# CMRD – carcinogens, mutagens and reprotoxic substances

Directive 2004/37/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens, mutagens or reprotoxic substances at work

- Status: Amendments pending
- Legal order: European Union
- Legal area: Chemicals and worker health
- OJ L 158, 30.4.2004, p. 50, as amended
- Business profile: Mining, Smelting, Semi-fabrication, Recycling

## In brief

Principal act protecting workers exposed to arsenic, cadmium, nickel compounds, Cr(VI), beryllium and lead; binding OELs (Annex III), BLV for lead (Annex IIIa), registers and health surveillance.

## Key obligations

- replacement of a CMR agent by a less hazardous one where technically possible (Art. 4(1))
- closed system and, where not possible, exposure as low as possible and not exceeding the OELs in Annex III (Art. 5(2)–(4))
- OEL (mg/m³): As 0.01 (copper from 11.07.2023), Cd 0.001 (until 11.07.2027 0.004), Ni compounds 0.05/0.01, Cr(VI) 0.005, Pb 0.03 (Annex III)
- information and training of workers, periodically and when the risk changes (Art. 11)
- health surveillance before exposure and periodically, with the possibility of continuation after exposure has ended (Art. 14)
- retention of the list of exposed workers and records: CM ≥40 years, reprotoxic ≥5 years after the end of exposure (Art. 15(1)–(1a))

## Competent authority

In PL: State Sanitary Inspection, National Labour Inspectorate (through national provisions)

## Penalties

Directive – penalties in national provisions (in PL Art. 283 § 1 of the Labour Code: fine of PLN 2,000–60,000)

## Entry into force

20.05.2004

## Application

through national provisions (in PL: Labour Code Art. 222, Regulation of the Minister of Health Dz.U. 2024 poz. 1126, maximum admissible concentrations (NDS) – Dz.U. 2018 poz. 1286, as amended)

## Key dates

- 18.01.2025: OEL for nickel compounds: 0.01 (respirable) and 0.05 mg/m³ (inhalable) – Directive (EU) 2022/431
- 09.04.2026: transposition deadline for Directive (EU) 2024/869 – lead OEL 0.03 mg/m³, BLV 30 µg/100 ml
- 11.07.2026: end of the transitional beryllium OEL of 0.0006 mg/m³
- 11.07.2027: end of the transitional cadmium OEL of 0.004 mg/m³
- 01.01.2029: lead BLV 15 µg/100 ml

## Pending changes

Sixth amendment (CMRD 6) – COM(2025) 418, 2025/0232(COD): cobalt and its inorganic compounds, PAHs, isoprene, 1,4-dioxane, welding fumes; adopted by the Council on 19.10.2026, signed on 21.10.2026, awaiting publication (see eu-cmrd6).

## Related acts

- [Directive 2024/869 – lead (OEL, BLV) and diisocyanates](https://igmnir.org/dane/prawo/en/eu-cmrd-2024-869/)
- [Directive 2022/431 – reprotoxic substances, nickel compounds, lead into the CMRD](https://igmnir.org/dane/prawo/en/eu-cmrd-2022-431/)
- [CMRD 6 – cobalt, PAHs, isoprene, 1,4-dioxane, welding fumes](https://igmnir.org/dane/prawo/en/eu-cmrd6/)
- [Directive 98/24/EC – chemical agents at work](https://igmnir.org/dane/prawo/en/eu-cad/)
- [Labour Code – chemical agents and CMR (Arts 221, 222, 227)](https://igmnir.org/dane/prawo/en/pl-kp-chemikalia/)
- [Regulation of the Minister of Health – CMR agents in the working environment (registers)](https://igmnir.org/dane/prawo/en/pl-cmr-rozp/)
- [Regulation on Polish occupational exposure limits (NDS/NDN; lead 0.03 mg/m³)](https://igmnir.org/dane/prawo/en/pl-nds/)
- [CLP – classification, labelling and packaging (lead Repr. 1A)](https://igmnir.org/dane/prawo/en/eu-clp/)

## Official sources

- [Text of the act](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2004/37/oj)
- [Consolidated text](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/PL/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02004L0037-20240408)
- [EP – Legislative Observatory, procedure 2025/0232(COD)](https://oeil.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/en/procedure-file?reference=2025/0232(COD))

---

Register as of: 22.10.2026. The official text of the act prevails. IGMNiR. On the website: https://igmnir.org/en/law/#akt-eu-cmrd