04/02/2025 (Agence Europe) – To mark World Cancer Day, European trade unions called on President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, on Tuesday 4 February, “to finally deliver on her promise of legislation to better protect workers from asbestos-ridden buildings”, said the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) in a press release. According to EU data, between 4 and 7 million workers in the EU are exposed to asbestos; mesothelioma, caused by exposure to asbestos fibres, accounts for 40% of work-related cancers. The “President (...) announced in 2022 that she would propose a directive on screening, registration and monitoring of asbestos in buildings. A public consultation was held and the Commission was due to adopt a directive in the second quarter of 2023, but it has still not done so”, points out the ETUC. (SP)