"In 2008 and 2009, a consortium formed by Kooperationsstelle Hamburg, Cardiff University, CIOP and TNO carried out a mandate of the Directorate General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission and conducted a study that evaluated the impact of the Chemical Agents Directive 98/24/EC (CAD) in the EU Member States. Along with the examination of the overall effectiveness of the CAD the Commission sought information concerning its practical application at workplace level: successes achieved, difficulties and challenges encountered as well as side effects. The study revealed that while the CAD was widely acknowledged as a comprehensible and coherent regulatory measure, the vast majority of stakeholders and specialists indicated that the main challenges lie in the practical implementation. There are deficiencies and difficulties caused by problems in understanding the complex matter of handling hazardous substances, low risk awareness, lack of expertise and Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) knowledge. The presence and scale of such problems varies with the pattern of chemical use, company size and economic sector. Implementation was not consistent among Member States as well, due to variations in the degree of development of economic and technological infrastructures and OSH policies. Substantial differences were also found in the secondary and tertiary legislation of Member States providing detailed requirements for the safe use of chemicals at workplaces, in the enforcement priorities of Member States, their monitoring and surveillance capacities and in the availability and qualifications of OSH specialists and prevention services."

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