Asbestos can cause various forms of cancer, resulting in hundreds of victims in the Netherlands each year. That's why the use of asbestos intentionally added to products is banned under REACH.
However, in recent years, there have been several incidents involving asbestos in products. For example, as contamination in a product like blasting grit, or naturally present in a raw material, such as talc used in makeup.
Whether asbestos is intentionally or unintentionally present makes no difference in the risk of cancer. Therefore, Bureau REACH aims to expand the existing ban to prevent incidents. In 2023, we conducted an initial exploration and shared it with the Member States and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). Member States and ECHA can provide feedback on the explored options and indicate how they currently regulate asbestos. In 2024, Bureau REACH will further develop the proposal for expanding the ban based on that input. Subsequently, we will submit the proposal to ECHA, which will initiate the decision-making process and present the proposal to the scientific committees. After any adjustments, the European Commission will discuss and possibly adopt the proposal for expanding the ban, either in its original form or in a modified version.