Commission welcomes political agreement to protect workers from cancer-causing chemicals

The European Commission welcomes the provisional agreement reached by the European Parliament and the Council on the sixth revision of the Carcinogens, Mutagens and Reprotoxic substances Directive (CMRD).

Once formally adopted, the strengthened Directive can avert around 1,700 cases of lung cancer and 19,000 work-related illnesses over the next 40 years, while generating up to €1.16 billion in healthcare savings across the EU.

The agreed text will now need to be formally adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. Once the Directive enters into force, Member States will be required to incorporate it into national law within the agreed deadline.

EU Directive 2004/37/EC sets minimum requirements to protect workers from exposure to carcinogens, mutagens or reprotoxic substances at work. In July 2025, the Commission proposed this sixth revision to strengthen protection against cobalt and inorganic cobalt compounds, PAHs, 1,4-dioxane and welding fumes. The proposal followed extensive consultation with social partners and scientific experts.

The sixth revision builds on five previous revisions of the CMRD, which together addressed more than 40 key hazardous chemicals and are expected to help save the lives of over 100,000 workers over the next 50 years.

More information is available in our press release.