EU: action against MSD is a priority for Europe

A priority for the EU. According to Commissioner Spidla, it is necessary to tackle the problem immediately “because on account of demographic evolution, people will probably have to work longer”. In this respect, he is ready to draft a directive on this issue raising the principle of risk evaluation with the introduction of ergonomic rules. Before deciding such an initiative, the commissioner stated that he was waiting for the replies of the European social partners to the second consultation phase launched on March 14. The latter have declined the invitation to the negotiating table. The employers’ organisation Business Europe in its opposition to a directive lays special emphasis on the inadequacy of statistical and medical data on the subject and stresses the complexity of MSD and the many factors causing them. Conversely, The European unions’ confederation strongly supports such an initiative (v. dispatch n° 070435). Commissioner Spidla has also announced his support of any voluntary action (information and awareness campaigns, guidelines, actions negotiated by the social partners, exchanges of good practices) complementary to the directive.