CELEX: 51991PC0204
Language: en
Date: 1991-06-12
Title: AMENDED PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION ON A PROGRAMME OF ACTION FOR THE EUROPEAN YEAR OF SAFETY, HYGIENE AND HEALTH AT WORK

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.
 ---pagebreak--- 6. 7. 91                             Official Journal of the European Communities                              No C 175/9
                                                                         AMENDED PROPOSAL PURSUANT TO THE OPINION
          ORIGINAL PROPOSAL FROM THE COMMISSION                           OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OF 17 MAY 1991
Whereas 1992 sees the completion of this action                 Whereas 1992 sees the completion of this action
programme and thus presents an opportunity to take              programme and thus presents an opportunity to take
stock of the programme and demonstrate its coherence;           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 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 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 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;
 ---pagebreak---   No C 175/10                          Official Journal of the European Communities                                   6. 7. 91
                                                                           AMENDED PROPOSAL PURSUANT TO THE OPINION
          ORIGINAL PROPOSAL FROM THE COMMISSION                             OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OF 17 MAY 1991
                                                                 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;
 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.
 To this end coordinated activities shall be organized by        To this end coordinated activities mentioned in the
 the Community, the Member States, the social partners           Annex shall be organized by the Community, the
 and by public and private bodies.                               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           (delete paragraph No 2)
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.
                         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.
 ---pagebreak---  6. 7. 91                                   Official Journal of the European Communities                                  No C 175/11
                                                                                AMENDED PROPOSAL PURSUANT TO THE OPINION
             ORIGINAL PROPOSAL FROM THE COMMISSION                               OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OF 17 MAY 1991
                                                                 ANNEX
 AIMS AND JUSTIFICATION OF ACTIONS ENVISAGED                           ACTIONS ENVISAGED FOR THE EUROPEAN YEAR OF
 FOR THE EUROPEAN YEAR OF SAFETY, HYGIENE                              SAFETY, HYGIENE AND HEALTH PROTECTION AT
                AND HEALTH AT WORK (1992)                                                       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         (delete)
 Community, the Member States, the social partners and public
 and private organizations.
                                                                                          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.
 ---pagebreak--- N o C 175/12                              Official Journal of the European Communities                                        6. 7. 91
                                                                             AMENDED PROPOSAL PURSUANT TO THE OPINION
            ORIGINAL PROPOSAL FROM THE COMMISSION                              OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OF 17 MAY 1991
                                                                    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.
A. Actions to be financed entirely from the Community budget
    1. European colloquium to launch the European Year.
   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.
 ---pagebreak--- 6. 7. 91                                   Official Journal of the European Communities                                No C 175/13
                                                                              AMENDED PROPOSAL PURSUANT TO THE OPINION
            ORIGINAL PROPOSAL FROM THE COMMISSION                              OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OF 17 MAY 1991
    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.
    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        5. Actions by public and/or private organizations to improve
       the exchange of information on good enforcement                     the exchange of information on the best enforcement
       practice in Member States regarding Community legis-                practice in Member States regarding Community legis-
       lation on safety, hygiene and health at work.                       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                   Applications for grants should be submitted to the
   Commission by Member States.                                         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.