Mr President, the subject of this own-initiative report is certainly not a new problem, but a problem only recently highlighted. According to the Dublin Foundation, harassment in the workplace is on quite an extensive scale. Eight percent of EU citizens, or around twelve million people, have felt harassed in the workplace during the past twelve months. What is this due to, and are there any connections to be made? Yes. We know, for example, that insecurity of employment plays a role. We also know that those who are harassed suffer more stress than others. We know that those with high-pressure jobs also suffer more. The issue is one of security in working life and the organisation of work. What are the consequences of harassment? Harassment naturally has consequences for the individual, who feels less well, is absent from work more often and is ill more often. The whole team, including those who are not themselves being bullied, functions less well. Bullying also has consequences for companies in the form of lower productivity, reduced profitability and poorer working conditions within the company I have been asked why the EU should concern itself with these issues and what all this has to do with the Community. Well, harassment in the workplace is a problem common to all Member States, but it receives very different attention in different places. In recent years, we have increasingly started to talk about more job opportunities and better workplaces, that is, about the quality of working life. Quality in working life is about health and safety and the organisation of work, and so harassment in the workplace is a problem. The EU has had legislation for a long time regarding health and safety at work. What do we need to do? Firstly, we have to review the definition of harassment and, at the same time, try to obtain a common definition. We have to obtain significantly better statistical data, and the Dublin Foundation and Eurostat have a future role to play in this connection. We also have to work on the open coordination method. Member States need to develop their legislation, regulations, etc. so that best practice prevails, and that means looking at each others’ solutions. The Lisbon Process also includes qualitative indicators. Where does legislation come in? Should we state in advance that legislation is not needed in this area, bordering as it does upon another area in which the EU already has legislation, namely that of health and safety? We currently have a major ongoing debate on health and safety in which it is assumed that it is not only the physical, but also the psycho-social, working environment which has an impact and which will be of ever greater significance for the new working life of the future. Women in particular are affected by atypical jobs, insecure employment, etc. The issue of legislation is highlighted in two points in the report, although it is not stated that we definitely should have legislation or how such legislation should be formulated. In issuing its communications about a Community strategy concerning health and safety at work and the strengthening of the quality dimension in employment and social policy, as well as in publishing its Green Paper on Corporate Social Responsibility, the Commission is urged to take account of the problem of harassment in the workplace and to consider the need for legislation. Of course, it is possible that the Commission will say that we do not need, and will not have, such legislation. In that case, we shall have to conduct an analysis, but I find it pretty incomprehensible why the possibility of legislation should be ruled out in advance. It is likely that the framework directive on health and safety at work also covers aspects of the psycho-social working environment, but we would like clarification on this point. If we receive such clarification, there is no problem but, otherwise, the scope of the framework directive will have to be expanded to include the essential ‘new’ area. In this context, it must also be considered whether there is a need for some kind of regulations or legislation regarding harassment in the workplace. Let me take an example from my own country. We have framework legislation which states that the employer is responsible for dealing with harassment in the workplace when this occurs. It does not state in detail how, in fact, it should be dealt with, but it is clear that the employer has a responsibility. Paragraph 24 of the report urges the Commission to publish a Green Paper on the situation regarding harassment in the workplace and then to present an action programme. This is probably the most important point in the whole report.

Political group: PSE