European Commission has nothing new to say 


TUC head of health and safety Hugh Robertson has slammed the European Commission’s 2016 Work Programme, saying it “does not offer a single new proposal on the area of workplace health”. 


He said that, despite 102,500 deaths each year because of exposure to carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) in European workplaces and “woefully out-of-date” regulations, the programme contains no plan for any action in this area. 


They are simply saying that their “review of the existing occupational health and safety legislation, including on carcinogens and mutagens, will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of an EU framework for protecting workers,” he reports.


The nearest to anything concrete on health and safety in the programme, he said, is a statement concerning the conclusion and follow up of complex preparatory work on endocrine disrupters (substances found in pesticides, for example, that are linked with breast cancer and reproductive problems).


The programme contains no new proposals on stress, nor on musculoskeletal disorders. 


The only other health and safety reference is in relation to checking that existing rules are “workable and will be enforced”.

http://strongerunions.org/2015/10/28/european-commission-says-still-no-action-on-worker-health

http://strongerunions.org/2015/10/12/new-research-says-eu-regulation-working

www.ibec.ie/IBEC/DFB.nsf/vPages/Occupational_Health_and_Safety~European_News~'evaluation-of-the-practical-implementation-of-the-eu-occupational-safety-and-health-(osh)-directives-in-eu-member-states'--june-2015,-dg-employment,-social-affairs-and-inclusion-19-08-2015?OpenDocument