Abstract

Psychosocial risks and their management are among employers’ responsibilities as stated in the Framework Directive 89/391/EEC on Safety and Health of Workers at Work as it obliges employers to address and manage all types of risk in a preventive manner and to establish health and safety procedures and systems to do so. In addition to the Framework Directive, a number of policies and guidance of relevance to mental health have been developed and are applicable to the European level. These include both legal instruments (such as EU regulations, decisions, national pieces of legislation ILO conventions), Court of Justice of the EU and European Court of Human Rights rulings as well as non-binding/voluntary policies (or ‘soft’ policies) which may take the form of recommendations, resolutions, opinions, proposals, conclusions of EU institutions (Commission, Council, Parliament), the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee, as well as social partner agreements and frameworks of actions, and specifications, guidance, etc. initiated by recognised European and international committees, agencies and organisations. This presentation will review the policy framework on psychosocial risks and mental health in the workplace in the EU and will focus on the latest developments in relation to the implementation of a consensus paper on mental health in the workplace by all EU member states. Priority areas for future action will be identified on the basis of this policy document.