About four in ten houses in Flanders may contain asbestos, according to the first results of the asbestos certificate, which have become mandatory since November for the sale of Flemish houses built before 2001.
The asbestos certificates indicate that around 60% of homes in Flanders are safe – meaning that as many as 40% of the property market could have an asbestos removal cost, Belga News Agency reports.
"Thanks to a wide range of actions in the Asbestos Abatement Action Plan and driven by the stimulus budget, we are succeeding in bringing the asbestos issue out of the taboo," said Flemish Environment Minister Zuhal Demir on Monday.
"We have already been able to support and convince thousands of citizens, schools, farmers and other building owners to take measures to make buildings asbestos-safe," she added.
By the end of April, 72,940 certificates had been issued by 1,093 asbestos experts.
