In May 2016, the European Commission proposed to extend the scope
of Directive 2004/37/EC to review occupational exposure limits
for carcinogens and mutagens or to include new ones. Until now,
the Council has refused to include emissions from diesel engines
within the scope of the Directive.
This request from the Greens/EFA group has finally led to a
compromise and the final text of the agreement sets a limit of
0.5 mg/m3 for exposure from diesel engine emissions for 8
hours.
This limit will enter into force in most sectors two years after
the end of the transposition period of the Directive, either in
2023, with the exception of mines and tunnels, for which it will
apply five years after the end of the transposition period, or
theoretically in 2026.
Jean Lambert MEP member of the Committee on
Employment and Social Affairs for
the Greens/EFA group comments:
"The European Parliament has forced governments to recognise
the carcinogenic nature of diesel engine emissions. This is an
undeniable victory for the health of workers across Europe. Every
year in the EU, 3 million workers are exposed to diesel pollution
through the course of their professional activities.
"This is also a victory in our fight against the myth of
clean diesel. While the damage diesel does to citizens' health is
becoming more well known, the consequences for workers' health
has stayed off the radar, largely under pressure from corporate
lobbies. Thanks to this agreement, citizens and workers are now
considered equal in the face of the dangers of diesel
exhaust."
