Activities of Leszek MILLER related to 2019/2182(INL)
Plenary speeches (1)
Protecting workers from asbestos (debate)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on Protecting workers from asbestos
Amendments (9)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas despite the European-level ban on its use, 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; whereas many cases of asbestos-related diseases are not recognised as occupational diseases;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas a substantial share of the existing built environment in the EU is older than 50 years and according to EU Building Stock Observatory in most EU Member States, half of the residential stock was built before 1970 when asbestos was widely used; whereas the extensive use of asbestos in construction poses a threat to many different groups of people, including home-owners, building users and occupants;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the legislation in force in some Member States only puts certain obligations on owners, administrators or managers of asbestos-containing buildings when they start to use the building or intend to start its demolition, and not when selling a building equipped with asbestos-containing products;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
a. the screening shall consists of a diagnosis of the presence of asbestos by a professional entity with appropriate qualifications and permits provided for by national and Union law and must be followed by action to reduce the risk posed by any asbestos detected; asbestos waste disposal must be strictly controlled;
Amendment 35 #
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 about applicable laws and regulation, the correct and safe removal of asbestos detected, and financial support available;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses that the planned update of provisions of directive 2009/148/EC on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work, as well as the new initiatives on the European and national asbestos removal strategies make a concrete contribution to the social dimension of the single market; calls on the Commission to ensure, that these initiatives will guarantee the well- functioning and sustainable development of SMEs and micro-enterprises and support them when implementing these strategies;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Welcomes the Commission’s plan to strengthen Union measures for protecting workers from the threat of asbestos and to prevent the increment of asbestos victims in the course of the Union’s building renovation wave; believes that renovation offers a unique opportunity to modernize housing infrastructure for the benefit of all consumers in the EU and to make it fit for a greener and digital society of Europe after the recovery from COVID-19 crisis;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Stresses that the provisions of Union law on market surveillance and compliance of products should be used to prevent the use and illegal placement of asbestos on the internal market and highlights in this regard the importance of digitalisation of registers of buildings containing asbestos and the facilitation of data sharing between the construction sector, financial institutions and public authorities; recalls that strengthening efforts to keep non-compliant products, also containing asbestos, from the Union market was identified as a priority in the Commission’s communication of 28 October 2015 “Upgrading the Single Market: more opportunities for people and business”;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1d. Underlines that currently Member States can allocate European Structural and Investment Funds for handling and removal of asbestos in line with the objectives of the respective national or regional programmes; stresses within this context the unique opportunities given in this regard by the Green Deal, the Next Generation EU and the 2021-27 Multiannual Financial Framework;