WRITTEN QUESTION E-0625/00

by Alejandro Cercas (PSE) to the Commission

(3 March 2000)

Subject: Accidents at the workplace in Spain

Will the Commission provide information on the data it possesses with regard to accidents at the workplace in Spain, the trends therein in recent years, and the initiatives it intends to take in order to remedy this unacceptable state of affairs, which affects millions of workers?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(17 April 2000)

The Commission has at its disposal information on workplace accident rates in Spain which the Spanish authorities provide under voluntary agreements entered into since 1992 under the ESAW harmonised statistics project (European Statistics on Accidents at Work) relating to fatal accidents and accidents resulting in more than three days absence from work. This project makes it possible to monitor trends in workplace accident rates in Europe since 1994 (after an initial year of pilot data in 1993).

In view of the time needed to prepare harmonised data, the most recent information available to the Commission is for 1996. This information is available in the Health and safety at work domain recently opened on the New Cronos page of the Eurostat website, and in the Eurostat publication Statistics in focus Accidents at work in the European Union in 1996, which will appear within the next few weeks. A copy of this publication will be sent directly to the Honourable Member and to the Parliament Secretariat.

Between 1994 and 1996 workplace accident rates (number of workplace accidents per 100 000 persons in employment) evolved as follows(1).

Workplace accidents resulting in more than three days absence from work:

- Community as a whole: fall from 4 539 (per 100 00) to 4 229, i.e. -6,8 %.

- Spain: increase from 6 166 to 6 736, i.e. +9,2 %.

Fatal workplace accidents:

- Community as a whole: fall from 6,1 (per 100 000) to 5,3, i.e. -13,1 %.

- Spain: fall from 7,0 to 5,9, i.e. -15,7 %.

Figures for Spain relating to the years after 1996, produced by the non-harmonised national methodology, are available from the Spanish authorities.

The Commission has always taken initiatives to promote safety and health protection for workers at work, and over 20 health and safety directives have been adopted by the Council on the basis of proposals from the Commission. These directives have to be transposed by the Member States, which are responsible for ensuring appropriate monitoring and enforcement of the resulting national provisions.

The Commission also develops non-legislative measures designed to help improve workers' health and safety and reduce workplace accidents and occupational diseases, focusing particularly on small and medium-sized enterprises. For example, it is working on measures to enhance the awareness of the various players, in a bid to establish a prevention culture as the most effective means of meeting changes and developments in the world of work. Some of these non-legislative measures also involve the preparation of non-binding practical guides intended to make it easier to understand the obligations imposed by the new European legislation.

(1) Under the ESAW project, workplace accident rates cover all of the following nine main branches: agriculture, hunting, forestry industry, manufacturing production and distribution of electricity, gas and water construction commerce, vehicle repair and repair of domestic items hotels and catering transport and communications financial activities property, leasing and services to companies (branches A and D to K respectively of the classification of economic activities in the European Community NACE).