Exposure to hazardous substances at work: Council approves position on updating legislation

EU Employment Ministers today took a further step towards preventing work-related diseases and protecting workers from exposure to harmful substances that can cause serious illnesses such as cancer and developmental disorders.

The Council agreed its position on the sixth revision of the Directive on carcinogens, mutagens and reprotoxic agents. The purpose of this Directive is toupdate the rules on exposure to hazardous substances at the workplace in line with the latest scientific developments.

The revision is expected to prevent around 1,700 cases of lung cancer and 19,000 other diseases over the next 40 years.

The provisions of the sixth revision

The Commission’s proposed update of the Carcinogens, Mutagens and Reprotoxicants Directive consists of the following:

• establish exposure limits for cobalt and its inorganic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 1,4-dioxane;
• to add welding fumes to the list of substances, mixtures and processes in Annex I of the Directive.

The Council’s position

The Council has further improved the updated rules by adding an occupational exposure limit for isoprene, in line with the recommendations of the European Chemicals Agency and the Advisory Committee on Safety and Health at Work.

The Council position also updates the definitions of “carcinogen”, “mutagen” and “substance toxic to reproduction” to reflect the inclusion in Annex I, for the first time, of an entry (welding fumes) with potentially toxic effects on reproduction. The existing definitions did not distinguish between the carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic effects of substances, mixtures or processes listed in Annex I.

Other amendments are as follows:

• a new recital stressing the importance of developing new guidelines on welding fumes;
• a new recital pointing out that limit values contribute to a significant reduction of risks from exposure to carcinogens and mutagens.

Next steps

Once the European Parliament has established its position, the two institutions will enter into negotiations to reach agreement on the final text.

Context

The Carcinogens, Mutagens and Reprotoxic Agents Directive lays down measures to prevent and protect against risks related to exposure to carcinogens, mutagens or reprotoxic agents at work, including an obligation to set limit values where possible.

Following a 2017 evaluation of the EU’s occupational health and safety Directives, the Carcinogens, Mutagens and Toxicants Directive has been subject to regular updates; five revisions have been adopted to date, affecting more than 40 hazardous substances. On 18 July 2025, the Commission published a proposal for a sixth revision of the Carcinogens, Mutagens and Toxins Directive.

More information: European Council