The European Commission, the civil service arm of the EU, has welcomed a provisional agreement between the European Parliament and the Council on tougher workplace exposure limits for cobalt and other hazardous chemicals, marking a significant step towards new safety rules for Europe’s battery manufacturing sector.

The agreement, on June 23, forms the sixth revision of the EU’s Carcinogens, Mutagens and Reprotoxic Substances Directive (CMRD), introducing stricter occupational exposure limits for cobalt and inorganic cobalt compounds, alongside new measures covering polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 1,4-dioxane, isoprene and welding fumes.

For the battery industry, the most significant changes relate to cobalt compounds, which are widely used in EV battery manufacture. The revised directive introduces occupational exposure limits for both inhalable and respirable cobalt particles, while allowing manufacturers a six-year transition period to adapt production processes and technologies before the stricter standards take full effect.

PAHs, which are encountered in steel, aluminium and battery materials production, will also be subject to tighter exposure limits, although affected industries will benefit from a seven-year transitional period. Welding fumes have also been formally brought within the scope of the Directive for the first time, strengthening employers’ obligations to protect workers from exposure.

According to the EU, once formally adopted, the revised legislation could prevent around 1,700 cases of lung cancer and 19,000 work-related illnesses over the next 40 years, while delivering an estimated €1.16 billion in healthcare savings.

The Commission first proposed the revisions in July 2025 following consultations with scientific experts, industry representatives and social partners. The agreed text must now be formally approved by the European Parliament and the Council before member states transpose the revised Directive into national law.