The text of the European Commission sets out an EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at work for the next 6 years. Considering the results of the evaluation of the previous strategy (2007-2012), it identifies three challenges to be met:
- Improve implementation of existing health and safety rules in the Member States, in particular by enhancing the capacity of micro and small enterprises to put in place effective and efficient risk prevention strategies,
- Improve the prevention of work-related diseases by tackling new and emerging risks without neglecting existing risks,
- Take account of the ageing of the EU’s workforce.
The Commission proposes to meet these three challenges by developing a series of actions grouped under seven big strategic objectives:
- Further consolidate national strategies,
- Facilitate compliance with OSH legislation, particularly by micro and small enterprises,
- Better enforce OSH legislation in the Member States,
- Simplify existing legislation,
- Address the ageing of the workforce and emerging new risks, prevent work-related and occupational diseases,
- Improve statistical data collection and develop the information base,
- Better coordinate EU and international efforts to address OSH and engage with international organisations.
