WRITTEN QUESTION E-1105/00 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission. Effects of exposure to asbestos.
Date: 2000-04-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European social policy, competence of the Member States, occupational disease, survivor's benefit

13.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 46 E/125

and the Commission can assure the Honourable Member that the programme will be effectively used for
funding high quality studies in this field.

The risks posed by synthetic drugs are among the challenges identified in the Community drug strategy
2000-2004. The strategy emphasises the need for providing young people with accurate and reliable
information on the effects of these substances. The Commission can confirm that every effort is made to
ensure that this information is disseminated in schools. Already, many projects funded by the Community
drug prevention programme have concentrated on the prevention of the use of synthetic drugs.

(2001/C 46 E/135)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1105/00

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(7 April 2000)

Subject: Effects of exposure to asbestos

Asbestos was banned in western Europe in the nineteen seventies. However, as an Italian epidemiologist
has pointed out, the effects of exposure to asbestos on various groups of workers in the last few decades
are continuing to grow. The development of asbestos-related cancer takes many years to produce a
clinically manifest tumour. In the United States, where asbestos was banned about 20 years earlier than in
Europe, the mesothelioma epidemic has already peaked. In Europe it is still growing and the number of
deaths caused by this kind of tumour is forecast to double in the next twenty years.

What steps will the Commission take to tackle this situation and to help the families of the workers
affected?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(15 June 2000)

The Commission shares the concerns expressed by the Honourable Member about the health effects of
asbestos. A significant body of Community legislation already exists which aims to protect the health of
workers and the public from the effects of asbestos. In particular, Council Directive 83/477/EEC of
19 September 1983 on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work
(second individual Directive within the meaning of Article 8 of Directive 80/1107/EEC) (1) as amended by
Council Directive 91/382/EEC of 25 June 1991 (2) covers the protection of workers exposed to asbestos at
work.

In response to the Council conclusions of 7 April 1998 on this subject (3) the Commission is drafting a
proposal to amend the above Directive with a view, in particular, to refocusing protective measures on
those who are now most at risk, improving training and information for the workers concerned, lowering
the limits for permissible concentrations in the air at the workplace and reviewing the assessment of
asbestos fibres.

Although the Commission Recommendation 90/326/EEC of 22 May 1990 to the Member States
concerning the adoption of a European schedule of occupational diseases (4) refers to all diseases caused
by exposure to asbestos, compensation for occupational diseases and possible help for the families of
workers affected are matters of Member State competence.

(1) OJ L 263, 24.9.1983.
(2) OJ L 206, 29.7.1991.
(3) OJ C 142, 7.5.1998.
(4) OJ L 160, 26.6.1990.