Compte rendu in extenso des débats

Mardi 3 octobre 2023 - Strasbourg

22.1. Protection des travailleurs contre l'amiante (A9-0160/2023 - Véronique Trillet-Lenoir)

Oral explanations of vote

  Luke Ming Flanagan (The Left). – Mr President, people where I live often ask what relevance does the European Parliament have to their lives? And unfortunately, this has a bit too much of relevance to my life because a week ago, a year ago and a week ago, my father died from asbestosis. So, next time someone asked me what relevance does the European Parliament have, I’ll be able to tell them that we’ve got some good news. We now will have protection from workers from cancer-causing asbestos fibres, which will be significantly improved with this directive. And the agreement is a clear victory for workers and goes beyond what the European Commission and the construction employers had called for. And finally, the removal of all asbestos remains the ultimate goal, and The Left calls on the Commission to put forward the next piece of legislation they have promised a mandatory screening and registration of asbestos in buildings, because while it is good news, unfortunately, we’ve known this for a long, long time and nothing was done. So whatever we can do to maximise this and do it as quickly as possible, the better. Because maybe some people who aren’t with us today might be with us today if we acted quick enough and we act quick enough in the future.