Asbestos can still be found in 2.8 million Flemish homes. It is suspected that 270,000 families have a roof with asbestos, according to figures from Demir. The families involved are prohibited by law from installing solar panels because asbestos could be released during the works. According to the minister, it is also “not efficient to install solar panels on an old asbestos roof”.
Vlaams Belang party leader Chris Janssens finds it problematic that hundreds of thousands of families cannot install solar panels in times of sky-high energy prices. The Flemish government does provide premiums for those who have an asbestos roof removed. According to Demir, this support for an asbestos roof renovation is “more than enough”, but according to Vlaams Belang, the current support is insufficient.
“The figures I requested show that the premium for roof insulation and simultaneous asbestos removal only covers an average of 6.23 percent of the total costs. That is more than insufficient,” says Janssens. He urges policy adjustment and advocates increasing premiums for asbestos roof renovation in combination with the installation of solar panels. “We must not only enable people to reduce their energy bills, but also make it as attractive as possible to remove an asbestos roof,” concludes the Vlaams Belang member of parliament.