Debate: Improving firefighters’ working conditions
Date: THURSDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2023
Speaker: Elisa Ferreira
Language: EN

I join him in presenting our condolences for the loss of Véronique Trillet-Lenoir, a great champion, relentlessly fighting for the health of workers and citizens at large. She will be greatly missed.  Now, turning back to the subject at hand, firefighters provide an essential service to European citizens, even more so in the light of natural disasters and the devastating consequences of climate change that we are increasingly witnessing. The value of their work lies in their dedication to saving lives, protecting property during emergencies, safeguarding communities from the devastating impacts of fires and all other disasters.  I want in particular to thank Parliament’s EMPL Committee for organising a hearing on the working conditions of firefighters in March that put the spotlight on their work and on our duty to them. Firefighters protect us. We must protect them.  For decades, the European Union’s occupational health and safety acquis has fostered the good health of all workers, including firefighters and emergency service providers.  We do it by addressing specific risk factors such as carcinogens. And though occupations give important indications on specific risks, the occupational safety and health, we are not legislating for specific occupations, but first and foremost, focusing our efforts on assessing and preventing risks.  For instance, the provisional agreement on the Asbestos at Work Directive reached in trilogues in June, will further improve protection for many workers, including firefighters.  The Commission has also committed to developing guidelines for the practical implementation of the Asbestos at Work Directive, which will cover firefighters as well.  Our upcoming initiative on the screening and registration of asbestos in buildings could also provide valuable information for firefighters before they have to intervene.  Next year, we will put forward a proposal to amend for the sixth time the Carcinogens at Work Directive, with substances also of concern for firefighters.  Our agency in Bilbao, EU-OSHA, as presented at the EMPL Committee hearing on firefighters in March this year, provides valuable tools for the implementation of protective measures on the ground, such as guidance for workplaces, case studies on healthy firefighters, an education film on the risks of fire at workplaces and an exposure survey on cancer risk factors. Moreover, the Working Time Directive ensures a high level of protection of firefighters, for example by guaranteeing after long working shifts full and immediate compensation of missed rest periods. At the same time, through its system of derogations, it provides the flexibility necessary for the proper organisation of civil protection work, bearing in mind the need for continuity of service.  Volunteer firefighters play a crucial role in complementing and enhancing the capabilities of professional firefighting services in many Member States, often serving in rural areas and smaller communities, and contributing to the overall resilience and safety of their regions. I want to pay tribute to all the women and men volunteering for this life-saving work.  I would like to stress that the European law, notably the Working Time Directive and its interpretation by the Court of Justice, does not pose a threat to voluntary firefighting services in Member States.  Finally, I want to encourage all Member States to make use of available European funds such as Horizon Europe, the Regional Fund, the Social Fund Plus or the RRF to support measures that would help the protection of firefighters.  Firefighters protect us all. Let's all stand by their side.