SOS Amianto – the Portuguese Association for Protection Against Asbestos – warns today that Portugal has missed the deadline for transposing the European directive that requires reducing the exposure limit for workers to asbestos.
According to the association, the two years granted by the EU for the transposition of Directive (EU) 2023/2668 ends today.
But in the time allotted, Portugal has not formulated any relevant legislation – essentially “allowing Portuguese workers to remain exposed to a risk ten times greater than that of other member states”.
In a statement published today, SOS Amianto emphasises that the directive mandates a reduction in the exposure limit to 0.01 fibers per cubic centimeter (cm³).
The European Commission has also said in a statement released last week, that exposure to asbestos is responsible for 75% of occupational cancers in the European Union.
In the document, the European Commission states that it “bases its information on the most recent medical and scientific data” and that it “will promote the coherent recognition of these diseases in all member states and the necessary support and compensation for affected workers.”
Diseases that can be caused by exposure to asbestos at work include cancers of the larynx, ovaries, pleural plaques with pulmonary insufficiency, and non-malignant pleural effusion.
“The Commission urges Member States to take measures to ensure that workers diagnosed with colon, rectal or stomach cancer can receive compensation when a link to asbestos exposure at work is proven,” states the Commission.
SOS Amianto adds that the new directive “requires the transition from optical microscopy to electron microscopy – the only method capable of detecting the finest and most lethal asbestos fibers”, predicting that “Portugal will continue to use ill-advised methods, which will result in false assurances of safety regarding the presence of asbestos in buildings and workplaces.”
According to the association, without updated legislation in Portugal, renovations in buildings under the PRR (Plan for Recovery and Resilience) “are taking place without the necessary oversight and updated safety standards.”
Bottom line: by not transposing the European directive, Portugal maintains an “aggravated public health risk”.
“As SOS Amianto warned in the Environment and Energy Committee of the Assembly of the Republic, Portugal seems to prefer the risk of European sanctions and heavy fines to the urgency of protecting the lives of those who deal daily with this carcinogen. The legislative silence (…) is a disrespect for workers and victims of asbestos, who remain “invisible” to the Portuguese State,” the association concludes.
Source: LUSA
