 0.001 fibres/cm3 for an 8-hour working average. This is after a four-year transition period during which it will be possible to apply the 0.01 fibre/cm3 limit value proposed by the Commission in September (see EUROPE 13072/4, 13031/20).
The report also calls on Member States to introduce, after this transition, a more advanced method of detecting asbestos fibres, known as electron microscopy. But for 4 years after the entry into force of the directive, it will still be possible to use the current phase contrast microscope method.
“A transitional period is necessary to allow Member States to equip themselves with these microscopes to better identify asbestos fibres present in the workplace and to carry out harmonisation work to ensure that fine fibres, which are particularly dangerous, are taken into account”, commented the MEP in a statement.
The report also sets out a series of measures, ranging from compulsory asbestos diagnosis before work is carried out to better assess the risks, to decontamination procedures to avoid secondary exposure, and to measures to avoid exposure of workers on building sites as much as possible.
The EPP and S&D groups welcomed the vote, with the S&D group recalling that 4.1 to 7.3 million workers are exposed to asbestos and that 97% of them work in the construction sector, including related occupations such as roofers, plumbers, carpenters and floorers, and 2% in the waste management sector.
In 2019, occupational exposure to asbestos led to the deaths of more than 70,000 people due to past exposure to asbestos, the EPP group said.
The Danish MEP Nikolaj Villumsen (The Left), author of the European Parliament’s own-initiative report on asbestos in 2021, particularly welcomed the lowering of the limit value “to 1% of the current EU levels, the modernisation of the way we measure asbestos, the improvement of the training and education of those who carry out the measurements, or the certification of companies handling asbestos and the screening of buildings for asbestos”.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) welcomed the ban on asbestos encapsulation, the recognition of all asbestos-related diseases or the training measures for workers, but wants the 0.001 fibre/cm3 value to be applied from the outset.
The report will be submitted to the plenary in early May.
Link to the report: https://aeur.eu/f/6jz (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)