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THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS



- welcomes the European Commission's work on the revision of the Directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work;

- notes that the directive treats asbestos in a very fragmented manner, limiting the problem to only protecting workers from risks to their health and safety arising from exposure to asbestos at work;

- joins the call for a European strategy for asbestos removal, which would ensure an integrated approach of different policies and implement systemic and effective solutions in all Member States on inventory, monitoring, safe disposal, storage and education (training) methods;

- welcomes the legislative initiative entitled Asbestos screening, registering and monitoring that should lead to the implementation of a coordinated and comparable approach throughout the EU to make it easier to detect and then safely remove asbestos in the EU's building stock;

- calls on the Commission to create mechanisms to safely speed up the eradication of asbestos by raising awareness, more effective education and protection for workers and inhabitants through effective, attractive and targeted education and information programmes;

- notes that the main reason for the slow rate of asbestos removal is that only dismantling and disposal of asbestos products (particularly Eternit roofs) are funded. There is a need to introduce new subsidy mechanisms and incentives (e.g. tax relief, subsidies);

- draws attention to the need to initiate and financially support the innovative activities of R & D centres for the safe disposal, preservation and storage of asbestos (e.g. under Horizon);

- notes that in order for the directive to be successful, Member States and EU institutions should actively involve local and regional authorities at all stages of coordination and implementation of the revised directive;

- proposes that Member States are invited to harmonise national standards and procedures for recognising asbestos-related diseases and introduce a register of asbestos-related diseases.