Annexes to COM(2022)488 - Working towards an asbestos-free future: a European approach to addressing the health risks of asbestos - Main contents
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This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2022)488 - Working towards an asbestos-free future: a European approach to addressing the health risks of asbestos. |
|---|---|
| document | COM(2022)488  |
| date | September 28, 2022 |
8. Conclusion
Though asbestos has been banned in the EU since 2005, its legacy continues to pose a considerable threat to public health. To protect the population from exposure to asbestos and to prevent the risks from being passed on to younger generations, it is important to scale up action at EU and national level to identify and remove asbestos.
This communication comes at a time when the EU is determined to greatly improve the energy efficiency of buildings, and to make its building stock carbon neutral by 2050. As part of this goal, addressing the health risks of exposure to asbestos is essential to achieve the green transition that puts public health and decent living and working conditions at its core.
The Commission calls upon all EU institutions, Member States, social partners and other stakeholders to accelerate action to achieve an asbestos-free EU for current and future generations.
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https://monographs.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/mono100C-11.pdf
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WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury
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Lassen, C. and Christens, F. (COWI); Vencovska, J; Vencovsky, D. and Garrett, S. (RPA), Schnekider, K. and Dilger, M. (FoBiG). 2021. Study on collecting information on substances with the view to analysing the health, socio-economic and environmental impacts in connection with possible amendments of Directive 98/24/EC (Chemical Agents) and Directive 2009/148/EC (Asbestos). Final report for asbestos.
Data from Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 database.
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Restrictions on the use of crocidolite by Council Directive 83/478 introducing restrictions on asbestos into Directive 76/769/EEC https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:31987L0217&from=EN and https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:31976L0769&from=en
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Restrictions on the use of Chrysotile, Amosite, Anthophyllite, Actinolite and Tremolite, in toys, products for spraying or in powder form, insulation devices, paints and varnishes, Directive 85/610 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:31985L0610&from=EN
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Crocidolite, Amosite, Anthophyllite, Actinolite and Tremolite.
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Certain devices, paints and varnishes, filters for liquids, road surfacing material, fillers and sealants, low density insulating or soundproofing materials, air filters and filters for gas, underlays for plastic floor and wall coverings, textiles (with a temporary exception for diaphragms) and roofing felt.
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Directive 1999/77/EC with the transposition deadline of 1 January 2005 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:31999L0077&from=EN
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Controls on products entering the EU with regards to their compliance with the REACH Regulation are governed by Regulation 2019/1020 on market surveillance and the compliance of products https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32019R1020&from=EN
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COM(2021) 44 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:8dec84ce-66df-11eb-aeb5-01aa75ed71a1.0002.02/DOC_1&format=PDF
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COM(2021) 400 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:a1c34a56-b314-11eb-8aca-01aa75ed71a1.0001.02/DOC_1&format=PDF
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https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:b828d165-1c22-11ea-8c1f-01aa75ed71a1.0002.02/DOC_1&format=PDF
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https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/eu_renovation_wave_strategy.pdf
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Based on current notifications, the increasing trend of the amount of asbestos-containing waste, the number of certified workers and the lifespan of the asbestos cement materials (70-80% of asbestos in EU). Source: RPA (2021) external study, see footnote 3
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https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2021-0427_EN.html
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https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/our-work/opinions-information-reports/opinions/freeing-eu-asbestos#:~:text=The%20EESC%20encourages%20the%20EU%20to%20work%20with,States%20should%20be%20encouraged%20to%20develop%20such%20registers
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https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/our-work/opinions-information-reports/opinions/working-asbestos-energy-renovation-own-initiative-opinion
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https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/annex_0.pdf
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Specific SDGs include good health and well-being (SDG 3), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), Industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9) and responsible production and consumption (SDG 12).
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Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers many of the internal organs (known as the mesothelium).
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Burgers JA, Damhuis RA. Prognostic factors in malignant mesothelioma. Lung Cancer. 2004 Aug;45 Suppl 1:S49-54. doi: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2004.04.012. PMID: 15261434.
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European Occupational Diseases Statistics (EODS) - Experimental statistics - Eurostat (europa.eu)
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Health at a Glance: Europe 2020: State of Health in the EU Cycle
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See footnote 10
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Proposal for a Council Recommendation (CR) on Strengthening prevention through early detection: A new approach on cancer screening replacing CR 2003/878/EC (europa.eu) of 20 September 2022
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WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury
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Mesothelioma (7 510 deaths), ovarian cancer (2 032), tracheal, bronchus and lung cancer (61 035) and larynx cancer (1,173). RPA external study (2021), see footnote 3, data from Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 database.
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Commission Recommendation 2003/670/EC of 19 September 2003 concerning the European schedule of occupational diseases, OJ L 238, 25.9.2003, p.28. OJ L 238, 25.9.2003, p.28. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32003H0670&from=EN
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The occupational diseases linked to asbestos currently included in Annex I to the Recommendation are the following: asbestosis; mesothelioma following the inhalation of asbestos dust; complication of asbestos in the form of bronchial cancer, fibrotic diseases of the pleura, with respiratory restriction, caused by asbestos; and lung cancer following the inhalation of asbestos dust.
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Occupational cancer is, with a share of 52 %, the leading cause of work-related deaths in the European Union, above circulatory illnesses (24 %) and injuries (2 %) and all other causes (22 %). This is according to 2017 data, thus EU27+UK. https://visualisation.osha.europa.eu/osh-costs#!/
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https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/experimental-statistics/european-occupational-diseases-statistics
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COM/2021/323 final. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021DC0323
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The second individual directive within the meaning of Article 8 of Directive 80/1107/EC on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to chemical, physical and biological agents at work (OJ L 263, 24.9.1983, p. 25).
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OJ L 158, 30.4.2004, p. 50. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:02004L0037-20140325&from=EN
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See the 2017 ex-post evaluation of the EU OSH Directives https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52017SC0010
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Evaluation supporting study available at: https://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=17060&langId=en
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If no action is taken at EU level, and considering only the occupations where exposure to asbestos currently occurs, an estimated 884 cases of occupational cancer will occur over the next 40 years in the EU-27. It is also predicted that 707 workers will die from cancer attributed to occupational exposure to asbestos over the same period. In terms of health costs, it is estimated that cancer cases will cost between EUR 228 and 438 million.
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For more information on measurement methodologies see the opinion of the European Chemicals Agency’s Risk Assessment Committee https://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/30184854/OEL_asbestos_Final_Opinion_en.pdf/cc917e63-e0e6-e9cd-86d2-f75c81514277
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See https://osha.europa.eu/en/facts-and-figures/workers-exposure-survey-cancer-risk-factors-europe for more information. The survey will initially be carried out in a broadly representative selection of six EU Member States covering 24 cancer risk factors, including chemical and physical risks. First findings expected in 2023.
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The characteristics analysed include gender, age, country of birth, occupation, activity sector, the size of the company, size of the workplace, professional status, type of contract, and weekly working hours.
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Maduta, C., Kakoulaki, G., Zangheri, P., Bavetta, M., Towards energy efficient and asbestos-free dwellings through deep energy renovation, JRC129218, https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC129218
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A Renovation Wave for Europe. See footnote 13.
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41 E.g., flat roofing tiles, large and small facade panels, ceiling and wall panelling, heat and sound protection against fire and condensation on beams, smoke proof doors and gates, kilns, boilers and high-temperature installations, etc.
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Figure 1 breaks down the consumption of asbestos per main periods of construction of EU buildings. The estimate is based on the apparent asbestos consumption between 1920 and 2003 (Virta, 2006) and the percentage of raw asbestos used in building materials identified in the literature; no figures for asbestos consumption were reported for Malta. Full methodology in reference 40.
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See footnote 41.
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See footnote 41.
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Directive 2009/148/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work, OJ L 330, 16.12.2009, p. 28. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32009L0148&from=EN
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See footnote 41.
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https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/download/pdf?id=LykGmH7vMb-yJKNXCJ9VQ3z9fiEK5Q9jlNDoaaUnwUM=
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https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/download/pdf?id=uE3o2iaLz4ujX46N5eNQWUANnUy9niNepuHoD-nISzQ= amended in 2020 https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/download/pdf?id=TtFjMCu9CIzP1bhSZJIVTvpNRp6cu4pAD6cG41mJnZw=
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See footnote 41.
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https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:0638aa1d-0f02-11eb-bc07-01aa75ed71a1.0003.02/DOC_2&format=PDF
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https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:c51fe6d1-5da2-11ec-9c6c-01aa75ed71a1.0001.02/DOC_1&format=PDF
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https://ec.europa.eu/environment/topics/circular-economy/levels_en
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See Eurostat, 2018 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Waste_statistics#Total_waste_generation
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Under Article 2(b) of Directive 2008/98/EC on waste ‘buildings permanently connected with land’ are excluded from the scope of the Directive since they are not regarded as waste.
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See Annex III to Directive 2008/98/EC on waste and Decision 2000/532/EC establishing a list of waste.
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https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/20509/
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https://ec.europa.eu/growth/news/eu-construction-and-demolition-waste-protocol-2018-09-18_en
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Vitrification, for instance, which converts asbestos into inert, potentially recyclable, mineral materials, has very limited availability at industrial scale, and it is highly energy intensive. For instance, the plant of the company INERTAM, in France, uses plasma-torch technology that vitrifies asbestos waste, reaching temperatures of up to 1600 °C, which generates a very high energy consumption and related climate impact.
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Council Decision 2003/33/EC sets requirements for the safe disposal of asbestos in landfills, and Directive 1999/31/EEC on landfilling of waste provides minimum control and monitoring procedures to be carried out periodically at the site.
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The waste hierarchy, as set out in Article 4 of the Waste Framework Directive, is a priority order for waste management, reflecting a general approach under EU waste management law. The hierarchy sets out five possible ways of dealing with waste and prioritises these measures as follows: 1) Prevention; 2) Preparing for re-use; 3) Recycling; 4) Other recovery, e.g., energy recovery; and 5) Disposal. Its primary purpose is to minimise adverse environmental effects from waste and to increase and optimise resource efficiency in waste management and policy. (Extracted from the 2012 Guidance on the interpretation of key provisions of Directive 2008/98/EC on waste https://ec.europa.eu/environment/pdf/waste/framework/guidance_doc.pdf ).
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https://ec.europa.eu/european-social-fund-plus/en
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https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/funding/erdf/
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U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2022.
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http://www.pic.int/TheConvention/Overview/TextoftheConvention/tabid/1048/language/en-US/Default.aspx
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Resilient health systems and first-mover global position in standard-setting, including in terms of rights at work, are among the 10 pillars of Europe’s open strategic autonomy - see COM/2021/750 final.
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See footnote 3
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COM(2022) 71 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52022PC0071&from=EN
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The EU contributes to the ILO Vision Zero Fund (VZF) by financing, with EUR 1.8 million from the EU Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI), a project for improving Occupational Safety and Health in the global supply chain. It also finances with EUR 0.5 million the project ‘Filling data and knowledge gaps on OSH in GSCs to strengthen the model of shared responsibility’. The project is aimed at ensuring that actionable knowledge on OSH and GSCs is available, to support industry, public and private stakeholders’ decision-making, and to inform the development of industry-wide strategies to sustainably address the most persistent OSH challenges. The project provides available up-to-date, sex disaggregated data on the incidence of occupational fatal and non-fatal accidents, injuries and diseases in VZF project countries.