Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on Actions for a Safer Europe
Date: 2006-06-23
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU action, accident prevention, action programme, information, public health, trauma

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 23.6.2006 
COM(2006) 328 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 

on Actions for a Safer Europe 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 

on Actions for a Safer Europe 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

Purpose......................................................................................................................... 3 

Burden of injuries......................................................................................................... 4 

Preventability of injuries .............................................................................................. 4 

Community Action plan............................................................................................... 5 

4.1. 

Basic infrastructures for injury prevention .................................................................. 5 

4.1.1.  Community-wide injury surveillance........................................................................... 6 

4.1.2.  Community support for exchange of good practice..................................................... 6 

4.1.3.  Community network of stakeholders ........................................................................... 7 

4.1.4.  Capacity-building in the Community........................................................................... 7 

4.1.5.  Supporting national action plans.................................................................................. 8 

4.1.6.  Risk communication..................................................................................................... 8 

4.2. 

Key priority areas for actions....................................................................................... 8 

4.2.1.  Safety of children and adolescents............................................................................... 9 

4.2.2.  Safety of elderly citizens............................................................................................ 10 

4.2.3.  Safety of vulnerable road users .................................................................................. 10 

4.2.4.  Prevention of sports injuries....................................................................................... 10 

4.2.5.  Prevention of injuries caused by products and services............................................. 11 

4.2.6.  Prevention of self-harm.............................................................................................. 11 

4.2.7.  Prevention of interpersonal violence.......................................................................... 11 

5. 

Implementation .......................................................................................................... 12 

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1. 

PURPOSE 

This communication focuses on the prevention of accidents and injuries in Europe by public 
health  actions.  It  is  intended  to  provide  a  strategic  framework  which  is  needed  to  help  all 
Member States prioritise their actions to reduce accidents and injuries. These actions should 
be undertaken in the framework of the Community Public Health Programme (2003-2008)1, 
the Consumer Policy Strategy (2003-2006)2 and follow-up initiatives. 

An  injury  is  a  bodily  lesion  resulting  from  acute  exposure  to  energy  (mechanical,  thermal, 
electrical,  chemical  or  radiant)  or  from  an  insufficiency  of  a  vital  element  (drowning, 
strangulation or freezing). The time between exposure and the appearance of the injury needs 
to be short. Injuries are often classified as unintentional (due to accidents) and intentional (due 
to self harm or interpersonal violence). 

Injuries are a leading cause of death among the European population. The risk of death and 
severe  injury  is  particularly  high  in  such  diverse  areas  as  the  home,  leisure  activities  and 
sports,  road  transportation,  the  workplace,  and  in  connection  with  consumer  products  and 
services. Unintentional and intentional injuries are estimated to be the main cause of chronic 
disability  in  the  young,  leading  to  an  enormous  loss  of  life  years  in  good  health.  Among 
people over 65 years old, too, accidents and injuries are a major cause of death and disability 
and are often the trigger for a fatal deterioration in their health. Considering the huge impact 
of  the  injury  epidemic  on  productivity,  health  and  well-being  in  the  Community,  a 
Community  response  to  the  issue  would  have  added  value.  Progress  could  be  achieved 
through a co-ordinated approach with sustained leadership by the Commission, the Member 
States and related partner organisations. 

A number of initiatives have been taken in the past to reduce the frequency of injuries due to 
accidents  and  violence  and  have  been  particularly  successful  in  reducing  road  fatalities, 
workplace accidents, chemical accidents and consumer product-related injuries. There is also 
ample  evidence  that  improvements  in  trauma  care  have  led  to  a  significant  reduction  in 
mortality from trauma. 

However,  there  is  still  scope  for  more  effective  action  to  reduce  the  huge  social  toll  of 
accidents and injuries, in particular by addressing risk settings and risk groups that have until 
now received less attention. The significant differences in accident and injury rates between 
Member  States  and  within  their  populations  indicate  that  there  is  still  great  potential  for 
reducing the burden of injuries in the Community and in neighbouring countries. The current 
injury mortality rate in the European Union ranges from 27 death per 100 000 residents in the 
United  Kingdom  and  in  the  Netherlands  to  more  than  120  death  per  100  000  in  the  Baltic 
countries (129 in Latvia and Estonia and 143 in Lithuania). 

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2 

Decision N° 1786/2002 EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 23 September 2002 adopting 
a programme of Community action in the field of public health (2003-2008) 
Commission’s Community Consumer Policy Strategy (2002-2006), doc 8907/02 

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the  problems, 

This  communication  highlights  the  role  of  the  health  sector  in  injury  prevention  by 
factors,  advocating  primary  prevention, 
quantifying 
disseminating  evidence-based  strategies  increasing  the  professional  capacities  for  advising 
people at risk, leading cross-cutting action plans, and informing the public about hazards and 
safety precautions. 

reporting 

risk 

2. 

BURDEN OF INJURIES  

Accidents  and  injuries  place  a  huge  burden  on  societies  and  individuals  in  the  Community. 
This is due not only to the enormous human costs in terms of premature death and years of 
life lived with disability, but also to high health care costs and the costs to society from lost 
productivity. 

Injury is, after cardiovascular disease, cancer and respiratory disease, the fourth most common 
cause of death in the Member States. Every year, about 235 000 citizens of the Member States 
die  as  a  result  of  an  accident  or  violence.  Annually,  over  50  million  citizens  seek  medical 
treatment for an injury and 6.8 million of these are admitted to hospital.  

More specifically, injury is: 

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The number one killer among young people. Accidents and injuries are the leading 
cause  of  death  in  children,  adolescents  and  young  adults.  The  burden  of  premature 
deaths  is  particularly  high  in  such  seemingly  diverse  areas  as  traffic  accidents, 
drowning and suicides. 

A  major  cause  of  disability.  Many  survivors  of  severe  injuries  suffer  lifelong 
impairment. Although not accurately quantified, accidents and injuries are assumed 
to  be  the  main  cause  of  chronic  disability  among  younger  people,  leading  to  an 
enormous loss of life years in good health. 

A major cause of morbidity and health care costs. On average, in all age groups, 
injuries  account  for  about  11%  of  all  hospital  admissions.  In  addition  to  the  huge 
financial  burden  on  health  and  welfare  systems,  injuries  often  affect  the  whole 
family, emotionally, organisationally and financially. 

Detrimental  to  Community  productivity.  There  is  little  data  available  on  the 
causes  of  sick  leave  and  disability  due  to  injuries.  Both  are  important  factors  in 
reduced  productivity.  National  data  indicate  that  up  to  8%  of  retirement  on  the 
grounds of disability and 20% of sick leave days are the result of injuries. 

Unequal  in  its  impact  on  social  groups.  The  risk  of  dying  from  an  injury  is  five 
times greater in the Member State with the highest injury rate than in that with the 
lowest rate. There are also inequalities in exposure to injury risks according to sex, 
age and social status.  

3. 

PREVENTABILITY OF INJURIES 

Major advances have been made in a number of areas of safety concern, but there is still room 
for  more  effective  action  to  reduce  the  huge  toll  of  accidents  and  injuries  in  society  for  the 
following reasons: 

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– 

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In  contrast  to  many  other  causes  of  ill  health  or  premature  death,  injuries  can  be 
prevented by making our living environment and the products and services that we 
use safer. This does not always necessitate active involvement through changes in the 
behaviour of the risk group involved;  

There is ample evidence of proven effectiveness in accident prevention measures that 
are still not widely applied throughout the Community; 

Most  of  these  measures  have  also  been  proven  to  be  cost-effective,  because  the 
benefits of preventing injuries often outweigh the costs of intervention by a factor of 
ten; 

Even in countries with a good safety record and in risk areas where significant injury 
reductions have been achieved, there are still opportunities for further improvements 
and health gains. A multi-sectoral approach is required in order to deal with common 
risk  factors  such  as  alcohol  abuse,  which  is  a  major  contributing  factor  in  both 
accidents and intentional injuries. 

It  is  still  possible,  therefore,  to  make  a  major  difference  by  bringing  together 
stakeholders from all the sectors and by fostering co-operation and concerted action 
within the Community and in neighbouring countries. 

4. 

COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN 

The following Action Plan is designed to give the Community the evidence-based information 
that is needed to help all Member States reduce the burden of injuries. The ultimate goal is to 
reduce  injury  mortality  and  morbidity  and  to  ensure  that  the  Community  becomes  a  safer 
place  to  live  in.  The  fulfilment  of  this  vision  requires  that  Member  States  acknowledge  the 
challenges  of  injury  prevention  and  place  injury  prevention  and  safety  promotion  higher  on 
their list of public health priorities. 

4.1. 

Basic infrastructures for injury prevention 

Community action in the field of public health will create added value by: 

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Quantifying the problems, identifying risk factors and measuring the effectiveness of 
interventions; 

Identifying,  adapting  and  proposing  evidence-based  and  cost-efficient  interventions 
and sharing experiences; 

Supporting the building of capacity for tackling the issue; 

Facilitating  the  development  of  multi-sectoral  policies  and  programmes,  guided  by 
the health sector; 

Initiating campaigns for injury prevention. 

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4.1.1.  Community-wide injury surveillance 

The  aim  of  a  common  information  system  on  accidents  and  injuries  is  to  provide  all 
stakeholders with the best available information about the magnitude of the problem including 
high-risk  population  groups  as  well  as  major  risk  determinants  and  risks  linked  to  certain 
consumer products and services. This information is a prerequisite for policy making, gearing 
of actions, and evaluation of outcome.  

The Community injury information system will be built on experiences from national systems 
of some Member States and will: 

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Provide a comprehensive picture of all injury risks in Member States as well as in the 
Community; 

Combine  injury  data  from  health  statistics  collected  within  the  European  Statistical 
System  (causes  of  death,  hospital  statistics,  health  interview  and  other  household 
surveys such as the labour force survey and crime victimisation survey) and specific 
registers  such  as  the  hospital  based  Injury  Data  Base  (IDB),  the  Community  Road 
Accident  Data  Base  (CARE),  and  the  European  Statistics  on  Accidents  at  Work 
(ESAW);  

Assess  the  health  burden  with  respect  to  different  consequences  (fatality,  hospital 
treatment), enabling the assessment of the impairment and financial burden; 

Compare  injury  risks  and  risk  determinants  between  countries  as  a  key  element  of 
motivation for national efforts; 

Identify  risk  factors  in  order  to  be  in  a  position  to  assess  the  need  for  policy 
initiatives; 

Measure  progress  and  determine  whether  the  targets  of  prevention  plans  are  being 
met. 

The statistical element of the system will be developed in collaboration with Member States 
using, where necessary, the Community Statistical Programme3 to promote synergy and avoid 
duplication. 

4.1.2.  Community support for exchange of good practice 

The  aim  is  to  collate  and  widely  disseminate  information  on  prevention  measures  that  have 
been proven to be successful by Community or national projects. The effective exchange of 
experiences  will  avoid  duplication  of  work,  facilitate  maximum  utilisation  of  available 
knowledge and secure greater benefits from limited resources. 

3 

Decision 2367/2002/EC of European Parliament and the Council of 16 December 2002 on Community 
Statistical Programme 2003-2007, O J L 358, 31.12.2002, p.1. 

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Effective  measures  are  set  in  different  political  sectors  like  public  health,  transport, 
workplace,  consumer  protection,  education,  welfare,  as  well  as  on  different  political  levels. 
Effective exchange of experiences across the borders of these sectors is needed and should be 
provided  by  the  public  health  sector.  Community  programmes  such  as  the  Public  Health 
Programme4,  the  general  Framework  for  Financing  Community  Actions  in  Support  of 
Consumer Policy5 and the Research Programme6 should be used to support Community-wide 
exchange  of  information  and evidence-based  practices, which  will  also foster the sharing of 
resources  for  research,  development  and  implementation  and  a  greater  consistency  in 
measures and messages. 

4.1.3.  Community network of stakeholders 

In  order  to  be  successful  in  injury  prevention,  it  is  essential  to  establish  a  network  which 
enables the consolidation of expertise, efforts and outputs to deal with the immediate needs 
for  preventing  accidents  and  injuries  effectively  in  the  Community.  The  Commission  will 
work  with  the  authorities  of  the  Member  States,  in  particular  the  ministries  of  health  and 
consumer  protection,  to  enhance  public  health  actions  in  favour  of  injury  prevention  and  to 
ensure synergy with other relevant policy domains. 

4.1.4.  Capacity-building in the Community 

Health  professionals  such  as  medical  doctors,  rescue  and  emergency  staff,  nurses  and  other 
health  care  providers  could  advise  patients  and  clients,  decision  makers  and  media  about 
hazards and safety measures more effectively than they do now. Due to their knowledge these 
groups  are  effective  in  health  promotion  regarding  many  health  aspects  like  smoking, 
nutrition, and exercise, but lack appropriate vocational training in risk assessment and safety 
promotion.  Within  future  work  plans  of  the  Community  Public  Health  Programme7  the 
inclusion  of  this  public  health  aspect  in  the  vocational  training  of  health  care  professionals 
will be considered as a priority. 

Also other sectors in society and the professional community bear a responsibility for injury 
prevention,  like  welfare  professionals,  teachers,  architects,  sales  staff  and  service  providers. 
Basic  information  on  hazards  and  safety  measures  should  be  included  in  the  vocational 
training of these groups, in order to ensure  the provision of good information to costumers. 
Health policy should promote the inclusion of safety knowledge in basic training and further 
education.  The  health  sector  should  work  closely  with  those  policy  sectors  responsible  for 
designing and regulating the relevant curricula demanding for respective changes in training 
regulations.  

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OJ L 271, 9.10.2002, p.1. 
Decision  N°20/2004/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  8  December  2003 
establishing a general framework for financing Community actions in support of consumer policy for 
the years 2004 to 2007, OJ L 5, 9.1.2004, p.1. 
Decision No 1513/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 June 2002 concerning 
the sixth framework programme of the European Community for research, technological development 
and  demonstration  activities,  contributing  to  the  creation  of  the  European  Research  Area  and  to 
innovation (2002 to 2006), OJ L 232, 28.8.2002, p.1. 
OJ L 271, 9.10.2002, p.1. 

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4.1.5. 

Supporting national action plans 

It is suggested that all Member States create policies for injury prevention, i.e. a framework of 
actions  that  engages  the  relevant  partners  and  stakeholders  and  defines  institutional 
responsibilities.  Since  such  policies  need  the  coordination  of  different  political  sectors  and 
aim at improving health, the health sector should take a coordinating role.  

Key characteristics of the national policies are that they will be in line with the Community 
vision and basic priorities identified in section 4.2, addressing the specific needs and demands 
of the respective country, they will contain specific goals that are also to be defined in terms 
of attainable injury reductions, and will rely on a solid commitment by governmental and non-
governmental organisations in the country. 

The Commission will encourage the Member States in developing national plans by: 

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Facilitating  situational  analyses  based  on  Community-wide  injury  surveillance 
information including comparative data for benchmarking;  

Providing  information  on  promising  solutions  for  safety  issues  by  supporting 
Community-wide exchange of good practice; 

Supporting  projects  which  explore  existing  opportunities  for 
prevention strategies and developing guidelines; 

implementing 

Assisting  in  the  identification  of  key  partners  and  stakeholders  who  can  foster 
sustainable implementation of solutions; 

4.1.6.  Risk communication 

Effective  risk  communication  puts  people  in  a  position  to  make  safer  choices.  Risk 
communication takes into account that many benefits of activities, settings or products cannot 
be obtained without accepting at least a minimum risk. Well designed campaigns make people 
aware of certain hazards, inform them about the benefits of safety measures and facilitate the 
change to safer behaviour. Examples of successful campaigns in many Member States are: car 
safety  belts,  child  resistant  cigarette  lighters,  safety  boots  of  construction  sites,  barrier  free 
public buildings, legislation against intimate partner violence. These have all been successful 
in reducing preventable injuries. 

The Community Public Health Programme should support campaigns on the priority areas of 
this  document.  Key  characteristics  should  be  the  focus  on  intermediaries,  the  aim  of 
sustainable results, the support for Member States, the reliance on evidence of what works in 
prevention and safety promotion, and the quality of the evaluation and documentation. Public-
private partnerships will help to create wider exposure and better distribution channels so that 
the safety messages are acted upon.  

4.2. 

Key priority areas for actions 

In defining key priorities for actions on injuries, the following criteria have been used: 

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The social impact of injuries in terms of the number, severity and consequences of 
the  various  categories  of  injury,  such  as  loss  of  productive  years,  disability  and 
human suffering.  

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The evidence regarding the effectiveness of interventions and the cost-effectiveness 
of alternative interventions in relation to the various priority options.  

The feasibility of successful implementation of interventions in the European context 
and given the great diversity of infrastructures within Member States.  

The time frame and measurability of intermediate outcomes of actions and impacts in 
terms of injury reduction.  

This has led to the identification of the following seven priority areas: 

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Safety of children and adolescents; 

Safety of elderly citizens; 

Safety of vulnerable road users; 

Prevention of sports injuries; 

Prevention of injuries caused by products and services; 

Prevention of self-harm; 

Prevention of interpersonal violence. 

All  Community  public  health  campaigns  will  inform  the  public  about  the  quantity  of  the 
problems,  demand  for  better  primary  prevention,  disseminate  good  practices,  support 
networks,  provide  health  administrations  of  Member  States  with  policy  tools  for  national 
action. 

4.2.1. 

Safety of children and adolescents 

Children and adolescents have been chosen as a priority because injuries and their disabling 
consequences have a tremendous impact on health in this age group in particular. 

Under  a  project  of  the  Community  Public  Health  Programme,  the  European  Child  Safety 
Alliance currently facilitates the establishment of national action plans for child safety in the 
majority of Member States. The main priority is to integrate the remaining Member States and 
candidate countries  into the process  and to prepare  the implementation  of the national child 
safety  action  plans.  The  implementation  of  these  plans  must  be  evaluated  and  further 
enhanced.  At  present,  Community-wide  campaigns  are  being  conducted  on  priority  issues 
such as  drowning and child safety products. The issue of injuries to babies is  considered to 
require particular attention. 

In  particular,  campaigns  on  child  safety  should  tackle  severe  injury  hazards  for  preschool 
children  at  home  (falls,  scalds,  suffocation,  poisoning,  drowning),  playground  safety  and 
safety of child products, the usage of car restrain systems and bicycle helmets amongst older 
children. 

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4.2.2. 

Safety of elderly citizens 

The highest mortality rates due to injury are reported among people aged 65 and over, with 
falls  being  the  major  cause  of  these  deaths.  Injuries,  and  in  particular  fall  injuries,  also 
account for a higher than average hospitalisation rate and an excess share in the direct medical 
costs due to injuries in this age group.  

Future projects under the Community Public Health Programme will address this priority area 
in  a  concerted  manner.  Existing  good  practice  and  innovative  approaches  in  relation  to  the 
respective risk groups will be disseminated among related professional groups, management 
of  care  facilities  and  associations  of  the  elderly  or  pensioners.  In  particular,  campaigns  on 
safety  elderly  citizens  should  tackle  hazards  for  fall  at  home  (floor  covering,  illumination, 
furniture,  layout  of  bathrooms),  in  and  around  buildings  (stairs,  handrails,  design  of 
footpaths). 

4.2.3. 

Safety of vulnerable road users 

Children, the elderly, the handicapped, cyclists, skaters, and  pedestrians on public roads are 
not only at risk due to vehicles. Health statistics show high numbers of severe injuries due to 
falls  without  counterpart  or  when  using  public  transport.  These  risks  deserve  much  more 
attention, for  example:  Better  design  of foot paths,  side  walks,  pedestrian  crossings, bicycle 
paths,  public  transport  facilities  as  well  as  the  wearing  of  bicycle  helmets  can  further 
contribute  to  saving  lives  according  to  road  accident  statistics.  Public  Health  action  in  this 
field  will  be  supplementary  to  ongoing  Community  actions  for  vulnerable  road  users  in  the 
area of transport8. 

A collaborative study will soon identify national and local good practices in this field which 
may serve as examples to others. In particular, campaigns should tackle hazards due to poor 
road design as mentioned above, and should promote the wearing of protective gear.  

4.2.4.  Prevention of sports injuries 

Exercise and sporting activities clearly make an important contribution to health and a healthy 
lifestyle,  as  well  as  to  physical,  emotional  and  social  well-being.  Promoting  exercise  is  an 
essential health promotion strategy for tackling the epidemic of obesity. However, according 
to studies carried out in some Member States a significant proportion of these health gains are 
lost due to sports injuries. 

Concerted health policies can make a difference by promoting safe sports, advocating safety 
as  well  as  participation  in  sports.  Appropriate  information  on  sports,  use  of  personal 
protective  equipment,  adequate  qualification  of  coaches,  quality  assurance  and  maintenance 
of  equipment  are  the  main  strategies  to  be  applied.  Community  actions  will  facilitate  these 
developments by the dissemination of advocacy documents, good practice and policy tools. In 
particular, campaigns should focus on popular sporting activities with a high injury risk like 
soccer and other ball sports, drowning and water sports, skiing and mountain sports.  

8 

Communication  from  the  Commission  on  a  European  Road  Safety  Action  Plan  (2003  –  2010), 
COM(2003) 311 (not published in the Official Journal). 

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4.2.5.  Prevention of injuries caused by products and services 

Ensuring high standards of consumer safety is one of the main objectives of the Community. 
The safety of non-food consumer products is ensured by a wide range of sectoral legislation 
and complemented by Directive 2001/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council 
of 3 December 2001 on general product safety9. Nevertheless, accidents involving non-food 
products  and/or  consumer  services  (i.e.  tourism  services,  sports  and  leisure  services)  are 
numerous. Such accidents need to be prevented by making sure that safety requirements are 
appropriate and adequately enforced. To facilitate this it is also essential to have an effective 
injury monitoring and reporting system which identifies the nature of the injury, the nature of 
the product and/or service and the circumstances of the injury. This information can then be 
used  by  regulators  and  product  developers  to  ensure  there  are  continuous  improvements  in 
safety and injuries are reduced Community wide. 

4.2.6.  Prevention of self-harm 

Acts  of  self-harm  and  suicide  are  another  important  cause  of  premature  death  and 
hospitalisation. The issue of self-harm and suicide is closely related to mental health and in 
particular the prevention of depression. 

In  October  2005  the  Commission  published  a  Green  Paper  on  Mental  Health10  which 
emphasised  suicide  prevention.  In  the  follow-up  to  this  Green  Paper,  actions  to  improve 
mental  health  and  prevent  mental  ill-health  will  be  developed  and  promoted  in  all  Member 
States.  In  this  context,  actions  to  prevent  suicides  will  be  encouraged  at  local,  regional, 
national and Community level. Actions in the field of injury prevention should therefore link 
up with existing projects in the mental health domain, with the Green Paper on Mental Health 
and with future action plans in this area. 

4.2.7.  Prevention of interpersonal violence 

Interpersonal violence is an issue of growing public concern and includes domestic violence, 
child abuse, abuse of the elderly and youth violence. Interpersonal violence takes many forms 
(physical,  mental  and  sexual)  and  occurs  in  different  environments  (in  the  family,  between 
intimate partners, in the community, in institutions and at work). It undermines the social and 
economic conditions in society. 

The recording of violence by the police is not sufficiently accurate or detailed. In addition, the 
issue is heavily under-reported, due to the reluctance of victims to report it. In the framework 
of the Public Health Programme, improved reporting techniques will be developed in order to 
get better estimates of the size of the problem. To supplement the limited data available from 
police  records,  efforts  will  be  made  to  integrate  information  on  ‘hidden’  forms  of  violence 
available  from  crime  victimisation  surveys.  This  might  involve  the  development  of  a 
harmonised survey or module by the European Statistical System. 

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OJ L 11, 15.1.2002, p. 4. 
Green paper improving the mental health of the population: towards a strategy on mental health for the 
European Union COM(2005) 484 

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There is a need for more systematic documentation and dissemination of violence prevention 
practices, in particular involving the health sector in collaboration with the polices, justice and 
welfare  system.  Stakeholders  need  to  be  empowered  by  the  provision  of  tools  for  planning, 
implementing and evaluating violence prevention projects. 

Actions  in  this  domain  will  be  initiated  in  close  collaboration  with  other  Community 
programmes such as the DAPHNE Programme11. 

5. 

IMPLEMENTATION  

There is a clear need for focus as regards the organisation of resources and the development 
of  a  sustainable  approach  for  injury  prevention  for  the  future.  The  Commission  intends  to 
support this initiative through the Public Health Programme. 

This  communication  outlined  the  main  priority  areas  around  which  activities  should  be 
organised  and  ultimately  lead  to  a  better  understanding  of  injuries  and  fatalities  and  their 
prevention. 

Understanding  and  tackling  the  injury  issue  requires  sustained  co-operation  between  the 
national, regional and local authorities of the Member States, their public health and research 
communities, businesses and interest groups such as consumer organisations. 

Stakeholder groups, such as academia, business and civil society, play a key role in making 
knowledge  and  expertise  available  for  exchange  at  national  and  Community  level.  They 
should be engaged in the research process, as well as in the implementation of models of good 
practice. 

11 

Decision  No  293/2000/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  24  January  2000 
established  a  Programme  of  Community  action  on  preventive  measures  to  fight  violence  against 
children, young persons and women and to protect the victims and groups at risk. OJ L 34, 9.2.2000, 
p. 1. 

EN 

12 

   EN