European Parliament agrees tighter asbestos rules

The TUC has welcomed last month's European parliament vote to cut in half the maximum exposure for asbestos proposed by the European Commission in its new Asbestos Directive.

TUC general secretary John Monks said: "This is a major step forward in protecting workers engaged in repair, refurbishment and demolition. All asbestos exposures are dangerous, but because of the millions of tonnes left in Europe's buildings, workers will continue to be exposed for many years to come. MEPs have made it clear they will take action to keep those exposures as low as possible."

The European Parliament is currently considering a European Commission proposal for a new Asbestos Directive, which has already been endorsed by the Council of Ministers. Changes proposed by the Parliament are then discussed with European Union governments.