Activities of Anne-Sophie PELLETIER related to 2019/2182(INL)
Plenary speeches (1)
Protecting workers from asbestos (debate)
Opinions (1)
OPINION on Protecting workers from asbestos
Amendments (14)
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas despite the European-level ban on its use since 2005 and the REACH Regulation, which lists six groups of asbestos fibre, asbestos remains the main cause of death linked to occupational diseases, and whereas it also affects individuals outside the working environment through a continuous increase in cancers and mesothelioma linked to passive, limited exposure;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas asbestos is acknowledged, as is well established and documented, as a cause of lung, laryngeal and ovarian cancers and mesothelioma, with a latency period of 20 to 55 years following exposure; whereas a study by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health puts the number of persons dying each year as a result of exposure to asbestos at some 250 0001a; _________ 1ahttps://www.mdpi.com/1660- 4601/15/5/1000/htm
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas asbestos is still present in many administrative buildings, schools, housing, infrastructure and public- transport facilities and water supply networks; whereas knowledge about the use and presence of that substance is dwindling over time;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas, outside the working environment, cancers and mesothelioma linked to passive, limited exposure to asbestos are increasing continuously; whereas asbestos contamination of the indoor environment is a cause of mortality, and whereas it is difficult to lay down safety thresholds for exposure to asbestos;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the extensive use of asbestos in construction poses a threat to building users and occupantsworkers who are in contact with it and to building users and occupants who are passively exposed to it;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas because of the lifespan of buildings with asbestos-containing components, the deterioration of materials, and the energy-related building renovation wave, renovation processes will be complex, posing immediate risks of exposure for persons on or near construction sites, as well as future risks for users and occupiers because of the slow asbestos-dust dispersal rate;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
a. the screening shall consists of a diagnosis of the presence of asbestos and must be followed by action to reduce the risk posed by any asbestos detected, using the best possible techniques;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
c. the result of the screening must be communicated to a competent national body, which shall maintain a national register of asbestos risk reduction certificates and provide advice to owners on the applicable laws and regulations, the correct and safe removal of asbestos detected and the financial support available;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point d
Paragraph 1 – point d
d. in order to protect users or occupants as effectively as possible, the screening must be carried out by qualified and certified operators in accordance with Directive 2009/148/EC and national law and practice and under the supervision of a competent national body;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point e
Paragraph 1 – point e
e. the certificate shall be forwarded to the buyer before any sale, and made available to the lessor, as well as on request to professionals carrying out work in the building or to occupants/users., and must contain the list of types of asbestos- containing materials detected, together with details of their exact location;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
ea. the certificate must be renewed after each sale or, at the latest, five years after it was issued, in order to update the diagnosis it contains;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point e b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point e b (new)
eb. effective, proportionate and dissuasive fines shall be established for sellers and lessors of buildings who do not commission the prescribed screening and report the results thereof to the competent body or to buyers or lessees before selling or renting out the property;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point e c (new)
Paragraph 1 – point e c (new)
ec. sellers or lessors of buildings shall be liable if they do not commission the mandatory screening and report the results thereof to the competent national body, the period of liability being 30 years;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Calls on the Commission to draw up within two years an inventory of best practices, covering both statutory obligations and financial incentives, in order to reduce the risk of exposure to asbestos for users and inhabitants of buildings;