On Thursday 15 June, negotiators from the Swedish Presidency of the EU Council and the European Parliament were still unable to reach agreement on the revision of the directive on occupational exposure to asbestos. A further meeting could be held on 27 June.
A long list of points remained open, as the EU Council quickly rejected the exposure limit values proposed in the European Parliament’s mandate, i.e. 0.001 fibres/cm³ four years after the directive came into force.
Other points discussed and still open include the methodology for counting fibres and the occupational exposure limit, the transitional period, the definition of asbestos and the scope of application, the question of sporadic and low-intensity exposure, and the removal and disposal of materials containing asbestos.
However, according to one source, there was some positive movement on various fronts on Thursday. The Swedish Presidency of the EU Council has confirmed these advances, although the issue of the occupational exposure limit value - which the Council of the EU wants to maintain at 0.01 fibres/cm³, as proposed by the European Commission - has yet to be settled.
However, it would not be impossible to reach an agreement at the next meeting. When contacted, the office of the European Parliament rapporteur, Ms Trillet-Lenoir (Renew Europe, French) did not respond to our requests. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)