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COM(82)274
Vol.1982/0107

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(82)274final
Brussels,17May1982
COMMUNICATION FROMTHECOMMISSION TOTHECOUNCIL
:-■ ..concerningconsideration ofsafetyandhealthatworkinapplyingdirectives on
theabolitionoftechnicalbarrierstotrade
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C0M(82)274final

CcMV?4
communication tothe Council concerning consideration ofsafety and
health atwork inapplying directives ontheabolition oftechnical
barriers totrade •
Atits 704th meeting on10June 1981 ,the Council asked the Commission
topresent acommunication ontheguidelines tobefollowed inorder
toeliminate technical barriers totrade ,inrelation with theprotec­
tion ofworkers .
The Commission points out that atthe 580th Council meeting held on
15May 1S79 and devoted tosocial affairs ,theDanish Delegation ,on
the subject ofdirectives onthe noise levels ofcertain types ofplant
and equipment ,made astatement ontheneed tosafeguard the safety
andhealth ofworkers bysecuring theassurance that Member States be
authorized toadopt additional national rules onthe use ofindustrial
products covered byharmonization arrangements ,whenever therelevant
directive fails toprovide for this directly and adequately ,
Apreliminary answerytp .this wasgiven bytheCommission intheform
ofaworking docuijisnt from itg.departments which wascommunicated
byaletter of21November 1979 .Intheworking document ,towhich
itexpressly refers here ,the Commission notes that the harmonization
directives :
-have asone oftheir aims toensure optimuift construction for industrial
safety andhence toenhance protection ofworkers attheplace of
work ;
-areprepared with theparticipation ofthecompetent departments and
inconsultation with bodies with responsibility for safety ,hygiene
and health protection atthe place ofwork ,and that furthermore ,
pursuant toArticle 100oftheEECTreaty ,noMember State shall be
obliged toaccept adirective ifitconsiders that itdoes not provide
adequate protection for itsworkers ,and ifprotection canonly be
guaranteed bystandards relating totheconstruction oftheproduct .
Ifnecessary ,theMember State may implement the safeguard clause ;
-only take account ofprotection ofworkers asitrelates totheactual
subject ofthe directives ,viz .the construction oftheproducts and
apparatus concerned .
(1)Doc .SEC (79)1842 of16November 1979
"Theinfluence onoccupational safety ofthaapproximation oflaws
with aview toremoving technical barriers totrade ".
(2)Doc .10907 /79S0C .287ENT336 .
(*)Thedraft ispresented intheform ofaworking document from DGsIII ,
VandXIandhasbeen approved bytheLegal Service .

-2-
TheDanish Government submitted this document tothescrutiny ofits
national Council forWorking Conditions ,after which the Danish
delegation submitted anote tothj .Council atitsmeeting of9June 1980
onemployment and social affairs .Atitsmeeting on27November 1980 ,
the Council agreed toexamine what action should betaken onthis issue .
Atitsmeetings -on10March ,14April and 14May 1981 ,theWorking
Party onSocial Questions discussed this subject indepth Subsequent­
ly,theDanish delegation sent amemorandum tothe Council onthis
subject . /
-rVCThis memorandum stated that ,unlike the provisions ofdirectives
concerning the abolition oftechnical barriers totrade ,which were
maximum provisions ,the Community standards laid down inthe Council
Directive of27November 1980 onthe protection ofworkers from the
risks related toexposure tochemical ,physical andbiological agents
atwork should beregarded asminimum provisions .The Danish Government
proposes that the following recital beinserted intha preamble to
any directive onthe abolition oftechnical barriers totrade :"This
Directive shall not restrict ths .right ofMember States toapply or
introduce administrative orlegal provisions ontheuse oftheproducts
covered bytheDirective inthe interests ofworker protection ".The
Danish Governmeat 'sconcern forworker protection isstated tobemore
acute since the Commission has submitted tothe Committee ofPermanent
Representatives five proposals for directives onnoise emission .
The Commission has examined these observations closely .Generally speaking ,
■itshares the concern expressed forworker protection and understands
that aMember' State wishes togive itsworkers thehighest possible
level ofprotection .The Commission feels that itisnecessary to
create abalance ,incases where there arerepercussions onwork
safety ,between the industrial aspects and those ofworker protection .
The Commission considers that the latter aspects are taken into account
initsproposals for directives onthe harmonization ofproducts ,where
many conditions ofuse are considered ,such asthe tilting ofalift
truck ortractor ,the failure ofapart orcomponent ,etc .,although
itdoes not claim toprovide for all situations ,for example ,where
several .different machines are used inthe same place .Inthe instruc­
tions for the use ofproducts which the Member States might issue for
purposes ofworker protection ,they would beobliged toensure free
movement oftheproducts .Inthe event ofproblems arising
inuse ofaproduct already covered byaharmonization' directive ,the
matter would have tobere-examined atCommunity level .
Inthe future ,the Commission intends tostep upits efforts toimple­
ment ,inconnection with the abolition oftechnical barriers ,theprin­
ciple ofintegrated safety onwhich theCommunities' programme ofaction
onsafety andhealth atthe placse ofwork isbased
(1)Doc .7615 /80S0C .205 .
(2)Docs 5^' "S382 /61SCC .112 ,6902 /81S0C .139 .
(3)Lett:' t;hePermanent Representation ofDenmark ,
Doc . • >
(4)0Jofthe^ ,j-oo/Jl–13 (11/7/1978 ).

andaccording towhich ,ifreasonable protection ofworkers is
tobeensured ,the design ofmachines cannot beconsidered in
isolation from that ofthetasks performed andprotection facili­
ties provided ,nor from thesafety training ofworkers orinfor­
mation conveyed toth^m .
Toth.is end ,the Commission :
-intends ,when preparing draft directives ,togive increasing
attention totheactual utilization ofproducts ;
r-will therefore arrange forgreater coordination ofthework by
its departments ;
-accordingly requests theMember States toarrange forgreater
coordination between their own departments ;
-will ineach case /take care tospecify thesubject and extent
Inthis connection ,the Commission wishes tostate that the suggestion
tointroduce arecital into its harmonization directives is
inappropriate because :
-itiscontrary tothe correct legislation technique ,whereby
the purpose ofthe recitals isioexplain the reasons for the
measures taken inthe directives ;
-itwould not initself give anyadditional powers totheMember
States . '
Any national measures taken will have tobeexamined case bycase
inthe context ofArticles 30to36ofthe Treaty .Inexamining
them theCommission will attach thegreatest importance tothe
coherence ofrestrictive measures bearing inmind theprotection
provided atnational level for allworkers .
The Commission also intends tostep upits efforts toharmonize
legislation onworker protection bymeans other than directives
onthe abolition oftechnical barriers and ,where necessary ,to
encourage coordination oftheMember States"' policies .of .harmonization .
Γ3C /
2/