The EU has had a total ban on the import or use of asbestos products since 2005. However, some European activists are now concerned that this could be under threat from the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a free trade agreement which the EU has been negotiating with the United States for several years.
Asbestos is banned within the EU because of the harmful effects to humans if they inhale or ingest asbestos fibres. Asbestos exposure gives rise to a risk of a number of asbestos related medical conditions such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, asbestos related lung cancer, pleural thickening and pleural plaques.
European health campaigners now fear that the TTIP will put the EU’s asbestos ban at risk. The United States is one of the few industrialised countries which does not have a total asbestos ban. European campaigners are concerned that if TTIP is approved, the US will be able to insist that the EU relaxes its rules to allow the import and use of asbestos products from the US.
It is not certain that the TTIP agreement will be entered into by the EU. If an initial agreement cannot be reached before President Obama leaves office in January 2017 then the trade deal may never happen. Some EU politicians, including French President Francois Hollande, have concerns about the whole deal.
Britain is unlikely to enter into the TTIP following the Brexit vote. However, the UK government is keen to enter into a separate free trade deal with the United States after Britain’s exit from the EU. Therefore, Britain may face a similar scenario to the EU in the future.
If you require assistance in pursuing an asbestos compensation claim for mesothelioma or any other asbestos disease then please contact us today on our freephone number 0800 038 6767. Alternatively, head over to the ‘Contact Us’ page, complete the form and we will be in touch.