Directive 2010/32 - Implementation of the Framework Agreement on prevention from sharp injuries in the hospital and healthcare sector concluded by HOSPEEM and EPSU - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 134/66

The social partners may, in accordance with Article 155(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (the TFEU), jointly request that agreements concluded by them at the level of the Union in matters covered by Article 153 of the TFEU be implemented by a Council decision on a proposal from the Commission.

By letter of 17 November 2008, the European social partner organisations HOSPEEM (the European Hospital and Healthcare Employers’ Association, a sectoral organisation representing employers) and EPSU (the European Federation of Public Services Unions, a European trade union organisation) informed the Commission of their wish to enter into negotiations in accordance with Article 138(4) and Article 139 of the Treaty establishing the European Community (the EC Treaty) (1) with a view to concluding a Framework Agreement on prevention from sharp injuries in the hospital and healthcare sector.

On 17 July 2009 the European social partners signed the text of a Framework Agreement on prevention from sharp injuries in the hospital and healthcare sector.

Since the objectives of the Directive, namely to achieve the safest possible working environment by preventing injuries to workers caused by all medical sharps (including needle-sticks) and protecting workers at risk in the hospital and healthcare sector, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States and can therefore be better achieved at the level of the Union, the Union may adopt measures in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Directive does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives.

When drafting its proposal for a Directive, the Commission took account of the representativeness of the signatory parties, having regard to the scope of the Agreement, for the hospital and healthcare sector, their mandate and the legality of the clauses in the Framework Agreement and its compliance with the relevant provisions concerning small and medium-sized undertakings.

The Commission informed the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee of its proposal.

The European Parliament adopted on 11 February 2010 a resolution on the proposal.

The purpose of the Framework Agreement as set out in Clause 1 thereof is to further the achievement of one of the objectives of social policy, namely the improvement of working conditions.

Clause 11 allows the Member States and the Community (since 1 December 2009 replaced by the Union) to maintain and introduce provisions which are more favourable to workers’ protection from injuries caused by medical sharps.

The Member States should provide for effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties in the event of any breach of the obligations under this Directive.

The Member States may entrust the social partners, at their joint request, with the implementation of this Directive, as long as they take all the steps necessary to ensure that they can at all times guarantee the results imposed by this...