10:40 - 13:00, International Conference Hall
Plenary Session 7
A World Free from Asbestos Risks: the Future Strategies
Chairs: Yoshiomi Temmyo and Barry Castleman
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Laurent Vogel
European Trades Union Confederation (ETUC), Belgium
ABSTRACT
The trade unions' fight against asbestos has not ended now that the European Union has decided to prohibit any new use of asbestos. Asbestos-related repercussions on health will continue to pose a major problem in years to come.
The revision of the Community directive concerning the use of asbestos has created a better legal framework in the EU countries. The directive of 27 March 2003 demonstrates a certain amount of progress. In practice, it forbids to continue making materials or products containing asbestos which are intended for export. Other positive elements are the decrease in the exposure limit to 0.1 fibres/cm3 and the extension of the directive's scope.
However, the directive does have certain deficiencies, notably :
Ethe revised directive does not cover self-employed workers.
Eit should be ensured that all demolition work on buildings or installations containing asbestos and all asbestos clean-ups are performed by companies approved on the basis of adequate criteria.
But, above all, it is effective compliance with the adopted regulations which is problematic.
Among the other crucial issues which have still to be addressed, the following ones will be discussed:
The creation of public registers of buildings containing asbestos.
The improvement of the recognition of asbestos-related diseases.
The monitoring of European enterprises' activities in third countries and the prohibition of exports of waste containing asbestos to third countries
The surveillance of the PPE market
The asbestos tragedy is unfortunately typical insofar as there are numerous other chemical substances which kill a large amount of people every year. The current debate surrounding the Commission's REACH proposals on European policy relating to chemical substances shows that the same mechanisms which contributed to the asbestos disaster are continuing to pose serious threats to workers' health, the population and the environment.
More information and reference documents on: http://tutb.etuc.org/fr/