Protection of workers from asbestos at work [EU Legislation in Progress]

Written by Laurence Amand-Eeckhout (3rd edition, updated on 13.12.2023).

On 28 September 2022, the European Commission proposed a revision of the 2009 Directive on the protection of workers from the risk of exposure to asbestos. On 27 June 2023, after interinstitutional negotiations, the Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the proposal. Parliament approved the agreed text on 3 October 2023; the Council followed on 23 October. The final act was signed on 22 November 2023. Member States have until 21 December 2025 to transpose the bulk of the provisions, with the remainder to be in national law by December 2029.

Despite the total ban on the use of asbestos in the EU, exposure to this carcinogenic fibre, which is still present in millions of buildings, kills more than 70 000 people a year in Europe. The new rules significantly lower the current asbestos limits and provide for more modern and accurate technologies to measure exposure levels to asbestos. They also provide for strengthened preventive and protective measures to improve worker protection, such as the adequate use of individual protective and respiratory equipment, the safe cleaning of clothing, a decontamination procedure, and high quality training requirements for workers.

Versions

• December 2023: Protection of workers from asbestos at work (3rd edition)