On 14 Sept/07 the EU Parliament's Committee on Employment & Social Affairs issued a request for inclusion of crystalline silica occupational exposure limit in the Carcinogens Directive in their draft report on Community Strategy 2007-12 on health & safety at work. IMA, the lead association in charge of the NEPSi Social Dialogue on Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica, has submitted amendments, asking to wait for the results of the Agreement before regulating on crystalline silica. All measures were taken to alert MEPs on the role of social dialogue & of the crystalline silica agreement in particular. Parliament has complained about industry pressure, justifying its position by the fact that the construction sector is not part of the silica agreement. In the meantime, the Parliament's position was also strongly supported by the trade unions. However the resolution was finally not adopted, even if the pressure is still strong.
