European Agency for Health and Safety at Work
The European Union
To provide the Community bodies, the Member States and those
involved in the field with the technical, scientific and economic
information of use in the field of safety and health at work.
Council Regulation (EC) No 2062/94 of 18 July 1994
establishing a European Agency for Health and Safety at Work.
Amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 1643/95, 29 June 1995.
1. The Agency's role is to:
- collect and disseminate technical, scientific and
economic information in the Member States in order to
pass it on to the Community bodies, Member States and
interested parties;
- collect technical, scientific and economic information on
research into safety and health at work and on other
research activities which involve aspects connected with
safety and health at work and disseminate the results of
the research and research activities;
- promote and support cooperation and exchange of
information and experience amongst the Member States in
the field of safety and health at work, including
information on training programmes;
- organise conferences and seminars and exchanges of
experts from the Member States in the field of safety and
health at work;
- supply the Community bodies and the Member States with
the objective available technical, scientific and
economic information they require to formulate the
implement judicious and effective policies designed to
protect the safety and health of workers;
- establish the network in cooperation with the Member
States, and coordinate it, taking into account the
national, Community and international bodies and
organisations which provide this type of information and
services;
- collect and make available information on safety and
health matters from and to third countries and
international organisations (World Health Organisation,
(WHO), International Labour Organisation (ILO),
Panamerican Health Organisation (PAHO, IMO, etc.);
- provide technical, scientific and economic information on
methods and tools for implementing preventive activities,
paying particular attention to the specific problems of
small and medium-sized enterprises;
- contribute to the development of future Community action
programmes relating to the protection of safety and
health at work, without prejudice to the Commission's
sphere of competence.
2. The Agency will set up a network comprising:
- the main component elements of the national information
networks,
- the national focal points,
- any future topic centre.
3. Member States will, within six months of the entry into
force of the Regulation, inform the Agency of the main component
elements of their health and safety at work information networks.
4. The Agency, has legal personality and has an Administrative
Board consisting of 48 members, of whom 15 members represent the
Governments of the Member States, 15 members represent the
employers' organisations, 15 members represent the employees'
organisations and three members represent the Commission.
5. The Administrative Board adopts the Agency's annual work
programme on the basis of a draft drawn up by the Director after
consultation of the Commission and of the Advisory Committee on
Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work, and the budget. By
31 January each year at the latest, the Administrative Board
adopts an annual general report on the Agency's activities.
6. The Agency is headed by a Director appointed by the
Administrative Board.
Not applicable
- Regulation (EC) No 2062/94: 18.07.1994
- Regulation (EC) No 1643/95: 29.06.1995
Official Journal L 216, 20.08.1994
Official Journal L 156, 07.07.1995
The inaugural meeting of the Administrative Board took place
at the Agency's headquarters in Bilbao (Spain) on 25 and 26
October 1995.
On 3 July 1996 the Administrative Board appointed Mr
Hans-Horst Konkolewsky as Director of the Agency. He took up his
post on 15 September 1996. He will ensure the recruitment of
permanent staff to enable the Agency to become fully operational.
Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) amending Regulation
(EC) No 2062/94 of 18 July 1994 establishing a European Agency
for Safety and Health at Work [COM(97) 489 final, Official
Journal C 335, 06.11.1997].