
High-risk occupations
Spanish MEPs call for defining new high-risk occupations.
SK – 05/2025
MEP Maravillas Abadía Jover (EPP, ES)
introduced a Proposal
for a legal act covering occupational health and safety aspects back in
April. Together with Dolors Montserrat (EPP, ES), she is calling for specific
occupational groups to be categorised as high-risk occupations in order to
better protect employees from assaults and their consequences. Especially those
working in the defence and security sectors should benefit from this.
Does Europe need new high-risk professions?
Many men and women protect Europe every
day. They often even risk their health when doing so. Attacks on security
forces are increasing throughout Europe and with them comes the risk of losing
physical and psychological integrity. This is why Jover and Montserrat are
demanding appropriate high-risk prevention for police officers, military
personnel and prison officers as well as customs and border officials.
The two Spaniards want to create an EU-wide
definition for these high-risk occupations. They also want to provide employees
in these occupations with extended rights, including the option of early
retirement, access to psychological treatment for employees and their families
as well as further training opportunities. Legal
prosecutions following attacks against them should also be improved.
Patriots and social democrats criticised
Last year, the Patriots for Europe group
attempted to introduce a similar proposal in the Committee on Employment and
Social Affairs (EMPL). This endeavour failed.
The EMPL coordinators decided not to pursue the Patriots' proposal. The
Patriots see the European People's Party's new proposal as an affront. For
them, it is just a poor copy of their 2024 proposal.
The Social Democrats believe that the
proposal goes too far. They noted that it is not only jobs in the defence and
security sectors that are dangerous. Public transport and healthcare employees
are also being increasingly exposed to attacks. They have spoken out against
separate regulations for specific occupational groups.
Any chance of success?
The European Parliament’s procedural rules
stipulate that MEPs can submit a proposal for a Union act under the right of
initiative. As with the Patriots' proposal, the EMPL coordinators had to decide
on the success of the proposal. A majority voted in favour of converting the
proposal by Jover and Montserrat into a European Parliament resolution. This
proposal retains the same title and it will be added to the list of resolutions
to be drafted by the European Parliament.