On 7 November 2006, the Commission presented a proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council codifying Council Directive 83/477/EEC on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work.
In its opinion of 2 February 2007, the Consultative Working Party of the legal services set up under the Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 December 1994 on an accelerated working method for official codification of legislative texts stated that the proposal does indeed confine itself to straightforward codification, without any substantive changes to the acts covered by it.
Having regard to the amendments adopted in respect of the proposal and in view of the work already carried out in the Council thereon, the Commission has decided to present – in accordance with Article 250(2) of the EC Treaty – an amended proposal for codification of Directive 83/477/EEC.
The Parliament is consulted again on this amended proposal which also takes account of the purely formal or editorial changes proposed by the Consultative Working Party of the legal services, where these are considered justified.