EU Member States reached an agreement in Brussels on Thursday on the need to recognize COVID-19 as an occupational disease in the health care, social services, and home help sectors, as well as in sectors where activities with a proven risk of infection have intensified.
Workers and employers participating in the EU Advisory Committee for Safety and Health at Work (ACSH) also supported an update of the European list of occupational diseases.
“This agreement is a strong political signal to recognize the impact of COVID-19 on workers and the essential contribution of people working in health and social services and other workers at higher risk of COVID-19,” said Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights.
On the basis of this agreement, the Commission will update its recommendation on occupational diseases to promote the recognition of COVID-19 as an occupational disease by all Member States, he said.
The agreement is an “important” step in the implementation of the EU’s strategic framework on health and safety at work for the period 2021-2027, adopted by the Commission in June 2021, in which it announced that it would update its recommendation on occupational diseases to include Covid-19 by the end of this year.
This framework sets out the key actions that need to be taken at EU level to improve the health and safety of workers in the coming years.
One of its cross-cutting objectives is to increase preparedness for possible future health crises. This also includes strengthening support for workers during possible future waves of COVID-19.
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