Member States, workers and employers agree: COVID-19 needs to be recognised as an occupational disease

The Member States, workers, and employers in the EU Advisory Committee on Safety and Health at Work (ACSH) have reached an agreement on the need to recognise COVID-19 as an occupational disease in those job sectors where there is an outbreak in activities with proven risk of infection.

This agreement is essential to implementing the EU Strategic Framework on Health and Safety at Work 2021-2027, which recommended including COVID-19 as an occupational disease by the end of 2022.

Following the opinion of the ACSH, the Commission will update their Recommendation from 19 September 2003 concerning the European schedule of occupational diseases to include COVID-19, so the Member States can adapt their national laws according to this new updated Recommendation.

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