Maltese nationals exposed to asbestos at European Commission’s Luxembourg building

Labour MEP Alfred Sant has called on the European Commission to move out 1,700 employees from the Jean Monet Building in Luxembourg after investigations uncovered large amounts of asbestos in the building.

A total of 1,700 employees work in this European Commission building, 50 of which are Maltese nationals. Sant has now asked the European Commission whether a definite date to move out all employees from this building.

In his question to the Commission, Sant asked how many cases of asbestos have been recognised as professional illnesses and why it took almost 20 years, from the first initial moves in 1995,  to complete the move out of the Jean Monnet Building.

Sant said that on 30 November 2009, the European Commission had issued a directive on the protection of workers from risks related to the exposure of asbestos at work and the well known health risks the presence of asbestos creates.

According to unoffical reports, two people working in this building have fallen ill as a result of exposure to absestos.

The European Commission is expected give a reply at the beginning of January 2015.