On October 6, 2026, the European Parliament approved the sixth revision of the Carcinogens, Mutagens and Reprotoxic Substances Directive (CMRD), Directive 2004/37/EC. The text followed a provisional agreement reached between Parliament and the Council in June 2026.
The revision introduces an eight-hour exposure limit of 0.01 mg/m³ for the inhalable fraction and 0.0025 mg/m³ for the respirable fraction of cobalt and inorganic cobalt compounds, with higher transitional limits for six years after entry into force.
Other new limits include 0.00007 mg/m³ for PAH mixtures measured as benzo[a]pyrene, 8.5 mg/m³ (3 ppm) for isoprene and 7.3 mg/m³ (2 ppm) for 1,4-dioxane, plus a short-term limit of 73 mg/m³ (20 ppm) and a binding biological limit value for 1,4-dioxane.
The revision extends the directive's scope to welding fumes containing category 1A or 1B carcinogens, mutagens or reproductive toxicants. It also states that personal protective equipment, especially respiratory protection, may only be used where technical and organisational measures cannot adequately reduce exposure.
The directive entered into force on the twentieth day after publication in the Official Journal, with member states given two years to transpose it into national law.
