EU Occupational Safety and Health Strategy 2007-2012

Government department lead

HSE

Background

On 21 February 2007, the European Commission (EC) published a communication setting out its proposals for a new European occupational safety and health (OSH) strategy to run from 2007-2012. The new strategy is called ‘Improving quality and productivity at work': Community strategy 2007-2012 on health and safety at work’.

This strategy succeeds the former strategy ‘Adapting to change in work and society: a new Community strategy on health and safety at work 2002-2006.’ It will set the agenda for the next five years for OSH policy development in Europe.

Developments

All of the European institutions have commented on the strategy:

• The Council of Ministers agreed a resolution on the strategy in June 2007.
• The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the strategy on 15 January 2008.
• The Committee of the Regions adopted an opinion on the strategy on 28 November 2007.
• The European Economic and Social Committee adopted an opinion on the strategy in May 2008.

Timetable

The Commission has announced that early in 2013 it will publish a staff working paper on the final evaluation of the 2007-2012 strategy. It then intends to publish ideas for future action on health and safety and invite public comments on them. Once it has evaluated the comments received, the Commission then intends to publish a communication on future action on health and safety at work. It has not finally decided whether this will be termed a 'strategy'.