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 [1.7MB]: 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 in 2012 it will publish a communication that will build on the current OSH strategy and build on the final evaluation of the current strategy, in particular in terms of:
- enhancing OSH governance at EU level, in particular as regards the establishment of national OSH strategies and the coordination of Member States’ policies;
- improving implementation of the EU legal framework; and
- promoting health and safety at the workplace, by supporting the Member States’ efforts through European campaigns and awareness raising initiatives.
The Advisory Committee for Safety and Health at Work adopted an opinion on the structure and content of a future EU strategy for health and safety at work in December 2011.
