Russian-Kazakh holding blocks the ban of hazardous asbestos-containing production and that threatens Ukraine's integration into the EU.

The Russian-Kazakh holding "Kusto group" that has a monopoly in the production of asbestos construction products in Ukraine, is blocking the ban of the hazardous asbestos and thus freezing the implementation of the Association Agreement with the European Union by Ukraine.

This is stated in the article of Censor.NET "How the Russian-Kazakh lobby is trying to preserve the production of hazardous asbestos and block the European integration of Ukraine."

Back in 2017 the lobby of "Kusto group" managed to abolish the decree of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine # 339 "On the safety and protection of workers from the harmful effects of asbestos and materials and asbestos-containing products" with the help of the Administrative Court of Cassation of Ukraine

Later on, the prohibition of asbestos-containing materials was included into the draft law #4142 "About Public Health System". However, this draft law has become a target of the diminishing propaganda campaign which consequently started threatening the Association Agreement with the EU and the health of Ukrainians at the same time.

The Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliamentary Committee on Nation Health Mikhailo Radutskyi said in his interview to the Interfax-Ukraine that "very many do not want" the bill to be adopted – it has already received about 900 amendments

"This law affects to many lobbing interests: we receive letters from different and even unexpected parties who demand to remove the asbestos banning paragraph – because asbestos means roofing sheeting," said Radutskyi.

The Ministry of Health, in response to a request from Censor.NET, notes that "given the resistance to any action regarding the prohibition of the use of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials," it "strongly supports" the prohibitions provided for by Article 27 of the draft law #4142.

International organizations and parliamentarians of foreign countries appealed to the speaker of Verkhovna Rada Dmytro Razumkov and the The Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliamentary Committee on Nation Health Mykhailo Radutskyi calling to ban asbestos and not to fall under the influence of the political and business groups.