Pointing out that nearly 10 million workers had contracted an occupational disease and that approximately 4% of cancer-related deaths probably resulted from occupational factors, the rapporteur regretted that the Council had taken over only five of the amendments at first reading. It had insisted on this so that the introduction of an atmospheric limit value for benzene was not delayed and so that the transposition of this directive into national law was not deferred beyond 31 December 1998. For the Commission, Mrs Bjerregaard regretted not being able to accept the amendments tabled.