– First, the Commission gathered evidence on the development of the Strategy in the 27 Member States by means of: a) a survey launched in January 2010, involving all the main actors in the field [3]; b) a survey conducted in 2009 by the Governmental Interest Group (GIG) of the Advisory Committee on Safety and Health at Work (ACSH) in the framework of the so-called "Scoreboard"- project [4]; c) two workshops on national strategies organised by the ACSH in 2008 and 2009 respectively;

– Then the Commission promoted debate among stakeholders about the achievements made and the future of the Strategy. A Conference was organised for this purpose by the Commission, in cooperation with the Spanish Presidency of the Council, on 3-4 June 2010 in Barcelona [5].

The present Staff Working Paper is based on the results of this consultation process. It provides a summary of the main achievements and of the problems and improvements necessary to enhance the implementation of the Strategy. It aims at laying the basis for a discussion involving all parties in the preparation of future EU policy initiatives in the area of occupational safety and health (OSH), in particular as regards the preparation of a new strategy for the period post-2012.

[1] COM(2007) 62 final of 21.2.2007.

[2] Cf. Resolution of the Council, OJ C 145 of 30.6.2007, p. 1; Resolution of the EP A6-0518/2007 of
15.1.2008; Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee SOC 258 of 29.5.2008; Opinion of the Committee of the Regions ECOS-IV-015, 72nd Plenary Session, 28-29 November 2007.

[3] Based on a mapping of the strategy's main areas of action and of the relevant actors, a questionnaire tailored to the specific role and tasks of each of them was sent respectively to the Member States, the social partners, the ACSH, the SLIC, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work and the Dublin Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.

[4] In 2007, the Government Interest Group (GIG) of the ACSH decided to launch a pilot initiative to develop a scoreboard, whose aim would be to illustrate the performance of the Member States in some specific areas of OSH national policies, according to the objectives provided by the strategy. A dedicated technical working group was set up, in March 2007, within the GIG to prepare the project.. The Scoreboard 2009 collects the results of a survey that the GIG working group has conducted, with the technical assistance of an external consultant, on the basis of a questionnaire sent to the heads of the ministries responsible for employment and social affairs in the 27 EU Member States in May 2009.

[5] The conference has convened stakeholders and representatives of local, national and European bodies and institutions to exchange information on, and take stock of, the results of the first half period of implementation of the Community strategy. The rich exchange of views between the major actors has contributed significantly to the development of this Communication. The ACSH adopted an opinion on the results of the Barcelona conference at its 14th plenary meeting on 25 June 2010.