23rd October 2026
Directive agreed during Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union expected to prevent thousands of serious illnesses across Europe
The Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD, and the Minister of State for Employment, Small Business and Retail, Alan Dillon TD, have welcomed the signature of the sixth revision of the Carcinogens, Mutagens and Reprotoxic Substances Directive (CMRD6), a significant milestone in the European Union's efforts to prevent occupational cancer and other serious work-related diseases.
The revised Directive strengthens protections for workers by introducing new or updated measures relating to cobalt and inorganic cobalt compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 1,4-dioxane and welding fumes. The European Commission has estimated that the measures could prevent approximately 1,700 lung cancer cases and 19,000 other illnesses over the next 40 years.
The signature of the Directive marks the conclusion of negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council and represents an important achievement during Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The file forms part of Europe's Beating Cancer Plan and the wider Roadmap on Carcinogens initiative, which aims to reduce workers' exposure to hazardous substances and improve occupational health outcomes across Europe.
Minister Burke said:
"Protecting workers from exposure to carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic substances is one of the most important occupational health challenges facing Europe. The signature of this Directive is a significant achievement for the European Union and demonstrates our collective commitment to preventing workplace illness and saving lives.
"I am particularly pleased that this milestone has been reached during Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It reflects the importance Ireland places on promoting high standards of worker protection while supporting a competitive and sustainable European economy."
Minister Dillon said:
"Occupational cancer remains the leading cause of work-related deaths in Europe. This revised Directive will strengthen protections for workers across a wide range of sectors and help ensure that workplaces continue to benefit from the latest scientific and technical knowledge.
"Ireland has consistently supported measures that improve occupational health and safety. As Presidency, we have worked constructively with our European partners to help bring this important legislation to a successful conclusion. The focus now turns to implementation and ensuring that these protections deliver real benefits for workers and employers alike."
Ireland has been an active participant in EU efforts to reduce occupational exposure to hazardous substances, including through the work of the Health and Safety Authority, participation in the EU-OSHA Workers' Exposure Survey and the transposition of successive revisions of the CMRD into national legislation.
The Directive will enter into force following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Member States will subsequently be required to transpose its provisions into national law within the timelines set out in the Directive.
Notes for editors
- CMRD6 is the sixth revision of the Carcinogens, Mutagens and Reprotoxic Substances Directive, which aims to strengthen protections for workers exposed to hazardous substances in the workplace.
- The revised Directive introduces new or updated occupational exposure measures relating to cobalt and inorganic cobalt compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 1,4-dioxane and welding fumes.
- The Directive forms part of the EU’s wider efforts under Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the Roadmap on Carcinogens initiative to reduce occupational exposure to hazardous substances.
- The agreement and signature represent a milestone during Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, following negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council.
- Following publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, Member States will be required to transpose the Directive into national law within the specified deadlines.
- In Ireland, the Health and Safety Authority plays a key role in occupational health and safety, including supporting the implementation of measures to protect workers from exposure to hazardous substances.
- EU-OSHA stands for the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. It is a decentralized agency of the European Union. Its primary purpose is to gather, analyse, and distribute technical, scientific, and economic information to make European workplaces safer, healthier, and more productive.
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