Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2006)329 - Prevention of injury and the promotion of safety - Main contents
Please note
This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2006)329 - Prevention of injury and the promotion of safety. |
|---|---|
| source | COM(2006)329  |
| date | 23-06-2006 |
This Communication focuses on the prevention of accidents and injuries in the Member States by public health actions. It provides a strategic framework in form of a Community action plan which will help the Member States prioritise their actions in reducing accidents and injuries. These actions shall be primarily undertaken in the framework of the Community Public Health Programme (2003-2008) i and successor programmes.
In the Communication, the Commission highlights the role of the health sector in injury prevention by quantifying the problems, reporting risk factors, advocating primary prevention, disseminating evidence-based strategies, increasing the professional capacities for advising people at risk, leading national action plans, and informing the public about hazards and safety precautions.
As one essential part of the Community action plan, the Commission will develop a Community information system on accidents and injuries which will provide all stakeholders with the best available information about the magnitude of the problem including high-risk population groups, major risk determinants and risks linked to certain consumer products and services. This information is a prerequisite for policy making, design of actions, and evaluation of outcomes.
Another part of the Community action plan foresees that the Commission will establish arrangements for a Community wide sharing of information on prevention measures that have been proven to be successful. The effective exchange of experiences will avoid duplication of work, facilitate maximum utilisation of available knowledge and secure greater benefits from limited resources.
Within this Community action plan the Commission determines key priority areas for prevention measures on injuries by taking account of the social impact of injuries in terms of the number, severity and consequences of the various categories of injury, evidence regarding the effectiveness of interventions, and feasibility of successful implementation of interventions within Member States. The priority areas are:
- Safety of children and adolescents;
- Safety of elderly citizens;
- Safety of vulnerable road users;
- Prevention of sports injuries;
- Prevention of injuries caused by products and services;
- Prevention of self-harm;
- Prevention of interpersonal violence.
Furthermore, the Commission intends to develop Community wide campaigns in order to inform the public about the quantity of the accidents and injuries, to increase standards of primary prevention, disseminate good practice, and to provide health administrations of Member States with policy tools for national actions.
The draft Council Recommendation on the Prevention of Injury and the Promotion of Safety is a first step to combine the efforts of the Commission with those of the Member States for actions for a safer Europe, in order to reduce the costs that the health system has to undergo because of injuries. Through a joint approach of the Commission and the Member States in injury prevention, it is expected that the high toll of injuries will decrease and that the situation within the Member States related to accidents and injuries will improve significantly.