Order on the Rules of Procedure for the Occupational Diseases Committee

Order on the Rules of Procedure for the Occupational Diseases Committee

Pursuant to Section 9, Paragraph 5, of the Act on Work Injury Insurance, cf. Statutory Order No. 1279 of 4 November 2025, the following is enacted:

Section 1. The Minister for Employment appoints the Chairperson of the Occupational Diseases Committee and deputies for the Chairperson.

Paragraph 2. The Minister for Employment appoints the members and deputies for these members of the Committee as follows:

1. 1 member upon nomination from the Danish Health Authority.
2. 1 member upon nomination from the Danish Working Environment Authority.
3. 1 member upon nomination from the public employers.
4. 3 members upon nomination from the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions (Fagbevægelsens Hovedorganisation).
5. 2 members upon nomination from the Danish Employers' Confederation (Dansk Arbejdsgiverforening).

Paragraph 3. The Chairperson, members, and deputies are appointed for a term of 3 years at a time. The first term is effective from 1 July 2016. Re-appointment may take place.

Paragraph 4. If the Chairperson, a member, or a deputy of the Occupational Diseases Committee resigns during a 3-year period, cf. Paragraph 3, a new Chairperson, new member, or new deputy may be appointed for the remaining 3-year period.

Section 2. The Occupational Diseases Committee has the following tasks:

1. To recommend to the Minister for Employment which diseases meet the requirements for inclusion in the list of occupational diseases mentioned in Section 7, Paragraph 1, of the Work Injury Insurance Act.
2. To provide advisory opinions to the Labour Market Occupational Insurance regarding the resolution of cases covered by Section 7, Paragraph 1, No. 2, and Paragraph 2, of the Act.

Paragraph 2. The Ministry of Employment and the Labour Market Occupational Insurance may otherwise seek advisory opinions from the Occupational Diseases Committee on occupational disease matters.

Paragraph 3. The Occupational Diseases Committee also performs tasks assigned to the Committee under other legislation.

Section 3. In order to perform the tasks under Section 2, the Occupational Diseases Committee holds meetings when the Chairperson deems it necessary or when at least 3 members so request.

Paragraph 2. Meetings are held in person, via digital media, or through written submission.

Paragraph 3. The meetings of the Occupational Diseases Committee are chaired by the Chairperson and, in their absence, by a deputy for the Chairperson.

Paragraph 4. The secretarial functions of the Occupational Diseases Committee are performed by the Labour Market Occupational Insurance.

Section 4. Notice of meetings must be given with at least 8 days' notice.

Paragraph 2. The agenda and materials for the meeting should, as far as possible, be available together with the notice or the written submission.

Section 5. The Occupational Diseases Committee is quorate when the Chairperson and at least one member from each of the employer and employee organizations, as well as one of the other members, cast a vote.

Paragraph 2. Decisions are made by majority vote. In the event of a tie, the Chairperson or their deputy has the casting vote.

Section 6. Members of the Occupational Diseases Committee may not simultaneously be members of the board of the Labour Market Occupational Insurance or the board of the Labour Market Supplementary Pension.

Section 7. Members of the Occupational Diseases Committee may not participate in the processing of a case that affects persons to whom the member is affiliated, or in which the member has personal interests in the outcome of the case. If such a case or such a situation comes up for processing, the member in question must, before the processing begins, draw attention to the fact that they cannot participate in the processing, or under the circumstances explain the nature and extent of their interest in the outcome of the case. In this connection, the member is obliged to answer questions from the other members of the Committee.

Paragraph 2. The other members decide finally whether the member in question can participate in the processing. The member in question does not participate in the decision on these questions.

Section 8. The Occupational Diseases Committee and persons otherwise affiliated with the Occupational Diseases Committee are bound by confidentiality regarding matters with which they become acquainted in connection with the work of the Occupational Diseases Committee, and whose confidentiality is required by the nature of the matter.

Section 9. Minutes are drawn up of the Committee's meetings.

Paragraph 2. The recommendations and opinions of the Occupational Diseases Committee pursuant to Section 2, Paragraph 1, must contain information on whether the Committee is unanimous or whether it is a majority recommendation. In the case of a majority recommendation, it must be stated which organizations or authorities disagree with the majority and the reasoning for this.

Section 10. The Occupational Diseases Committee may summon special experts as advisors to assist in the meetings, and personnel from the Labour Market Occupational Insurance may, upon the determination of the Chairperson, assist as advisors.

Section 11. The Occupational Diseases Committee may authorize the Chairperson or the secretariat to perform specific tasks according to regulations established by the Occupational Diseases Committee.

Paragraph 2. The Chairperson of the Occupational Diseases Committee or their deputy is authorized to issue recommendations on behalf of the Committee without a meeting. The authorization applies to occupational diseases where there is a risk that the injured party will die within a very short time due to a life-threatening illness, as well as cases that cannot be submitted to the Occupational Diseases Committee because the information in the case is classified. The Chairperson is obliged to subsequently inform the Committee that these cases have been processed by the Chairperson.

Paragraph 3. The Occupational Diseases Committee may authorize the Chairperson or the secretariat to make decisions in cases of reported diseases that have been recommended to the Minister for Employment for inclusion in the list of occupational diseases, cf. Section 2, until the Minister for Employment has included the disease in the list, cf. Section 7, Paragraph 1, No. 1, of the Work Injury Insurance Act.

Section 12. This Order enters into force on 1 January 2026.

Paragraph 2. The Order is applied from 1 January 2026 regarding the recommendation of diseases for inclusion in the list of occupational diseases and the processing of specific cases concerning occupational diseases, cf. Section 2.

Paragraph 3. Statutory Order No. 555 of 24 May 2023 on the Rules of Procedure for the Occupational Diseases Committee is repealed.

Ministry of Employment, 26 November 2025 Kaare Dybvad Bek / Marianne Sørensen 26 November 2025. No. 1376.