Moldova Bans Asbestos!
News that the Republic of Moldova banned asbestos late last year must have sent a seismic shock to asbestos producers in Russia and Kazakhstan. The announcement of the ban (October 21, 2024) came shortly before Moldova was scheduled to withdraw from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) – a regional intergovernmental organization formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union1. Moldova had been a CIS founding member and its departure portends yet another contraction of the CIS’s regional dominance after the previous desertion by former CIS participant Ukraine, which also banned asbestos (2022).2
Although Moldova had in recent years consumed little or no asbestos – in 2022 Moldova imported a mere $16,400 worth of asbestos, 80% of which came from Russia – the elimination of yet another national market will almost certainly intensify the high level of anxiety being experienced by asbestos stakeholders.3
Moldova is an official EU candidate, with a stated goal of becoming a member state by 2030. Pursuant to this objective, Moldova is obliged to adopt EU legislation outlawing asbestos use. Four months ago, the Government of Moldova enacted an amendment to the Industrial Emissions Act (Law no 227/2022) banning the import, production, sale, processing and use of all types of asbestos and certain types of cement in industrial processes and construction.4 According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the provisions of this act are already being implemented.5
Asbestos markets in Armenia, like Moldova a founding member of the CIS, look increasingly unstable with a mere $52,500 worth of imports, all of which came from Russia, in 2022.6 Like Moldova, Armenia sees its future as part of the EU. It seems this vision is a shared one; on March 12, 2024 “the European Parliament passed a resolution confirming that Armenia meets the Maastricht Treaty Article 49 requirements and that the country may apply for EU membership.” Having embarked on this quest, it is clear that asbestos has no long-term future in Armenia either.
The current situation in Armenia is confusing. At the same time as asbestos building products are being used to refurbish water delivery systems, military and government buildings, aging asbestos-cement pipes are being replaced with polyethylene and/or steel pipes in communities around the country with eradication work proceeding in Martuni, Areni, Vardenis, Meghri and Ashtarak.7 Having banned actinolite, anthophyllite, amosite, crocidolite and tremolite asbestos in Government Resolution No. 930-N (September 8, 2016), the use of chrysotile (white) asbestos – mined in Russia and Kazakhstan – remains legal. While enquiries with government officials and NGOs remain ongoing, the fact that the country’s former Prime Minister Aram Sargsyan is part-owner of an asbestos-cement factory might be a contributory factor to the existing asbestos impasse.
In Georgia, Armenia’s northern neighbor, NGOs have already begun mobilizing over the health hazards posed by the use of asbestos-containing brake pads.8 In two other CIS countries – Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan – civil society groups have started questioning industry’s pro-asbestos rhetoric9 and the Government has acknowledged the environmental dangers to children of environmental exposures to asbestos, admitting that “it has not been possible to find any scientific or statistical information on this subject in Azerbaijan.”10
Whilst trying to build flagging demand at home, the asbestos industry is desperately looking to grow national markets in Asia. These efforts are doomed to fail. From January 2026, none of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) projects will be permitted to use asbestos.11 Unless, chrysotile asbestos producers are prepared to give exports away free of charge, decision-makers in Asian countries will almost certainly adopt safer technologies and products which are ADB-approved.12 In other words, they will eschew asbestos in order to access some of the $16.4 billion of ADB funds disbursed every year.13 It is not only the financially prudent thing to do but also the safest.
February 4, 2025
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1 The Moldova prohibitions included bans on the use of: actinolite, amosite, anthophyllite, crocidolite, tremolite and chrysotile asbestos and products containing them.
Republica Moldova PARLAMENTUL. LEGE Nr. 227 din 30-09-2022 privind emisiile industrial [Republic of Moldova Parliament. LAW No. 227 of 30-09-2022 on industrial emissions]. Accessed January 31, 2025.
https://www.legis.md/cautare/getResults?doc_id=133705&lang=ro
2 Burlakova, V. В Молдове запрещено использование асбеста и некоторых видов цемента в стройматериалах [Moldova bans the use of asbestos and certain types of cement in building materials]. November 14, 2024.
https://tuk.md/novosti/v-moldove-zapreshheno-ispolzovanie-asbesta-i-nekotoryh-vidov-cementa-v-strojmaterialah/
3 OEC. Asbestos in Moldova. Accessed January 30, 2025.
https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-product/asbestos/reporter/mda
Asbestos trade data collected the United States Geological Survey shows no asbestos imports to Moldova in 2018-2023.
4 The Moldova prohibitions included bans on the use of: actinolite, amosite, anthophyllite, crocidolite, tremolite and chrysotile asbestos and products containing them.
Republica Moldova PARLAMENTUL. LEGE Nr. 227 din 30-09-2022 privind emisiile industrial [Republic of Moldova Parliament. LAW No. 227 of 30-09-2022 on industrial emissions]. Accessed January 31, 2025.
https://www.legis.md/cautare/getResults?doc_id=133705&lang=ro
5 In a November 11, 2024 press release it was explained that the prohibitions were promulgated in Annex 14 to the Industrial Emissions Act 2022.
Republic of Moldova. În atenția agenților economici! [For the attention of economic operators!] November 13, 2024.
https://am.gov.md/ro/content/%C3%AEn-aten%C8%9Bia-agen%C8%9Bilor-economici-0
Annex 14 of Moldova’s Industrial Emissions Act 2022.
https://am.gov.md/sites/default/files/document/attachments/Anexa%20nr.14.pdf
6 OEC. Asbestos in Armenia. Accessed January 30, 2025.
https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-product/asbestos/reporter/arm
Asbestos trade data from the United States Geological Survey shows no recent asbestos imports to Armenia, however the article below noted that between 2008 and 2020, an average of 126 tonnes was imported annually.
Poghosyan, H., Baghdasaryan, S., Aghalaryan, C. 66 երկրում արգելված քաղցկեղածին ազբեստը Հայաստանում ամենուր է [Carcinogenic asbestos, banned in 66 countries, is everywhere in Armenia]. June 1, 2021.
https://hetq.am/hy/article/131229
7 Aghalaryan, K. В Армении продолжают использовать асбест: опасный стройматериал поставляет компания Арама Саргсяна [Asbestos Continues to Be Used in Armenia: Aram Sargsyan's Company Supplies the Dangerous Construction Material]. August 8, 2024.
https://hetq.am/ru/article/168567
8 Raising awareness of asbestos risks in vehicle brake pads in Georgia. January 13, 2021.
https://www.easst.co.uk/raising-awareness-of-asbestos-risks-in-vehicle-brake-pads-in-georgia/
Call for asbestos free brake pads to improve air quality and public health in Georgia. August 21, 2018.
https://www.easst.co.uk/asbestos-free-brake-pads-will-improve-air-quality-and-public-health-in-georgia/
9 Асбест: практика применения в Кыргызстане, проблемы и рекомендации Обзорное исследование [Asbestos: application practice in Kyrgyzstan, problems and recommendations. Review]. 2011.
https://s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/biom/work/pub/asbestos.pdf
10 Azerbaijan Ministry of Health & UNICEF. Children’s Environmental Health Assessment in Azerbaijan. 2023. https://www.unicef.org/azerbaijan/media/4466/file/CHILDREN%E2%80%99S%20ENVIRONMENTAL%20HEALTH%20ASSESSMENT%20IN%20AZERBAIJAN.pdf
11 APHEDA. ADB bans asbestos products from future projects Asian governments urged to follow. December 13, 2024.
https://www.apheda.org.au/union-win-asian-development-bank-bans-asbestos-materials-from-future-projects/
12 Ibid.
13 ADB website. Who We Are. Accessed February 1, 2025.
https://www.adb.org/who-we-are
