The Europe of tomorrow will be built with senior citizens. On the one hand, life expectancy is increasing and fertility rates are highly inadequate for generation renewal. At the same time, senior citizens represent the main labour pool, apart from immigration, to cope with the labour shortage looming on the horizon. Ageing baby boomers will start retiring in large numbers from 2005 on, and there is a shortage of young people to replace them. Accordingly, in 2010, the 45-64 age group in Europe will account for almost half the working-age population. It is in this context of population ageing that Eurogip organised in early October a European conference to promote the exchange of experience and information on the following theme: “How to promote workers’ health throughout their working lives?”

It is possible to make an economic assessment of what companies devote to occupational diseases in Europe by studying the expenses of the competent national insurance organisations. This is the purpose of the present report, which also deals with the question of funding for occupational health insurance.

This report, made by a European working group, studied the possibilities of recognition of these illnesses in 13 European countries and gives a review of current national thinking.

At a time when stress at work is becoming a subject of growing concern, a European working group has examined the issue of the recognition of illnesses of psychosocial origin as occupational diseases in thirteen countries. Eurogip, which coordinated the work, publishes the study report.
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