Belgian Council Presidency takes up the “Roadmap on Carcinogens” initiative.

As part of its Council Presidency programme, Belgium has announced that it will play an active role in the follow-up measures for the roadmap initiative on carcinogens initiative.

The roadmap is based on an agreement from 2016 in which six European organisations, including the European Commission and the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), committed to a voluntary programme of measures to raise awareness of the risks posed by carcinogens in the workplace and to share best practice in dealing with exposure risks. The German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs joined this initiative in 2019.

In connection with an extension of the initiative, which was originally planned for four years, the partners adopted a follow-up strategy in 2020. One of the aims of the strategy was to support companies and employees when it comes to taking preventive measures and minimising the effects of exposure to carcinogens.

The work under the roadmap is now to be finalised during the Belgian Council Presidency. A closing event is planned for 12 and 13 June 2024 in Brussels. This should not only focus on the roadmap milestones achieved, but also take a look at the current situation with regard to carcinogens in the workplace and highlight the need for further action. 

Many cases of occupational cancer recognised in the EU

According to the EU-OSHA, cancer is still estimated to be the most common cause of work-related deaths in the European Union (EU).

In December 2023, Eurostat, the European Union's statistical office for pan-European statistics, published data from a long-term study on occupational cancer. According to the report, a total of 33,712 cases of occupational cancer were officially recognised in the EU between 2013 and 2021. This includes those cancers that have generally occurred as a result of long-term exposure to carcinogenic factors in the working environment. The most commonly detected cancers are lung cancer and mesothelioma, a type of cancer associated with exposure to asbestos, and bladder cancer.