No C 175/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 6. 7. 91 
Amended proposal for a Council Decision on a programme of action for the European Year of 
safety, hygiene and health at work (') 
(91/C 175/07) 
COM(91) 204 final 
(Submitted by the Commission pursuant to Article 149 (3) of the EEC Treaty on 12 June 1991) 
(l) OJ No C 293, 23. 11. 1990, p. 3. 
AMENDED PROPOSAL PURSUANT TO THE OPINION 
OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OF 17 MAY 1991 
(Where no alternative version is given in this column, the text is 
ORIGINAL PROPOSAL FROM THE COMMISSION unchanged.) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 235 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European 
Parliament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Advisory Committee 
for Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work, 
Whereas the Council on 21 December 1987 suggested 
that a European Year should be organized in 1992 in the 
field of safety, hygiene and health protection at work ('); 
Whereas the Council also welcomed the Commission's 
communication on its programme (2) concerning safety, 
hygiene and health at work; 
(') OJ No C 28, 3. 2. 1988, p. 1. 
O OJ No C 28, 3. 2. 1988, p. 3. 
6. 7. 91 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 175/9 
ORIGINAL PROPOSAL FROM THE COMMISSION 
Whereas 1992 sees the completion of this action 
programme and thus presents an opportunity to take 
stock of the programme and demonstrate its coherence; AMENDED PROPOSAL PURSUANT TO THE OPINION 
OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OF 17 MAY 1991 
Whereas 1992 sees the completion of this action 
programme and thus presents an opportunity to take 
stock of the programme, to demonstrate its coherence 
and to place emphasis upon the involvement of workers 
and employers in safety, hygiene and health protection at 
work; 
Whereas the Council acknowledged the predominant 
role of the heightening of public awareness for the 
success of the measures recommended in the 
Commission's communication on its programme on 
safety, hygiene and health at work; 
Whereas the Council emphasized that the information, 
increased awareness and, if necessary, the training of 
employers and workers will play a fundamental role in 
the success of the measures recommended in the 
Commissions's communication on its programme on 
safety, hygiene and health at work; Whereas a substantial and farreaching body of safety, 
health und hygiene legislation will be adopted and 
implemented within the EC as part of the process of 
completing the internal market; 
Whereas there is a need to maximize awareness, clarity 
and transparency in relation to this legislation to 
facilitate the transposition, the implementation and the 
enforcement at Member State level; 
Whereas the level of awareness of the content and impli­
cations of this legislation varies considerably between the 
various economic agents, workers and employers organ­
izations and education, training and information 
agencies involved in the health and safety field in the 
Member States; 
Whereas the funds estimated as necessary for the 
Community contribution to the whole programme for 
the period running from 1991 to 1993 amount to ECU 
20 million and whereas the necessary annual appropri­
ations shall be authorized in the annual budgetary 
procedure, in accordance with the financial outlook 
decided on jointly by the European Parliament, the 
Council and the Commission; 
No C 175/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 6. 7. 91 
ORIGINAL PROPOSAL FROM THE COMMISSION AMENDED PROPOSAL PURSUANT TO THE OPINION 
OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OF 17 MAY 1991 
Whereas, for the activity in question, the Treaty provides 
for no other powers than those set out in Article 235, 
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 
Article 1 
1. 1992 shall be declared European Year of safety, 
hygiene and health protection at work. Whereas the resources to be available for implementation 
of the Year of safety, hygiene and health will be rela­
tively limited compared to the scale of the issues to be 
addressed and that it will therefore be necessary to direct 
resources at priority target groups and areas of activity; 
To this end coordinated activities shall be organized by 
the Community, the Member States, the social partners 
and by public and private bodies. To this end coordinated activities mentioned in the 
Annex shall be organized by the Community, the 
Member States, the social partners and by public and 
private bodies and shall be selected for a Community 
subsidy notably on the basis of the criteria of selections 
included in the Annex. 
2. The staff required for the implementation of the 
programme and the amount of expenditure estimated are 
set out in detail in the financial statement attached to 
this Decision. The appropriations necessary for the 
implementation of this Decision shall be entered every 
year in the general budget of the European 
Communities. (delete paragraph No 2) 
Article 2 
1. The Commission shall consult periodically the 
appropriate authorities in the Member States at the 
various stages of implementation of the activities 
provided for in this Decision. 
2. The Commission shall inform the Council, the 
European Parliament and the Economic and Social 
Committee of the progress of work, and shall send them 
a report and assessment of the activities carried out in 
the course of the year. 
6. 7. 91 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 175/11 
ORIGINAL PROPOSAL FROM THE COMMISSION AMENDED PROPOSAL PURSUANT TO THE OPINION 
OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OF 17 MAY 1991 
ANNEX 
AIMS AND JUSTIFICATION OF ACTIONS ENVISAGED 
FOR THE EUROPEAN YEAR OF SAFETY, HYGIENE 
AND HEALTH AT WORK (1992) ACTIONS ENVISAGED FOR THE EUROPEAN YEAR OF 
SAFETY, HYGIENE AND HEALTH PROTECTION AT 
WORK (1992) 
AIMS AND JUSTIFICATION OF THE ACTIONS 
Despite the lack of sufficiently reliable statistical series at 
European level, the data available at Member State level give a 
good idea of the high cost in human and social terms of the 
consequences of accidents at work and occupational illaesses. 
For 1984, the amount of compensation paid for such accidents 
and illnesses is put at some ECU 16 000 million for the whole of 
the European Community, i.e. 7 % of total expenditure on 
sickness insurance ('). 
The European Year of safety, hygiene and health at work will 
set out to conduct a number of activities designed to promote 
and enhance the value of the substantial body of Community 
measures in this field. 
The aims can be justified by the need to: 
— bring out, in the context of the internal market, the 
importance of the social and economic aspects of problems 
relating to safety, hygiene and health at work, 
— make workers, employers and young people more aware of 
the safety, hygiene and health risks at the workplace and of 
what can be done about them. 
To this end, coordinated activities will be undertaken by the 
Community, the Member States, the social partners and public 
and private organizations. (delete) 
SELECTION CRITERIA 
Notably, the following priority criteria shall apply to the 
selection of projects in sections B and C below: 
1. The actions should be designed to take account of the 
priority groups and areas of activity. Priority target groups 
and areas of activity represent those least aware of and/or 
least adequately prepared to cope with the body of legis­
lation. They should be identified and the resources available 
should be primarily targetted on such groups/areas. 
Priority areas of action should include the development of 
cross-national sectoral links in the field of health and safety 
by means of seminars. 
(') OJ No C 28, 3. 2. 1988, p. 3. 
NoC 175/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 6. 7. 91 
ORIGINAL PROPOSAL FROM THE COMMISSION AMENDED PROPOSAL PURSUANT TO THE OPINION 
OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OF 17 MAY 1991 
A. Actions to be financed entirely from the Community budget 
1. European colloquium to launch the European Year. 3. Priority actions should include seminars with manageable 
numbers of workers' representatives, employers, health and 
safety practitioners, etc. Such seminars should be topic-based 
and designed to produce tangible results (e.g. practical 
papers) for broader dissemination. 
Information directed toward SMEs should take the form of 
clear and explicit fact files, checklists or similar material 
setting out the requirements of each directive and the rights 
and obligations of employers and workers in recognition of 
the fact that such enterprises are least able to release repre­
sentatives to attend seminars, conferences or other outside 
activities. 
5. Actions financed should be designed to lead to results which 
will continue beyond the year of action. 
2. Conferences in all Member States. 2. Colloquia and conferences in all Member States to launch 
European Year and seminars with manageable numbers of 
workers' representatives, employers and health and safety 
practitioners. 
3. Film festival. 
4. Logo design, poster campaigns. 
5. Television programmes and videos. 5. Television programmes and videos used as a means of 
mass information on the existence and content of 
Community legislation on the protection of workers 
should be targeted notably at the more hazardous sectors. 
6. European colloquium to close European Year. 
7. Production of booklets and stickers on the Community's 
health and safety policy. 
B. Actions cofinanced by the Community budget 
These actions may be financed from the Community budget 
up to a percentage of the total cost which will depend on the 
particular case but will not exceed 70 % of the total cost of 
the project. 
1. Actions by public and/or private organizations to improve 
and promote the dissemination of information on occupa­
tional risks and their prevention. 
6. 7. 91 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 175/13 
ORIGINAL PROPOSAL FROM THE COMMISSION 
2. Actions by public and/or private organizations to give 
greater importance to the training of workers and 
employers in the field of safety, hygiene and health 
protection at work. AMENDED PROPOSAL PURSUANT TO THE OPINION 
OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OF 17 MAY 1991 
3. Actions by public and/or private organizations to 
integrate instruction in safety, hygiene and health 
protection at work into teaching and training 
programmes aimed at employers and workers. 
Actions by public and/or private organizations to improve 
the understanding of problems of health, hygiene and 
safety at work in SMEs and to promote specific solutions. 
5. Actions by public and/or private organizations to improve 
the exchange of information on good enforcement 
practice in Member States regarding Community legis­
lation on safety, hygiene and health at work. 5. Actions by public and/or private organizations to improve 
the exchange of information on the best enforcement 
practice in Member States regarding Community legis­
lation on safety, hygiene and health at work. 
6. Actions by public and/or private organizations to increase 
understanding of the importance of the influence of work 
organization on safety, hygiene and health at work. 
Applications for grants should be submitted to the 
Commission by Member States. Applications for grants should be submitted to the 
Commission either by Member States or, for cross-national 
sectoral initiatives, by the European trade unions and by the 
European employers' organizations. 
Projects selected for Community assistance will be 
designated 'Community projects for the European Year of 
Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work'. 
C. Actions without financial implications for the Community 
budget 
Actions undertaken by public or private organizations in the 
field of safety, hygiene and health protection at work: 
— to promote use of the common logo and slogan of the 
European Year of Safety, Hygiene and Health 
Protection at Work in regular publicity campaigns, 
— to promote among architects, ergonomists and related 
professions best practice in working systems and 
workplace design to take account of health and safety 
requirements. 
— to encourage the spread of information on the European 
Year of Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work 
through the mass media, 
— other actions to be determined.