Prepared at the request of the Danish Presidency, this opinion recommends that the EU and the Member States ensure that occupational safety and health (OSH) protection and prevention of OSH risks are ensured for all people at work, regardless of their employment contract, job title, or training path. According to the EESC, this protection should include a minimum and comprehensive standard of physical, mental, and social well-being in the workplace.
The EESC recommends strengthening cooperation and shared responsibility among all stakeholders, particularly the social partners, to ensure effective OSH management. Active involvement of workers’ representatives and the promotion of social dialogue at company level are essential.
The EESC stresses the importance of stepping up compliance and enforcement of existing OSH rules as a key step towards achieving the Zero Deaths goal.
Download — EMSK arvamus: How can an active and inclusive prevention approach contribute to better health and safety at the workplace – 0-death goals?
In this Opinion, the EESC warns that democracy, the rule of law and European values face growing threats from both external actors, such as third-country governments and tech companies, and internal ones, including some Member States, extremist parties and 'uncivil' society. It calls for stronger EU action through stricter enforcement of rule of law standards and conditionality, protection of civic space, and simpler, fairer funding for civil society, starting with the next multiannual financial framework (MFF). The EESC urges embedding democracy protection in enlargement policy and supporting candidate countries to build resilience. The Opinion also highlights the fight against disinformation and propaganda, promoting media literacy, reducing digital dependence on third countries, and reinforcing initiatives such as EuroStack and East StratCom to strengthen democratic resilience.
The EESC opinion looks into how industry practices influence public health and contribute to the rise of non-communicable diseases, aiming to identify barriers to effective policies and propose stronger preventive measures.
This opinion intends to discuss the relationship between water resilience, digitalisation and the green transition. It aims to propose recommendations to address the different challenges involving water, digitalisation and decarbonisation from an industrial perspective.
Download — EMSK arvamus: Water resilience and the twin transitions: Industrial approaches addressing the relationship between water, digitalisation and decarbonisation
