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The European Commission will soon launch the legislative process for the 4th revision of the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive. The European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) highlight in a briefing note the importance of including Reprotoxic substances within the scope of the directive.
These substances that, if inhaled, ingested, or if they penetrate the skin, may severely alter the fertility in both men and women or a child’s development during gestation and after birth. Such substances are widely present in working environments and especially in certain occupational sectors: agriculture, care services, cleaning and maintenance, metallurgy and petrochemicals, hairdressing and cosmetology. According to the ETUI’s conservative estimates, more than 2,2 million workers in the EU-28 are exposed to at least one substance toxic for reproduction at work.
Seven European Member States – Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany and Sweden – representing 46% of the EU workforce have already extended the scope of the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive to substances toxic for reproduction when transposing it into national legislation.
