15.03.2002. EU funding scheme targets safety and health risks in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

Europe's small and medium-sized enterprises are key drivers of economic growth and job creation. They employ more than 65% of the EU's workforce and account for over 99% of the EU's 18 million enterprises, outside the agricultural sector. However, due to a lack of financial and organisational resources, many SMEs have only limited occupational health and safety knowledge and capacity.

That is why the Bilbao-based European Agency for Safety and Health at Work is organising a second SME funding scheme focused on reducing safety and health risks in Europe's SMEs. Details of the new funding scheme will be published by the end of March in the Official Journal of the European Communities and on the Agency's web site at http://osha.europa.eu/sme2002/.

The €4 million budget for the new scheme was decided by the European Parliament at the end of last year. On a proposal of the European Commission, the scheme was included in the Agency's work programme for 2002 by the Administrative Board at a recent meeting in Bilbao.

Agency Director, Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, commented: "In 2001, the Agency was able to support over 50 innovative projects targeting accident prevention in SMEs. In this year's scheme we are broadening our scope to cover a wider range of safety and health risks, including the prevention of work-related stress. As last year, we are looking forward to support projects that will contribute to making workplaces in European SMEs safer and healthier."

Funds will promote good practice

The Agency's funding will provide about 40 grants for transnational and national projects, which promote the development and exchange of effective good practices that reduce safety and health risks in SMEs through training, information and communication or through the provision of good practices.

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Further information

Press contacts: Andrew Smith or Francoise Murillo, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Tel: +34 94 479 5733 or +34 94 479 4382 emails: smith@osha.europa.eu or murillo@osha.europa.eu

Other enquiries: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, Gran Via 33, E-48009 Bilbao, Spain, email: information@osha.europa.eu, fax: +34 94 479 4383

Notes for editors

1. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work was set up by the European Union to help meet the information needs in the field of occupational safety and health. Based in Bilbao, Spain, the Agency aims to improve the lives of people at work by stimulating the flow of technical, scientific and economic information between all those involved in occupational safety and health issues.
2. Full details of the 2002 SME scheme and how to apply will be available on the Agency's website (http://osha.europa.eu/sme2002/) by the end of March. The deadlines for submission of applications will be 14 June 2002 for national projects and 28 June 2002 for transnational and European-level projects. Applications must be submitted on the official forms and by the specified deadlines to the Agency.
3. In 2001, 51 companies and other organisations received grants to develop accident prevention activities for SMEs. The projects selected by a European jury on the basis of national focal point evaluations of over 400 entries, included 16 transnational and 35 national programmes. Full details on funded projects are available at http://osha.europa.eu/sme2002/.