La Commission souhaite réduire de 25% les accidents du travail d'ici 2012[en] 

The Community strategies on health and safety at work aim to achieve a continuous reduction in accidents and occupational illnesses. Consolidating a risk-prevention culture, the better application of existing law and a global approach to well-being at work are, according to the Commission, the prerequisites for a safe and healthy workplace. 

The current Community strategy for health and safety at work 2002-2006  aimed to adapt the exisiting legal framework, support the formulation of best practices, social dialogue and corporate social responsibility and mainstream health and safety at work in other Community policies.

The EU framework directive on health and safety at work was adopted in 1989. 

The Commission adopted, on 21 February 2007, a proposal for a new strategy for promoting health and safety at work 2007-2012. The actions proposed, both at European and national levels, aim to achieve an overall 25% reduction of occupational accidents and diseases in the EU. 

The strategy highlights the need to improve the current legislation and guarantee its proper implementation. It proposes to simplify the current legal framework and support small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the implementation of the legislation, as SMEs account for 82% of all occupational injuries and 90% of all fatal accidents. 

The strategy also proposes that member states define and implement strategies tailored to their own specific needs and urges better identification and assessment of potential new risks.

Entitled Improving quality and productivity at work, the proposed strategy describes health and safety of workers as key to the EU's Growth and Jobs agenda. "By bolstering productivity and quality at work, we will boost European growth and competitiveness," said Employment and Social Affairs Commissioner Vladimír Špidla. He also explained that occupational illness and the annual 4 million accidents at work are a "heavy burden on both workers and employers as well as social security systems and public finances".

The European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (UEAPME) believes that the Commission's new strategy rightly focuses on tackling the obstacles to the implementation of existing health and safety rules. However, according to UEAPME, the strategy fails to propose any concrete financial support measures for SMEs to do so. According to UEAPME, micro-businesses, in particular, and small businesses in the new member states in general, have difficulties coping with the implemention costs of the current legislation. "UEAPME has repeatedly suggested the use of structural funds and other forms of financial support to encourage direct business spending in health and safety matters. Unfortunately, the Commission's strategy is disappointingly vague on this point and fails to elaborate on concrete financing possibilities."

BusinessEurope (former UNICE, the Confederation of European Business) welcomes the fact that the new strategy, instead of proposing new legislation, focuses on enforcing the implementation of the existing framework.

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has not yet reacted to the new startegy because "contrary to previous procedures the ETUC was kept in the dark about the draft versions of the communication presented today. In the past, a wide informal consultation always preceded the adoption of these programmes, with the Commission distributing a preliminary draft to the national authorities, trade unions and employers. For the first time, the preparation of the 2007-2012 strategy took place in the greatest secrecy. Even the Community agencies specialising in health and safety at work were kept out of the process, to say nothing of the trade union organisations."