Like most of the other possibilities examined it found the idea flawed. It remains the case that there is no current need for any new Own Resources - existing resources are sufficient to finance EU expenditure plans. Contrary to your article, no such proposal will be discussed at the Nice European Council in December. Had your journalist read the report properly, or even checked his facts with the Commission's Press Office, rather than jumping to conclusions, your readers might not have been so badly misled. Latest statistics show that there are nearly 5 million accidents across the EU every year involving absences from work of more than three days.
Estimates are that one in ten falls at work results in permanent invalidity or death.
This is probably why the Health and Safety Executive in the UK has already issued information sheets on the safe use of ladders which contain almost exactly the same requirements as the ones the Commission is proposing EU-wide. The Sun seems happy to knock Europe first and put safety at work second. In 1996, across the EU, there were 4.8 million accidents involving absences from work of more than three days. More significantly, it is estimated that one in ten falls at work results in permanent invalidity or death. As labour mobility increases, it is vital that workers should be confident that the same high safety levels are observed regardless of which Member State they are working in.