Governing board appoints Jukka Takala as next Agency director

Following an open competition, the Agency’s board, meeting in Luxembourg on Wednesday 3rd May 2006, selected Dr Takala from a short-list of candidates drawn up by the European Commission. Dr Takala is currently Director of the International Labour Organization’s Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment (SafeWork) and he will succeed Hans-Horst Konkolewsky whose term of office as Agency director ends in September 2006.

Commenting on the appointment, Bertil Remaeus, chair of the Agency’s governing board said: "Jukka Takala was an outstanding candidate in a strong field of applicants and I am delighted that the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work will now be able to benefit from his proven leadership abilities and his firm commitment to guaranteeing safe and healthy work for all. Under the leadership of Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, the Agency has established itself as one of the world’s principal providers of reliable and accessible occupational and safety health information (OSH). But, in the field of workplace safety and health much remains to be done and I am confident that, under Dr Takala’s leadership, the Agency will continue to play its full part in promoting an OSH preventive culture across Europe.”

Current director Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, said: "I will have no hesitation in handing over the running of the Agency to such an experienced safety and health expert and highly suitable director as Jukka Takala. Over the coming months, I look forward to working closely with Jukka to ensure a smooth transfer of responsibilities.”

Dr Takala will take up his post at the Agency’s headquarters in Bilbao, Spain in the autumn. He commented: “I am delighted that the governing board has nominated me as the next director of the Agency. I consider that the Agency has an important role to play in promoting higher levels of workplace safety and health across the European Union. And I look forward to working with colleagues in Bilbao as well as in the European institutions, social partner organisations and member states to support the future Community strategy for reaching this goal.”

Ends

Press enquiries:
Andrew Smith, Head of Communication and Promotion Unit, European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, email: smith@osha.europa.eu, tel: +34 94 479 43 60. 

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 to editors:
1. Jukka Takala is director of the International Labour Organization’s InFocus Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment (SafeWork), the largest programme of the ILO’s social protection sector. He has more than 25 years’ professional experience of working in the field of occupational safety and health, first in his native Finland and subsequently in the international environment of the ILO. A mechanical engineer by training, he holds a doctorate in technology from the Tampere University of Technology.

2. 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.

More information about the Agency and its activities: http://osha.europa.eu