The treatment of the European Commission’s employees exposed to asbestos at Jean Monnet Building in Luxembourg is disgraceful, Labour MEP Alfred Sant said.

The former prime minister said that after more than four months, the European Commission has still not replied to a parliamentary question he put regarding when the 1,700 translators, 50 of whom are Maltese, will be transferred to a safe workplace.

At Jean Monnet all employees have for a long time been subjected to serious health hazards resulting from the presence of asbestos in the building’s infrastructure, he insisted.

"The European institutions should give the lead in showing full respect to regulations in the countries where they operate. They surely cannot appear to lead in the non-observance of rules meant to protect the health of European citizens."

He said the European Commission had for years repeatedly sidelined concerns there. Staff complaints about the issue had been ignored. The use of the building was in conflict with Luxembourg’s regulations regarding health and safety standards, but these could not be enforced given the Commission’s diplomatic status, he said.

Alfred Sant had asked the European Commission whether a definite date has been decided to move out 1,700 employees from the Jean Monet Building. He asked how many cases of asbestos had been recognised as professional illnesses regarding Commission employees stationed in the Jean Monet Building.  

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