Confronting Europe’s Asbestos Crisis

Laurie Kazan-Allen

European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions Conference:

Freeing Europe Safely from AsbestosJune 24, 2015

The Challenge

The Risks

As bad as these statistics are, the reality is even worse; research due to be published shortly estimates that 47,000+ people are dying every year in the 28 EU Member States from asbestos-related cancers and respiratory diseases.

The Reality

The situation we face in the EU is a result of decades of asbestos use; from 1920 to 2014, the current members of the EU used an estimated 40 million tonnes of asbestos. Over the same period, a further 65 million tonnes was used in Europe by non-EU members.

Post-ban Challenges

A few 2015 media reports about the ongoing hazard are informative:

• UK: Asbestos scare may force out MPs ] – June 7, 2015.

• Italy: Thermos cinesi con pasticche di amianto: dieci sequestri dal mese di ottobre 2014 [Chinese thermos with asbestos insulation; ten seizures since October 2014] – March 18, 2015.

• Belgium: Amiante dans nos écoles, la loi du silence? [Asbestos in our schools, the law of silence?] – February 11, 2015.

• Italy: Amianto, import fuorilegge in Italia: Guariniello apre un’inchiesta [Asbestos, import banned in Italy: Guariniello initiating an investigation] – January 11, 2015.

Status Quo

• Decontamination

• Prevention

• Surveillance, Recognition and Care of Asbestos Sufferers

Solutions

Country Population (million)

Mesothelioma Deaths (2012)

AsbestosBan

GDP(US$ [2013])

Australia 24 638 2003 1.56 trillion

EU 503 10,368 2005 18 trillion

Comparative Data: Australia v. European Union