Rapporti verbatim tad-dibattiti

Il-Ħamis, 11 ta' Frar 2010 - Strasburgu

3. Proposta għal direttiva tal-Kunsill li timplimenta l-Ftehim Kwadru għall-prevenzjoni kontra korrimenti kkawżati minn oġġetti li jaqtgħu fl-isptarijiet u fis-settur tal-kura tas-saħħa li ġie konkluż mill-HOSPEEM u l-EPSU (dibattitu)

  President. − The next item is the debate on the motion for a resolution by Elizabeth Lynne and Pervenche Berès, on behalf of the EMPL committe, on the proposal for a Council directive implementing the Framework Agreement on prevention from sharp injuries in the hospital and healthcare sector concluded by HOSPEEM and EPSU (B7-0063/2010).

  Elizabeth Lynne, author. − Mr President, there are over one million preventable needle-stick injuries on healthcare workers each year across the whole of the EU. Many of those who are injured, and their families, face an agonising wait to find out whether they have contracted a blood-borne infection such as HIV or hepatitis C.

The risks of infection following an accident are not insignificant. Experts tell us the chances of infection are one in three for hepatitis B, 1 in 30 for hepatitis C and 1 in 300 for HIV. Take the case of Juliet Young. Juliet was a nurse who died in 2008, seven years after contracting HIV while taking blood from an infected patient in a London hospital. Juliet accidentally pricked her thumb on the needle after it slipped when she was taking a sample. Or the case of a dental nurse working in a prison who was pricked by a needle that was used on an inmate who had hepatitis A, B, and C and was HIV positive. Imagine the agonising wait that she had; she has now discovered that she has contracted hepatitis C. This nurse, and many others like her, are continuing to campaign on this issue.

I first became involved in 2004 when I visited a hospital in my constituency at the instigation of Health First Europe, and then on World Aids Day on 1 December that year I hosted an exhibition with Stephen Hughes in this Parliament. Healthcare workers from across the European Union visited us, visited the Parliament, desperate for our help. Those of you who had the opportunity to meet with those nurses and other healthcare workers could not have failed to have been moved by their plight, and in 2006 we passed a Parliament resolution on protecting European healthcare workers from blood-borne infections due to needle-stick injuries. This resolution called on the Commission to submit a legislative proposal to amend Directive 2000/54/EC on biological agents within three months. This proposal never came, but Stephen Hughes and I did not give up the fight.

I personally have amended many reports and resolutions calling for action, spoken in plenary on this issue a dozen times and tabled countless parliamentary questions. Following meetings with Commissioner Špidla, we were told in 2008 that a proposal was being prepared by the Commission and we were on the brink of achieving this. However, at the last minute, this was blocked as the social partners promised they would try, at long last, to reach an agreement, much to our frustration.

A comprehensive agreement on the necessary requirements was eventually reached by the social partners in the summer of 2009. My resolution supports the agreement wholeheartedly. The Council must adopt the proposed directive urgently so that the Commission can ensure that it is implemented effectively and without delay. Healthcare workers across Europe are depending on us. Our healthcare workers cannot wait and should not continue to be placed in danger. It is really time now to act decisively.

  Stephen Hughes, author. − Mr President, this is an important piece of health and safety legislation. Liz has outlined some of the background to it. It has been a long time in the making – six years from the first meetings we had, as she has mentioned. It is good to see Commissioner Andor here this morning, but it is a pity, in a way, that Commissioner Špidla is not here. We have often criticised him here in this Chamber, but we could have congratulated him this morning for eventually taking the initiative to bring forward this proposal on needle-stick injuries, sharps injuries.

We took a while to persuade him to act. His services, in fact, were the people who kept advising that he should not act, that the directive agreed in 2000 on the protection of workers from the risks arising from exposure to biological agents, combined with the risk assessment elements of the 1989 framework directive, were enough to prevent these sorts of injuries, but eventually we persuaded those services that, with one million injuries per year, clearly something was wrong. We needed specific legislation to address this problem, as they have in the United States and in parts of Spain, and it works there very effectively.

Eventually the Commissioner agreed to act and in 2008, as Liz has said, did draft an amendment to the 2000 directive, but then HOSPEEM and EPSU, the public service unions, signalled their desire to formulate an agreement. They formulated that agreement. I am glad that they have. It is a good agreement, but it is a little ambiguous in certain parts. This is why I have tabled an amendment which has been agreed in the Employment Committee, to seek the publication by the Commission of guidance to accompany the directive to ensure the smooth and uniform transposition of this directive into law in all Member States.

We fully support the Commission’s proposal for a directive, and we understand that the agreement from the social partners cannot be touched. We cannot amend it. Council cannot amend it. It is their agreement. However, the most important part of the agreement, clause 6, which covers elimination, prevention and protection, unfortunately includes some ambiguity regarding risk assessment and precisely which preventative elements need to be implemented by employers and when.

If this ambiguity is not clarified, then we risk seeing dramatic variability in the application of the directive. It is for this reason that we are requesting that the Commission produce implementation guidelines to aid employers’ understanding of the risks and necessary preventative measures to ensure a consistent application of the directive.

Needle-stick injuries are the most common and most dangerous form of medical sharp injuries. Whenever a hollow-bore needle is used on a patient there is a risk of a needle-stick injury that could lead to a serious infection of a healthcare worker because the hollow-bore acts as a reservoir for the patient’s blood or other body fluids.

There is a huge body of independent evidence that has proven that the introduction of improved training, safer working practices and the use of medical devices incorporating safety-engineered protection mechanisms will prevent the majority of needle-stick injuries. All of these things are necessary, not just one or two – all of those things are necessary.

Studies have also demonstrated that failure to implement any one of these three elements results in a significantly reduced impact. Similarly, attempts to implement safety-engineered medical devices only in certain areas or on certain patients would be neither practical nor effective.

In those countries where there is existing effective legislation such as America, Canada and parts of Spain, it is clearly mandated that all three of these elements must be implemented to prevent needle-stick injuries. It is no coincidence that all are the same in this respect. So that is the ambiguity in clause 6 that we are seeking to overcome through the publication of guidance.

Liz has mentioned the trauma that people affected by needle-stick injuries face. I have met people during the six years that we have worked on this subject who have suffered needle-stick injuries, and I would really emphasise that trauma. I met a doctor who gave up medical practice because of a needle-stick injury. I met a person who has HIV as a result of a needle-stick injury. I have met people who turned out not to be infected, but only after months of uncertainty as to whether they were infected or not. I have also met garbage collectors and prison officers who have suffered needle-stick injuries. They are not covered by this agreement. That is another area that we need to think about for the future.

Nevertheless it is a good agreement, and I think if we have good guidance to accompany it to ensure uniform application across the European Union, we will all have done a good job and hopefully we will radically reduce that figure of one million needle-stick injuries per year.

  László Andor, Member of the Commission. − Mr President, I wish to thank Parliament for its work on this issue. In particular I want to thank the rapporteur, Mrs Lynne, for her excellent work in drawing up the motion for a resolution on the Commission’s proposal and for her efforts over a number of years to improve health and safety at work for workers in the hospital and healthcare sector.

I am aware that this is a long-standing concern of this House. Parliament’s resolution of 24 February 2005 on promoting health and safety in the workplace called for a revision of Directive 2000/54/EC on biological agents at work. Again, in July 2006, Parliament adopted a resolution calling on the Commission to submit a proposal for a directive amending that directive.

In response to the European Parliament, the Commission initiated a two-stage consultation of the European social partners, in accordance with the Treaty provisions. In response to this consultation two European social partner organisations acting in the hospital and healthcare sector, the European Hospital and Healthcare Employers’ Association and the European Federation of Public Service Unions, negotiated with success a framework agreement in July 2009. As you know, the Commission proposal aims to implement this agreement.

We all know that injuries caused by needles and other sharp instruments are one of the most common and serious risks to healthcare workers in Europe, in particular in certain departments and activities, such as emergencies, intensive care and surgical operations. I am more than happy that your resolution recognises that the Commission’s proposal incorporates the major points in Parliament’s resolution of 6 July 2006. It was indeed the Commission’s wish to have these points in the agreement.

I also agree with you that the entry into force of this agreement will represent an important contribution to the protection of workers active in the hospital and healthcare sector. With this agreement, and hopefully the forthcoming adoption by the Council of the proposed directive, workers in the hospital and healthcare sector will benefit from an integrated approach, establishing policies in risk assessment, risk prevention, training, information, awareness-raising and so on. Such measures, which are also minimum requirements, are not only much welcomed but above all absolutely necessary.

Let me just conclude by thanking you once again for supporting the Commission’s proposal, which I hope the Council will adopt very shortly.

  Raffaele Baldassarre, a nome del gruppo PPE. – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, come è già stato ribadito, le ferite provocate da aghi e da altri strumenti taglienti figurano tra i rischi più comuni in cui incorre il personale sanitario in Europa, e rappresentano quindi un gravoso problema sia per la sanità, sia per la società in generale.

La presente proposta della Commissione ha lo scopo di consentire al Consiglio di attuare l'accordo quadro siglato dall'Associazione dei datori di lavoro nel settore ospedaliero e dalla Federazione sindacale europea dei servizi pubblici.

L'accordo ha l'obiettivo sostanziale di assicurare una maggiore protezione ai lavoratori dal rischio di ferite provocate da tutti gli oggetti taglienti o acuminati utilizzati in medicina. Pertanto, questa intesa rappresenta un importante passo avanti verso un innalzamento della sicurezza nel settore ospedaliero. Come noi tutti conveniamo, le conseguenze da ferite da taglio possono essere gravissime e causare la diffusione di malattie quali l'epatite virale e l'AIDS.

Ciò premesso, mi preme sottolineare l'esigenza di un apporto integrato e allo stesso tempo realistico a questo problema. In tal senso, ritengo opportuno che i vincoli amministrativi, finanziari e giuridici derivanti dall'accordo non risultino eccessivi e quindi tali da pregiudicare lo sviluppo delle piccole e medie imprese operanti nel settore sanitario, che altrimenti potrebbero avere serie difficoltà ad adeguarsi ai termini dell'accordo, dell'intesa.

Altrettanto condivisibile, inoltre, appare la possibilità prevista per gli Stati membri – io aggiungo, auspicabile, oltre che prevista – di adottare disposizioni e misure più efficaci di quelle contenute nell'accordo ai fini della protezione dei lavoratori.

Infine, si chiede alla Commissione di vigilare sull'applicazione del presente accordo e di informarne regolarmente il Parlamento, che di questa materia si è spesso interessato, in modo da garantire un adeguato monitoraggio dell'intesa e valutare esaustivamente la necessità di eventuali future rettifiche.

  Alejandro Cercas, en nombre del Grupo S&D. – Señor Presidente, para empezar, también quiero felicitar a la colega Lynne por el excelente trabajo que ha hecho en nuestra comisión, por la capacidad de conciliar todos los puntos de vista y por la labor que ha realizado a lo largo de tanto tiempo.

Felicito al señor Comisario Andor. ¡Es su segundo día, señor Comisario; es un buen comienzo de su trabajo al frente de sus responsabilidades! Hoy, además, también tiene otra segunda directiva, que preocupó durante largo tiempo a este Parlamento, como era la relativa a las microfinanzas. También va a tener el honor de solucionar en dos días dos problemas que abren la vía de grandes esperanzas para muchísimos europeos. Recuerdo, también, al Comisario Špidla por lo que nos ha ayudado en este dossier.

Ya han sido informados, y yo no voy a perder mucho tiempo en recordar que este Acuerdo Marco es un instrumento jurídico muy importante para los trabajadores sanitarios. Son más de un millón de accidentes los que tienen, relacionados, además, con problemas de salud muy serios, como las infecciones virales, la hepatitis C, el sida, etc. Pero no solo es importante para los trabajadores sanitarios, también para los pacientes de los hospitales, para sus familias. En definitiva, millones de europeos van a estar mejor cubiertos con este instrumento.

Llegamos así, por tanto, al final de un largo camino que empezó este Parlamento llamando a las puertas de la Comisión y del Consejo; hay que recordar el excelente trabajo del señor Hughes a lo largo de esta larga andadura.

Me van a permitir que, brevemente, haga una valoración de las razones por las cuales los diputados socialistas estamos hoy muy felices. Me parece que hoy es un día, también, para decir cuatro cosas.

En primer lugar, la importancia de la salud y la seguridad en el trabajo: crear un entorno de trabajo lo más sano posible es vital para los trabajadores, para las familias, para los ciudadanos. En términos humanos, ya hemos hecho referencia a todas las implicaciones que tiene una norma de estas características, para ellos y para los ciudadanos, pero también en términos económicos. Hace pocos días en esta Cámara la Agencia de Bilbao nos presentaba alguna de las campañas que hacen para la prevención en materia de salud y seguridad y nos enseñaba, incluso, estudios económicos que demuestran que en Australia, por ejemplo, en la economía nacional los accidentes y las enfermedades representan más de seis puntos del PIB. ¿Cuál es el coste de la no seguridad social? ¿Cuál es el coste de la falta de higiene y seguridad en el trabajo? Es, por tanto, una inversión en capital humano, pero, también inversión en civilización e inversión económica.

En segundo lugar, la importancia de la prevención: es mucho más importante prevenir que curar, actuar antes de que se produzcan los fenómenos para evitarlos. La prevención, que es un tema complejo, exige sensibilización, información, formación y supervisión en relación con cada una de estas tareas.

En tercer lugar, es importante hablar hoy también aquí de la importancia de los interlocutores sociales, la importancia de los sindicatos. Sin ellos, por supuesto, no habría este Acuerdo Marco, pero sin ellos tampoco habría prevención. A veces la gente habla mal de los sindicatos y dice que son un coste para la sociedad pero olvidan los enormes beneficios que aportan ya que son ellos los que llevan hasta las terminales de los centros de trabajo políticas tan importantes como las que están en este Acuerdo Marco.

Y, por último, la importancia de este Parlamento, que hay que reivindicar ante la opinión pública y ante las otras instituciones comunitarias —sin este Parlamento, no habría este Acuerdo Marco— y la importancia de la colaboración, también, de este Parlamento con la Comisión y el Consejo, que ha sido ejemplar. Recuerdo a la Presidencia española que nos ha ayudado y espero que sea un hermoso precedente para que empiece una nueva etapa de colaboración entre nuestras instituciones.

  Elizabeth Lynne, on behalf of the ALDE Group. – Mr President, I was not going to take my speaking time on behalf of the group but I thought I could actually split it and come in afterwards but apparently, on a resolution, that is not the case; so I was informed this morning that I was coming in now. It does give me the opportunity to thank all the shadow rapporteurs whom I did not thank before; also to again thank Stephen Hughes, because it was Stephen and I in 2004 that actually went round the hospitals with John Bowis, who was a Conservative MEP. The three of us from the political parties went out to the hospitals to find out for ourselves, and I think that was what was so important.

In this place we have to be driven by what is actually needed by the people on the ground and by listening to nurses and doctors and healthcare workers, it was important to take their views into account. Stephen mentioned implementing guidelines, and I would like to find out really whether you do know whether the Commission is thinking of bringing forward any implementing guidelines for this; I think it is very important that we have these. Also, I was wondering whether you knew of the timetable that the Council was thinking of because it is absolutely important that we get the timetable through very quickly because after all those healthcare workers have waited so many years.

We do not want any more needle-stick injuries unnecessarily during that waiting time. We have had too many over the last few years. Also the point which has already been made that although this is for the health sector only at the present moment I would like to see it extended to other sectors like the prisons in particular. I think it is very important that prison officers are protected as well. There are so many things that are important for those particular workers but one of the key things for this is recapable needles. I think along with all the other issues in the resolution it is very important that those healthcare workers are not subjected to unnecessary needle-stick injuries.

  Jean Lambert, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – Mr President, I too would like to thank Stephen Hughes and Liz Lynne for their work on this and indeed to welcome this action, although we would like to have seen it earlier. As has been pointed out, the USA has had legislation in place since 2001. We can now see such legislation in certain parts of the European Union, and at last we are catching up, but, of course, not before many people will already have been affected by this problem.

In terms of the risk, the World Health Organisation estimates that, while 90% of exposures to this risk are in the developing world, 90% of reports about occupational infection occur in the United States and the European Union. We know that there is a major issue of under-reporting sharps injuries: estimates range between 40% and 75% and that is huge. Therefore I think we should welcome the fact that, in the social partners’ agreement, clause 11 talks about the duty to report under a no-blame culture.

But I think we also need to ask why people are not reporting. Presumably part of it is that they do not understand the risks or that they fear the consequences – not least, perhaps, to their future employment – of reporting such an injury. Indeed in some places we have reports of ineffectual follow-up, in other words, even where people do report, nothing very much happens.

Certainly they are not getting even the medical support that they need, let alone the emotional support – or indeed, in some cases, alternative employment, if it is considered that, when they have contracted something like HIV, there may be a risk to patients. We have research which shows that health workers working outside hospitals are more likely to be dissatisfied with the response of employers.

People have spoken about the scope of this action. Of course it covers the healthcare sector, and we are very pleased that the agreement covers trainees and subcontractors. I am not entirely sure whether that includes cleaning staff, and I would welcome some clarification on that. But it does not yet cover workers in other professions at risk, so we hope Member States could look at that.

The training obligations are extremely important, and I hope Member States will take this seriously: both the giving and receiving of training should be mandatory, as should induction for all new and temporary staff – because I think there is a feeling that if you train people once you never have to look at that issue again. At the moment there is a lack of training even where employers have training policies in place.

An issue was raised about the cost. There are estimates that training and preventative measures, including safer devices, account for about a third of the cost of dealing with sharps injuries. That is an important saving in cash-strapped times, as well as being an important issue both for the people concerned and employers, who may indeed find themselves at risk of legal action if they are not taking action to prevent such injuries.

  Oldřich Vlasák, za skupinu ECR. – Vážené dámy, vážení pánové, dohoda o prevenci poranění ostrými předměty je historicky první dohodou mezi sektorovými sociálními partnery. Vzhledem k tomu, že se odhaduje, že poranění ostrými předměty v nemocnicích dosahují v Evropě více než 1 milion případů ročně, nemusíme se zde přesvědčovat, že jde o krok správným směrem, protože při správném dodržování této dohody by se těmto úrazům mělo předejít. V praxi to napomůže vytvořit bezpečné pracovní prostředí a ochránit zdravotníky před krví přenášenými infekcemi způsobenými poraněním o ostré předměty.

Přestože můžeme spatřovat některé nejasnosti v překladech či definicích, věřím, že bude učiněno všechno proto, aby bylo od sociálních partnerů získáno co nejvíc informací, všechna ustanovení byla vyjasněna a Rada tak mohla dohodu jako celek přijmout.

Rád bych na tomto místě zdůraznil, že dohoda zaměstnavatelů a zaměstnanců je svým způsobem zcela unikátním evropským právním instrumentem, který na národní úrovni nemá ve většině členských států obdobu. Tato forma samoregulace, kde se ti, kterých se daný problém dotýká, sami dohodnou ve formě právní normy na jeho řešení, je podle mého názoru vzorovým příkladem evropské regulace. Není to totiž jako u regulace emisí CO2, harmonizace daní či standardizace veřejných služeb, kdy podniky a jejich zaměstnanci musí pouze trpně a s velkými náklady plnit to, co jsme jim my a členské státy naservírovali.

  Jiří Maštálka, za skupinu GUE/NGL. – Kolegyně a kolegové, rád bych nejprve poděkoval oběma zpravodajkám za velký kus záslužné práce, kterou odvedly při přípravě tohoto dokumentu. Jsem rád i jako lékař, že si zde, na půdě Evropského parlamentu, uvědomujeme naléhavost potřeby lepší ochrany zdravotnických pracovníků před poraněními, která jsou způsobena ostrými předměty, a že tomu odpovídá i obsah normy.

Jsem velmi znepokojen ovšem velmi pomalým postupem Komise. Uplynulo již pět let od doby, kdy byla Evropská komise na tuto závažnou otázku poprvé upozorněna, a téměř čtyři roky od doby, kdy Evropský parlament přijal usnesení s požadavkem legislativního řešení otázky náležité ochrany zaměstnanců ve zdravotnictví Evropské unie před krví přenosnými nákazami.

Jako člen Výboru pro zaměstnanost a sociální otázky v minulém legislativním období jsem s kolegou Stephenem Hughesem a s kolegyní Elizabethou Lynnovou a dalšími spolupracoval na tomto usnesení a je mi líto, že je tak velká prodleva. Doporučuji, aby opatření navrhovaná směrnicí byla v co nejkratší možné lhůtě přijata. Vyzývám k zajištění co největší ochrany a prevence zdravotnických pracovníků, a to v co nejkratší možné době.

  Elisabeth Morin-Chartier (PPE). - Monsieur le Président, Monsieur le Commissaire, Madame le rapporteur, chers collègues, je voudrais vous dire combien que je me réjouis, ce matin, que nous arrivions à cette proposition de directive sur la prévention des blessures par objets coupants. Nous avons là un vrai problème de santé que nous devons régler le plus rapidement possible. Nous connaissons tous l'importance et les conséquences dramatiques de ces blessures. Je tiens, Monsieur le Commissaire, à vous témoigner ma confiance quant au fait que vous apporterez une solution d'application rapide à cet accord qui nous fera considérablement avancer sur ce problème.

Je remercie Mme Lynne pour toute son action. Je remercie également M. Hughes, parce que c'est notre responsabilité de parlementaires européens de faire en sorte que nos concitoyens soient protégés. Ce sont les professionnels de santé, bien sûr – nous en avons beaucoup parlé –, ce sont les personnels de nettoyage – vous avez parlé des personnels dans les prisons –, je voudrais aussi parler des personnels en milieu scolaire, dans toute la médicine scolaire. Mais je pense que, bien au-delà de cela, c'est une question d'éducation de l'ensemble de nos concitoyens, qui ne doivent pas faire prendre des risques inconsidérés au personnel qui soigne et au personnel qui traite ensuite les objets contondants.

Je tiens à dire que nous serons complètement mobilisés au niveau du Parlement européen, à côté des rapporteurs qui se sont engagés sur ce sujet, pour qu'il y ait une véritable application dans l'ensemble des pays membres, et nous aurons besoin d'avoir régulièrement un point sur l'application de ces textes. C'est vraiment notre engagement, notre responsabilité, et c'est quelque chose qui doit être réellement populaire, partagé par tous.

  Συλβάνα Ράπτη (S&D). - Κύριε Πρόεδρε, θέλω να ευχαριστήσω τους παλιότερους συναδέλφους που βρήκα στο Κοινοβούλιο - εφόσον είμαι στην πρώτη μου θητεία - τον καλό συνάδελφο Hughes, την κ. Lynne, την εισηγήτρια και τους σκιώδεις εισηγητές, γιατί βρήκα μια έτοιμη δουλειά για ένα θέμα το οποίο κατά κάποιο τρόπο με αφορά και προσωπικά.

Ο σύζυγος μου είναι γιατρός, και πριν από μερικά χρόνια μολύνθηκε από μία βελόνα. Άρα ξέρω πολύ καλά την αγωνία που αισθάνεται μια οικογένεια ενός εργαζόμενου σε νοσοκομείο που τραυματίζεται από αιχμηρό αντικείμενο. Ήταν πραγματικά δύσκολες οι μέρες που πέρασαν περιμένοντας να δούμε τα αποτελέσματα.

Έτσι λοιπόν, θέλω για μία ακόμη φορά να ευχαριστήσω για τη δουλειά που έχει γίνει, αλλά να εκφράσω και την ικανοποίησή μου που για πρώτη φορά βλέπουμε οργάνωση εργοδοτών και οργάνωση εργαζομένων να συμπράττουν, να συμφωνούν, και να καταλήγουμε τοιουτοτρόπως σε αυτό το ψήφισμα.

Αισθάνομαι ότι πραγματικά η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση επιτυγχάνει τους στόχους της λαμβάνοντας, πλέον, αποφάσεις με τους πολίτες της για τους πολίτες της. Θυμίζω κάτι που επανέλαβαν και άλλοι συνάδελφοι, αλλά νομίζω ότι έχει σημασία να το λέμε και το θυμόμαστε συνεχώς, ότι συμβαίνουν ένα εκατομμύριο τραυματισμοί από αιχμηρά αντικείμενα.

Δεν μπορώ να μην υπερτονίσω τον ρόλο που έχει παίξει το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο, το οποίο από το 2005 εργάζεται σοβαρά γι' αυτήν την υπόθεση. Με δεδομένη από την άλλη πλευρά, την έλλειψη προσωπικού που υπάρχει, μια έλλειψη που είναι ιδιαίτερα έντονη και στην πατρίδα μου την Ελλάδα, σημειώνω ότι θα πρέπει πραγματικά να δώσουμε ιδιαίτερη έμφαση στην πολύ γρήγορη εφαρμογή αυτού του ψηφίσματος, αυτής της οδηγίας.

Πρόκειται για μια απόφαση που θα συμβάλλει εκ των πραγμάτων και στους κοινωνικούς στόχους της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης, ανάμεσά στους οποίους βρίσκεται η αύξηση της απασχόλησης. Θυμίζω, πως η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή δήλωσε πρόσφατα, σ' αυτό εδώ το Κοινοβούλιο, δια στόματος του επανεκλεγέντος Προέδρου της, πως ένας από τους τομείς στους οποίους στοχεύει να επενδύσει, είναι και οι λεγόμενες λευκές θέσεις εργασίας.

Ας σώσουμε λοιπόν ζωές και κυριολεκτικά και μεταφορικά, δημιουργώντας σ' αυτή την τόσο δύσκολη οικονομικά και κοινωνικά περίοδο, πολύτιμες θέσεις εργασίας.

Τελειώνοντας, θέλω να ευχηθώ καλή επιτυχία στη δουλειά του νέου Επιτρόπου και αν μου επιτρέπετε, να πω το εξής: ο εκλεκτός και έμπειρος συνάδελφος κ. Cercas σας είπε προηγουμένως ότι εύχεται να μπείτε και να συνεχίσετε με το "δεξί". Εγώ εύχομαι να μπείτε και να συνεχίσετε με το "αριστερό", και το λέω αυτό γιατί έχει πολύ μεγάλη σημασία η προσέγγιση που θα φέρει το κοινωνικό πρόσωπο της Ευρώπης στην επιφάνεια.

Το νου σας, το μυαλό σας στους εργαζόμενους, το έχει ανάγκη ο ευρωπαϊκός λαός.

  Licia Ronzulli (PPE). - Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, anch'io porterò un'esperienza personale. Lavoro in ospedale da quindici anni e per un periodo ho lavorato proprio come operatrice sanitaria in un'area critica come la sala operatoria.

A me personalmente è capitato di pungermi con aghi e strumenti potenzialmente infetti. Quindi, come diceva la collega Rapti, ricordo ancora l'ansia provata nell'aspettare l'esito degli esami, ma soprattutto come vivevo il periodo cosiddetto "finestra" che intercorre tra la potenziale contaminazione e l'ipotetica manifestazione della malattia.

Proprio per questo vissuto, credo sia necessario votare questa risoluzione che dà finalmente valore giuridico all'accordo in termini di sicurezza e protezione, stabilendo standard minimi per tutti gli operatori sanitari.

Il settore sanitario rappresenta il 10% della forza lavoro nell'Unione europea e si stimano per la precisione 1.200.000 casi l'anno di punture accidentali, con una conseguente graduale demotivazione e molte volte abbandono della professione dell'operatore sanitario. L'Organizzazione mondiale della sanità stima inoltre che il 2,5% dei casi possano sieroconvertirsi in HIV e nel 40% dei casi nelle diverse forme di epatite B ed epatite C.

Proprio per i gravi e numerosi rischi che si corrono quotidianamente troppo spesso, la professione sanitaria è considerata poco attrattiva, tanto da subire una carenza di personale negli ultimi anni. Inoltre, considerevole è il costo, come è già stato ricordato qui, per le singole strutture sanitarie chiamate a fronteggiare le situazioni di stress alle quali è sottoposto l'operatore sanitario nei diversi periodi di controllo, gli esami diagnostici che si protraggono come da protocollo per almeno sei mesi dagli incidenti, nonché i costi legati al professionista che purtroppo ha contratto la malattia.

In conclusione, per non sottodimensionare il problema, quando il rischio di incidente è evitabile o riducibile, è necessario e doveroso che si approntino tutte le misure preventive disponibili. In particolare, è doveroso che il datore di lavoro le predisponga, come è doveroso anche che il lavoratore le rispetti.

  Ryszard Czarnecki (ECR). - Panie Przewodniczący! Mówimy o problemie, który rzeczywiście urasta do jednego z istotniejszych w obszarze służby zdrowia. Wspomnę tutaj o statystykach, mianowicie na obszarze Unii Europejskiej dochodzi do około miliona rocznie takich właśnie nieszczęśliwych sytuacji zakłuć. W Stanach Zjednoczonych szacuje się, że jest to kwestia około 380 tysięcy, ale sami Amerykanie mówią, że ta liczba jest niedoszacowana. Oczywiście możemy podkreślać, że dotyczy to głównie pracowników, ale jest też druga strona medalu: mówimy także o pacjentach, którzy też są na to narażeni. Wówczas mamy do czynienia z problemem, nie ma co ukrywać, często olbrzymich odszkodowań, które muszą płacić szpitale. Rzecz jasna w tym zakresie, o czym zresztą mówili moi przedmówcy, profilaktyka ma znaczenie absolutnie podstawowe. Profilaktyka bowiem jest zawsze znacznie tańsza niż leczenie.

Rezolucja ta, w moim przekonaniu, jest absolutnie godna poparcia, jest ona odpowiedzią na postulaty zgłaszane ze środowisk służby zdrowia, tym bardziej, że ten problem narasta. Narasta także problem odszkodowań, o które występują zarówno pracownicy, jak i pacjenci. Ten aspekt finansowy jest też naprawdę nie bez znaczenia. Moja grupa polityczna, w imieniu której przemawiam, popiera ten projekt rezolucji, uważając, że w ten sposób odpowiadamy tak naprawdę na pewne wyzwania czasu, a także na potrzeby konsumentów i pracowników służby zdrowia w krajach Unii Europejskiej.

  Γεώργιος Παπανικολάου (PPE). - Κύριε Πρόεδρε, λαμβάνω σήμερα το λόγο για να συγχαρώ κατ' αρχάς όλους τους εισηγητές και όλους όσους προκάλεσαν αυτή τη συζήτηση.

Λέμε κάποιες φορές ότι η Ευρώπη πρέπει να έρθει πιο κοντά στους πολίτες. Με αυτή τη συζήτηση, πραγματικά το καταφέρνουνε. Συζητούσα με φίλο μου, συνομήλικο μου, νέο ειδικευόμενο γιατρό, και όταν του μετέφερα αυτή τη συζήτηση, εκείνος με ιδιαίτερη χαρά μου είπε ότι πράγματι αυτό είναι καθοριστικό και προσπαθήστε να εξηγήσετε σ' όλους τους ευρωπαίους πολίτες τι ακριβώς κάνετε. Είναι σημαντική η πρόληψη και η ενημέρωση όλων όσων εργάζονται στα νοσοκομεία, σε σχέση με τους κινδύνους που διατρέχουν. Είναι, πράγματι, καθοριστικό να εξηγήσουμε σε όλους, ότι όταν εργάζονται με τόσο πιεσμένα ωράρια, ότι όταν οι χώροι είναι καμιά φορά μικροί, όταν οι ασθενείς είναι πάρα πολλοί, είναι καθοριστικό να μπορέσουν οι άνθρωποι αυτοί να λαμβάνουν, τουλάχιστον, τα περισσότερα και απαραίτητα μέτρα που χρειάζονται.

Κύριοι και κυρίες συνάδελφοι, χρειαζόμαστε στα νοσοκομεία ένα υγιές προσωπικό το οποίο θα εργάζεται, προκειμένου και εμείς ως ασθενείς -κάποια στιγμή- να μπορέσουμε να έχουμε τη φροντίδα του και την καλύτερη δυνατή θεραπεία.

  Karin Kadenbach (S&D). - Herr Präsident! In unserer Politik muss es das Ziel sein, jene Rahmenbedingungen zu schaffen, die in der Europäischen Union eine höchstmögliche Lebensqualität für die Menschen ermöglichen. Eine wesentliche Herausforderung in Zeiten wie diesen ist daher der Erhalt und die Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen. Aber dabei darf nicht außer Acht gelassen werden, dass diese Arbeitsplätze die Menschen nicht krank machen bzw. ihre Gesundheit gefährden dürfen. Daher sind Prävention, Gesundheitsvorsorge und Arbeitsplatzsicherheit ganz wesentliche Punkte.

Ich bin davon überzeugt, dass durch die Umsetzung dieses Richtlinienvorschlags, der eigentlich schon längst überfällig ist, die Bedingungen dafür geschaffen werden, dass das Arbeiten in jenen Bereichen des Gesundheitswesens, die tagtäglich mit dieser Gefahr konfrontiert sind, sicherer wird. Ich glaube, dass es im Sinne aller Europäerinnen und Europäer ist, das schnellstmöglich in die Realität umzusetzen, zu implementieren und zu leben.

  László Andor, Member of the Commission. − Mr President, first of all I would like to say I am glad that this proposal enjoys such broad support in Parliament. I regret that the process lasted longer than many of you expected, but I would like to say that I am absolutely convinced that social dialogue has to play a role: we have to respect the opinion of the social partners. This not only enhances the legitimacy of a decision, it also helps with its implementation, because those who participate in the creation of a new rule are more interested in its success. This is very important.

We are already aware that there is a working document between the social partners concerning clarification of the framework agreement and also its implementation, so we hope – and I think that we can trust – that this will play a significant role in finalisation in the Council: this will be an answer to some of the concerns about implementation. Apart from that there is also an interest in the longer term follow-up. This is also very important in order to monitor how successful this new directive will be.

I would like to draw your attention to the text which says that the signatory parties shall review the application of this agreement five years after the date of the Council decision if requested by one of the parties to the agreement. In other words it is very important that the monitoring of implementation and of changes in the occurrence of such injuries should be the starting point, should any of the parties wish to use this opportunity.

Finally, let me say, on what is just the second day of the new Commission –as a few speakers highlighted in their messages – that it is indeed very important that the Commission pays more attention to the forgotten people in Europe, those age groups or professions which cannot easily speak for themselves: they have been sometimes ignored or sidelined in earlier times.

The healthcare sector is clearly an important sector; we have to give it a lot of devotion and attention. It is not only that workers in the hospital and healthcare sector are exposed to sharp injuries and infections, we all know that they also work very long hours. So we have to take a kind of comprehensive approach when considering groups like this, which are very important, especially in times of crisis when the expected fiscal consolidation will affect the conditions these people work in. This is why this should be very high on our agenda, as it is on my personal agenda.

  President. − Thank you, Commissioner. I am sure we are all grateful to the initiators of this debate. Let us hope that things improve.

The debate is closed.

The vote will take place at 12.00 today.