Industry Outlook and Current Trends
Asbestos News: Events, Regulations, Legislation, and General Updates
A forum for analyzing the latest developments, news on trends in the environmental services market, and updates regarding inspections and grants.
Technical Workshop: New Challenges and Opportunities in Asbestos Management
Tarragona College of Engineers (10/08/26)
On October 6, 2026, Asbex participated in a technical workshop to analyze the impact of new regulatory developments regarding asbestos removal on the industrial sector in the province of Tarragona.
The Association of Graduate Engineers and Industrial Technical Engineers of Tarragona hosted a specialized meeting to address the technical and legal implications of asbestos removal. During the session, participants analyzed how advance planning and compliance assessments of fiber-cement roofing can help mitigate legal risks, thereby facilitating the viability of photovoltaic and self-consumption projects for companies and owners of industrial assets.
For our part, we emphasized the opportunities that technology already offers to improve efficiency and safety and reduce the cost of these processes. Satellite geolocation, robotic arms, and drone-based retrieval are some of the ideas we are developing for our clients.
We are organizing this event in partnership with Enginyers Tarragona, the Catalan Institute of Finance, the Catalonia Waste Agency , and the company Solcam, which specializes in renewable energy.
The Generalitat Publishes Law 8/2026 on the Eradication of Asbestos
Official Gazette of the Government of Catalonia (July 2, 2026)
The final legal framework establishes the mandatory nature of the technical census and triggers immediate inspections of the industrial sector.
The new mandatory regulatory framework, which coordinates public administrations and assigns specific responsibilities to companies, property owners, and industry professionals regarding the removal of asbestos-cement, has gone into effect. The approval of the legislation accelerates the final deadlines for removal and formalizes the creation of the mandatory regional technical registry.
Webinar at the Sabadell Chamber of Commerce
Sabadell Chamber of Commerce (May 28, 2026)
The Sabadell Chamber of Commerce is analyzing the impact of asbestos on companies' energy transition.
The Sabadell Chamber of Commerce held a session on asbestos management in industrial roofs in Vallès Occidental. ASBEX participated as a speaker. The event addressed the technical process of replacing roofs containing asbestos-cement materials (MCAs), the impact on photovoltaic projects, and access to available grants—including funding under Resolution TER/4547/2024, for which application guidelines are expected to be released this year. The grants are subject to a call for applications and the availability of funds.
The Generalitat Publishes the Guidelines for Grants to Remove MCAs
Official Gazette of the Generalitat de Catalunya (May 18, 2026)
The Official Gazette of the Generalitat de Catalunya (DOGC) has published the regulations governing the new grant program for the cleanup, removal, transportation, and treatment of waste from insulation and construction materials containing asbestos in Catalonia.
Because these public incentive funds tend to run out extremely quickly in the Catalan industrial sector, it is recommended that the preliminary technical audit and the technical and documentary preparation of the applications begin immediately to ensure they are given priority in the registry.
These grants, which can total up to €30,000 per property, cover the entire asbestos removal process on roofs and facades (excluding replacement materials). The eligible amount is calculated based on a set formula according to the total area of the project.
Asset owners and investors should take into account two critical temporal and operational aspects:
Allocation Criteria: Funds will be awarded under a strictly non-competitive system, with applications processed on a first-come, first-served basis until the budget of the Catalan Waste Agency (ARC) is exhausted.
Mandatory technical requirement: To be eligible for the grant and successfully process the application, the work must be performed by a company registered in the Registry of Companies with Asbestos Risk (RERA) and must have a Work Plan approved by the competent labor authority.
Access the full guidelines. and contact us as soon as possible. We’ll help you—at no cost and with no obligation—to assess whether your asset is eligible for these grants.
The European Commission Initiates Proceedings Against Spain Over Asbestos
iberley.es (legal information portal) (02/26/05)
The European Commission has opened an investigation into Spain over delays in transposing the Asbestos Directive.
The European Commission has initiated infringement proceedings against Spain for failing to transpose Directive (EU) 2023/2668 on asbestos exposure within the prescribed timeframe. These proceedings indicate that Spain must complete the legislative transposition, which will strengthen the regulatory framework applicable to companies that manage assets containing asbestos-containing materials (ACMs).
Establishment of the Committee for the Eradication of Asbestos in Barcelona
Barcelona City Council (January 23, 2026)
Barcelona has set a goal of coordinating the mandatory deadlines for asbestos removal.
The Barcelona City Council has established the Committee for the Eradication of Asbestos in Barcelona (TEAB), a shared governance body tasked with coordinating the inventory of assets containing asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) and safety protocols. Its creation strengthens Catalonia’s institutional framework as a leading region in the implementation of the eradication plan and paves the way for greater coordination among government agencies in monitoring industrial assets containing asbestos.
Reus Begins Mandatory Asbestos Survey.
Diari de Tarragona (January 22, 2026)
The city council is launching a technical initiative to identify and classify asbestos roofing in the municipality, prioritizing public facilities by 2028 and industrial parks by 2032. The integration of this data into the official Catalan registry will enhance immediate oversight of business licenses and corporate asset transactions in the area.
Read the article in *El Diari de Tarragona* for details on the deployment.