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T
he basic responsibility for social
policy and health policy lies with
the Member States. In the area
of social policy, the European Union
has additional responsibilities that
are stipulated in the European Trea
ties. However, economic integration
also has a social dimension and is of
ten flanked by social policy. Thus, Eu
ropean social policy is becoming in
creasingly important. In an interview,
EU Commissioner Marianne Thyssen,
who is responsible for employment,
social affairs, skills and labour mobil
ity, explained the strategic approach
es and future challenges of her work.
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In the context of the single market,
the EU Commission has highlighted
on several occasions the importance
of social issues in order to strength
en them. What role does the establish
ment of a “social pillar” play in this?
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I believe that promoting upward con
vergence both within and between
Member States—particularly within
the Eurozone is major challenge for
the EU. This is why I am proposing to
bring forward a Pillar of social rights.
Such a reference framework will help
to screen employment and social fair
ness and can be a compass for social
convergence.
It is a means of further deepening
Economic and Monetary Union. The
Pillar of Social Rights should, on the
one hand, ensure that the values and
social principles of the European Un
ion are safeguarded in the modern
world of work; and, on the other, bring
together the economic and social pol
icies that promote economic growth,
job creation and productivity.
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The priorities of the Juncker Commis
sion include the simplification of rules
and a fitness check for existing regula
tions.What specific consequences and
developments do you see with regards
to safety and health at work?
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Jobs and growth are at the heart of
this Commission‘s agenda. This means
comprehensive protection for workers
ensuring their health and safety while
at the same time making sure that the
regulation at all levels is fit for purpose
and supports competitiveness.
The EU occupational safety and
health (OSH) legislation is a compre
hensive body of 24 EU Directives, built
up over more than 25 years. It covers
all occupational risks, establishes a
minimum level of protection for all
EU workers and creates a level play
ing field for businesses across the EU.
We are now evaluating this compre
hensive set of EU legislation. This in
cludes identifying possible simplifi
cations and reducing administrative
burden, including for micro and small
enterprises, while preserving a high
level of protection for workers’ health
and safety.
Simplification is not only about the
EU law but also about how it is trans
posed at national level and how it is
interpreted and implemented by busi
nesses. We see that application of
the EU legislation varies significantly
across Member States and that busi
nesses‘ perception of the rules can be
very different. For example, according
to our latest survey, the complexity of
the legal obligations is seen as a ma
jor difficulty in addressing health and
safety by some 40% by German com
panies, compared to almost 70% in
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Common values and
social principles of the EU
MARIANNE THYSSEN
EU Commissioner for
Employment, Social Affairs,
Skills and Labour Mobility
INTERVIEW
Positioning
10
DGUV Yearbook 2015/16