Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-12-16-Speech-1-084"
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"en.20021216.7.1-084"2
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"Mr President, I should like to say thank you to the rapporteur and to those who have planned this Assembly, for it is the first time in a long time that this House is being given permission to debate at a reasonable hour an important subject concerned with the working environment. We are used to meeting close to midnight, so it is splendid to be here today and see everyone awake.
We all know that asbestos is one of the greatest threats to workers’ health in the EU. It is estimated that, over the next 35 years, up to 500 000 deaths will be directly related to the serious illnesses caused by asbestos. I think that experience with asbestos and the debate in Parliament and elsewhere show very clearly how incredibly important it is that we take the precautionary principle very seriously. For many years, this principle was not taken seriously, and we can see the consequences today. I am therefore also pleased that all the groups in Parliament have chosen to support this directive. I cannot refrain from saying today that I should also like to see Liberals also being supportive in connection with other problems concerned with the working environment and showing a desire, which they have not always displayed, to take other problems in this area just as seriously as they have shown they take those arising from asbestos. Overall, the present proposal provides workers with better protection, and I am pleased that many of Parliament’s proposals have been approved by the Council. It is now proposed that employers should provide education programmes so that workers are clearer as to how they can protect themselves, and it is great progress that employers’ responsibility for this area has been made so very clear. I would also now call upon the Member States to go still further than the directive, and I believe that the three amendments adopted by the committee will improve the directive still further. It would, of course, also be splendid if the Council could express a positive attitude today, for it would mean that, quickly and within the coming week, we could bring our reading of this directive to a close, something which I would call upon us to do. There are many things we could have done better but, if we conclude the procedure now, it could save a number of workers from these very serious illnesses. I therefore hope that the Council will approve the amendments and that we can obtain a directive as quickly as possible."@en1
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