Science and publications

The Asbestos dilemma: II. The ban

Fedor VALIC
Andrija Stampar School of Public Health, Medical Faculty University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Received March 2002

This article reviews the history of legal steps which led to conflicting regulatory approaches to the use of asbestos between the EU, the US and the rest of the world. Particular attention is paid to the EU ruling out the use of all types of asbestos. The author criticises how the Scientific Commitee on toxicity, Ecotoxicity and the Environment of the European Commission altered their own opinion within as short a time as seven months, and points out the weaknesses of the scientific justification for the EU ban. With equal criticism the author addresses the weak scientific rationale on witch Collegium Ramazzini founds its call for an immediate and total international ban of the mining and use of all type of asbestos.

Download the full article

Back to index of publications