New Office and Funding to Tackle Asbestos

On Wednesday 4th November 2026, Minister of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition Paneque announced in Parliament that the Department will increase its aid allocation for asbestos removal in November, with a new €20 million package dedicated to the removal, transport, and treatment of asbestos waste. This funding will support work carried out by companies registered in the official asbestos-risk company registry. It complements earlier emergency aid from January 2026, which enabled interventions in municipalities across Ripollès, Garrotxa, and Alt Urgell. A new call for applications is being processed to address roofs damaged by severe weather in summer 2026.

First Month of Asbestos Eradication Act

The announcement came during a parliamentary update on the first month of Law 8/2026 on asbestos eradication, which entered into force on 3rd October 2026 after being approved on 17th June. Paneque outlined key initial actions, including the creation of the Asbestos Eradication Office, which has an initial team of 13 staff, with five already in post. The law establishes a mandatory property certificate for sales and rentals, requiring disclosure of asbestos presence. Public consultation on future regulations will begin soon, and the existing map of fibre cement roofs will be updated.

This law makes sense and is necessary because asbestos is a known, locatable, and avoidable risk.

Five-Pillar Strategy for Eradication

The eradication effort is structured around five components:

  • Knowledge: Creation of the Catalan Census of Asbestos-Containing Materials, covering visible roofs and building interiors.
  • Responsibility: Removal from public buildings by 2028.
  • Instruments: Establishment of the Asbestos Eradication Fund and a registry of authorised companies.
  • People: Enhanced protection for those at risk of asbestos-related diseases.
  • Institutional coordination: Streamlined collaboration across agencies.

According to the Catalan Institute of Cartography and Geology (ICGC), 122,460 fibre cement roofs have been identified, covering around 40 square kilometres and containing an estimated 700,000 tonnes of material across 945 municipalities. The Generalitat estimates nearly one million tonnes remain to be removed, with over 85% expected to exceed their useful life by 2030. Paneque stressed the urgency: “Every year that passes without removing asbestos, the complexity of the problem increases.”

Sources: Govern de Catalunya, diaricatalunya.cat.