Ukraine's Ministry of Economy and Environment, together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine and with the support of the Government of Japan, has presented nine new national standards for detecting asbestos and monitoring its presence.
The new standards establish procedures for collecting samples, testing construction materials and demolition debris for asbestos, and measuring the concentration of asbestos fibres in the air. Their implementation brings Ukraine closer to European requirements, particularly Directive 2009/148/EC on the protection of workers from risks related to asbestos exposure at work.
According to UNDP, as of September 2025, approximately 17.2 million tonnes of demolition debris had been generated by damage to and destruction of residential buildings in areas under Ukrainian government control. Some of this waste may contain asbestos.
The standards will help identify asbestos in a timely manner, safely separate contaminated materials and determine which materials can be recycled and reused.
To support the practical implementation of the standards, a handbook titled Asbestos: Monitoring Content in Accordance with European and International Standards has been prepared.
More than 300 specialists from government authorities, environmental monitoring bodies, occupational health and safety organisations, local communities, research institutions and the private sector have already received training based on the handbook.
This initiative forms part of broader cooperation between the Ministry and UNDP, including work related to Chapter 27, "Environment and Climate Change", of Ukraine's EU accession negotiations.
"The introduction of international standards, the provision of modern equipment to laboratories and the training of specialists are of direct practical importance for protecting human health and the environment. At the same time, our task is not only to identify and safely remove hazardous materials, but also to make maximum use of the resource potential of demolition waste. Combining proper laboratory monitoring, modern methodologies and practical recycling mechanisms will reduce the burden on the environment and waste disposal sites, enable more efficient use of resources and integrate circular economy principles into Ukraine's reconstruction process," said Olena Kramarenko, Deputy Minister of Economy and Environment of Ukraine.
The standards and handbook were developed by the NGO Living Planet and the Institute for Environmental Recovery and Development of Ukraine, which has served as the secretariat of Technical Committee for Standardisation TC 82, "Environmental Protection", since 2026.
With financial support from the Government of Japan, UNDP is helping Ukraine develop a safe demolition waste management system by improving national standards, strengthening laboratory infrastructure and training specialists. One of the outcomes of this cooperation has been the opening of Ukraine's first national asbestos detection laboratory, equipped with transmission electron microscopy technology.
