Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu has declined to mandate the EU-wide use of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for asbestos identification, instead reaffirming that Member States may choose between TEM and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) under current EU law. The answer, published on 2 July 2026, responds to a question from S&D MEP Thomas Pellerin-Carlin, who argued that only TEM can reliably detect the finest asbestos fibres and that SEM may miss dangerous forms, creating unequal worker protection across the single market. Mînzatu pointed to Directive 2009/148/EC, as amended in 2023, which requires fibre counting by electron microscopy or equivalent methods, and to recently published Commission guidelines that describe TEM among the analytical options. She stressed that the directive sets only minimum requirements and that it is for Member States to determine the appropriate methods to achieve the prescribed limit values. The answer contains no concrete proposal to harmonise detection technology, no timeline for a possible revision, and no commitment to assess whether SEM delivers equivalent results. By leaving the choice to national authorities, the Commission maintains the current regulatory framework, which prioritises flexibility over uniformity.
workers, who may face different levels of protection depending on their Member State; national enforcement bodies, which retain discretion over testing protocols; the construction and renovation industry, which must comply with varying national requirements; and manufacturers of analytical equipment, who face a fragmented market for SEM and TEM devices. The 2023 amendment to the asbestos directive already lowered exposure limits and strengthened worker protection, but the question of detection method harmonisation remains unresolved. No immediate institutional follow-up is scheduled; the Commission's position suggests that any further alignment would require a new legislative proposal, which is not currently announced.