30/11/2022

EU lawmakers are now under pressure to act after a cross border investigation revealed that 70,000 to 90,000 annual asbestos-related deaths occur in Europe — not including the growing number of cancers by exposure at homes, schools, hospitals, and offices.

The European Parliament asked for a broad asbestos strategy under different headings. The headings include a framework directive binding members to act, new occupational exposure limits (OEL) for workers 100 times lower than the present OEL, a compulsory register of buildings where asbestos is present, and a pan-EU recognition and compensation scheme for asbestos victims.

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Photo © B. Jimenez Tejero: "Jesús Ropero died of mesothelioma shortly after this interview. This worker at CAF, a multinational train manufacturer in Spain, removed blue asbestos with his own hands."