BRUSSELS (Chatnewstv.com) — European Union employment ministers on Monday agreed to a significant update of rules designed to protect workers from cancer-causing and toxic substances, a move expected to prevent thousands of serious illnesses across the bloc.
The Council of the EU reached a common position on the sixth revision of the Carcinogens, Mutagens and Reprotoxic Substances Directive (CMRD), which updates exposure limits in line with the latest scientific data.
“No one should get sick from going to work,” said Kaare Dybvad Bek, the Danish Minister for Employment. “By updating the rules governing exposure to dangerous chemicals in the workplace, we are reducing health risks and supporting the wellbeing and decent working conditions for workers throughout the EU.”
The revision, which focuses on preventing work-related diseases such as cancer and developmental disorders, is projected to prevent approximately 1,700 cases of lung cancer and 19,000 other illnesses over the next 40 years.
The proposed update by the European Commission sets new occupational exposure limits for several harmful substances, including cobalt and its inorganic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and 1,4-dioxane.
Crucially, the new rules add welding fumes to the list of substances, mixtures, and processes in Annex I of the directive, recognizing their potentially toxic effects.
Ministers further strengthened the text by adding an occupational exposure limit for isoprene, following recommendations from the European Chemicals Agency.
The Council’s position also updates the formal definitions of “carcinogen,” “mutagen,” and “reprotoxic substance” to specifically accommodate the inclusion of welding fumes, which have potentially reprotoxic effects. Previous definitions did not differentiate among the specific carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic effects of listed substances.
The agreement serves as the Council’s mandate to begin negotiations with the European Parliament, which must establish its own position before the final text can be agreed upon.
