Capacity Building for Banning and Phasing out Asbestos in West Balkan Countries. The overall objective of this project is to strengthen capacity of Civil Society Organizations from West Balkan Countries to be able to deal with asbestos issue at these countries. Specific objectives are:

• to create partnership between Civil Society Organizations from the West Balkan Countries interested in dealing with asbestos issue, and partnership with similar organizations from European Union,
• to transfer a know-how from EU member countries (especially new member countries) about their experience in dealing with asbestos issue (procedures, measures, activities, challenges, problems, etc.),
• to increase public awareness about presence of asbestos containing materials and hazards to humans' health what they can cause,
• to lobby at decision makers for prompt adopting and implementation of EU Asbestos Directive in national legislatives of West Balkan Countries.

Target Groups:

• Civil Society Organizations (professional and business associations, NGO’s, etc.) dealing with occupational health and safety, as well as environmental issues.
• National and Local Authorities.
• Occupational Health and Safety workers and inspectors.
• Industrial companies and SMEs where asbestos is used.

Estimated results:

• Networking of the Civil Society Organizations from the West Balkan Countries interested in dealing with asbestos issue, and their partnership with similar organizations from EU.
• Defining the depth of the problem with asbestos at West Balkan Countries.
• Preparation of an Action plan for implementation of measures and activities for dealing with the problem with asbestos at West Balkan Countries.
• Increasing public awareness about problem with asbestos.
• Adoption and implementation of the European Asbestos Directive in national legislatives of West Balkan Countries.
• Training of occupational health and safety specialists and inspectors in identifying asbestos risks and organizing and carrying out works on asbestos-containing hazardous substances including asbestos-cement products.
• Publishing public domain educational resources about asbestos and its hazard impact on the humans’ health, as well as about working with materials containing asbestos.

 Main activities:

• Preparation of a study for the current situation with asbestos in the West Balkan Countries.
• Organization of Balkan conference about problems with asbestos.
• Development of partnership network among interested organizations from West Balkan countries, and with EU member countries.
• Campaign for increasing the public awareness about problem with asbestos.
• Development of Action plan for implementation of EU Directive about asbestos.
• Lobbying at relevant authorities for adoption and implementation of EU Asbestos Directive in national legislatives of West Balkan Countries.
• Training seminar for occupational health and safety specialists and inspectors in identifying asbestos risks, as well as organizing and carrying out works on asbestos-containing hazardous substances including asbestos-cement products.
• Preparation and publishing educational materials about asbestos and his hazardous influence on the humans’ health, as well as about working with materials containing asbestos.
• Management of the project

Partner(s):

• Gauss Institute, Bitola, Macedonia.
• Applied Research and Communications Fund, Sofia, Bulgaria.
• Ecological Association HELIKS, Belgrade, Serbia.
• EKOPOT-Association for development, advancement and promotion of ecological agriculture, tourism and environment protection, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Total duration of the action is 18 months, and budget is 250.000 EUR, out of which 200.000 EUR are grant from European Union.

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