MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS
AND HEALTH
Department for Occupational Safety and Health
28 June, 1999
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH AGENDA DURING THE FINNISH PRESIDENCY OF THE EU
Promoting occupational safety and health legislation
(Labour and Social Affairs Council)
Many things have changed now when the Finnish presidency is starting.The
Treaty of Amsterdam, drawn up and concluded by the fifteen Member States in cooperation,
has entered into force. Under the Treaty the cooperation procedure in the adoption of
health and safety directives is replaced by the co-decision procedure. Cooperation with
the European Parliament becomes ever more important in forwarding health and safety laws.
According to the common declaration by Parliament, the Council and the Commission on 4 May
1999, this implies, among other things, a better coordination of the Council’s and
Parliament’s working schedules. At the same time, the conciliation procedures must be
known to all parties. In addition, an opinion of the Committee of the Regions is required
on the proposals for directives.
We have just had the elections to the European Parliament and Parliament
is starting its work. The new Commission is also taking up its duties and possibly will
renew its structure and working methods. In terms of these circumstances Finland as the
presiding country also seeks to promote health and safety matters.
A number of matters have been prepared during the German presidency. Owing
to the above circumstances, somewhat unexpected, there was not enough time for all of them
to be adopted. The handling of the Explosive Atmospheres Directive was not
completed and Finland attempts to have this proposal adopted through the conciliation
procedure during its presidency.
Germany started the handling of the first part (vibration) of the
physical agents Directive and Finland will continue that work. The purpose is to
continue the preparation of the Directive as to other physical agents later.
Towards the end of 1998 the Commission submitted a proposal for a
Directive amending the Use of Work Equipment Directive (the so called
scaffolding Directive) discussion on which Finland will start. We find it important to
include the use of ladders and scaffolding in the scope of the Use of Work Equipment
Directive.
The Commission is making an effort to submit in the autumn a proposal for a
Directive amending the Asbestos at work Directive. If the proposal comes early
enough, Finland tries to start its handling in the Labour and Social Affairs Working Group
during the Finnish presidency, because Finland finds the asbestos question very important.
Machinery, equipment and chemicals (Internal Market Council)
Finland seeks to promote occupational safety and health in the Internal
Market Council also as concerns the free movement of goods. It will start discussion on
the Commission’s proposal for a revised Machinery Directive in the Internal
Market Working Group in November 1999. The handling will continue during several coming
Presidencies.
At the end of the Austrian presidency the Commission gave a report on the
functioning of the Community legislation in the chemical sector. The further preparation
of the report extends to the Finnish presidency in the form of the Commission’s
communication. Therefore during the Finnish presidency discussion will also take place on
the Commission’s proposal for a new comprehensive strategy on chemicals, which
will determine the focus and objectives of the policy for coming decades. There will also
be several Directives on chemical safety under discussion.
Meetings
Important meetings on occupational safety and health will be arranged in
Finland during its presidency. The meeting of SHCMOEI will be held in Tornio 22 - 24
September 1999. The meeting of the Senior Labour Inspectors’ Committee (SLIC) will be
arranged in Rovaniemi 15 - 17 December 1999. Especially interesting in view of
occupational safety and health are SAFETY ‘99 Conference
(European Conference on Safety in the Modern Society) in Helsinki 15 - 17 September 1999
and the International
Symposium on Occupational Health for Europeans in Helsinki 3 - 5 November 1999. Below
is a more complete list of the international occupational safety and health events to be
held during the Finnish presidency.
List of events
July
Luxembourg, 5 - 8 July 1999
European Coal and Steel Community, Closing Conference of ECSC Social Research
Oulu, 9 - 10 July 1999
Informal Labour and Social Affairs Council (Ageing of Labour Force and Employment)
September
Helsinki, 15 - 17 September 1999 Safety ‘99,
European Conference on Safety in the Modern Society
Tornio, 22 - 24 September 1999 SHCMOEI meeting: Human Factors and
Application of New Techniques in the Mining Industries
Helsinki, 27 September 1999
EU coordination meeting on Implementation of the Global Harmonised System for
Classification and Hazard Communication
Bilbao, 27 - 29 September 1999
Conference on Health and Safety and Employability
October
Brussels, 22 October 1999
Labour and Social Affairs Council
Luxembourg, 26 - 27 October 1999
Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work
November
Helsinki, 3 - 5 November 1999
International Symposium on Occupational Health for Europeans
Brussels, 29 November 1999
Labour and Social Affairs Council
December
Luxembourg, 7 December 1999
EU meeting on the Organic Psycho Syndrome
Rovaniemi, 15 - 17 December 1999
SLIC, Meeting of the Senior Labour Inspectors’ Committee
Additional information:
MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND HEALTH
Department for Occupational Safety and Health
P.O. BOX 536, FIN 33101 Tampere, Tel. +358 3 2608 111, Fax +358 3
2608 511 |
