- A Communication on working towards an asbestos-free future, tackling asbestos in a comprehensive way, from improving diagnoses and treatment of diseases caused by asbestos, to identification and safe removal and waste treatment of asbestos; and
- A proposal to amend the Asbestos at Work Directive to improve workers' protection by significantly lowering the occupational exposure limit to asbestos.
Asbestos is banned in EU since 2005 but still exists in older buildings; it responsible still for a large number of cancers in the EU. Addressing the health risks of exposure to asbestos is essential to protect people's health and the environment, while ensuring decent living and working conditions.
The planned proposal will become part of the Commission's Europe's Beating Cancer Plan and Zero-Pollution Action Plan, as well as the EU strategic framework on health and safety at work 2021-2027 (in the CoR opinion with the same name it was argued that cancer and asbestos should be treated as individual entities rather than being included in the OSH strategic framework); the proposal also relates to the Renovation Wave Strategy and the proposal for a revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
The tentative timetable for adoption would be:
Þ Exchange of views: 12 December 2022
Þ First discussion and adoption: 17 February 2023 (tbc)
Þ Adoption in plenary session: 24-25 May 2023 (tbc)