KAN's European Representation

Since the end of 2020, the Commission for Occupational Health and Safety and Standardization (KAN) has maintained an office in Brussels. The KAN European Representation has been headed since August 2023 by Ronja Heydecke.

The most important tasks of KAN’s European Representation include monitoring and analysing relevant developments at European level. Proposed EU legislation relating to occupational safety and health and standardization, European standardization policy, and decisions by the European Court of Justice are of particular interest to KAN. Through its activity, the European Representation is able to provide KAN’s stakeholders and the Secretariat promptly with information on initiatives, action programmes and legislation of relevance to OSH and standardization.

In addition, the European Representation plays a key role in representing KAN’s interests at European level. For example, it represents KAN vis-à-vis the institutions of the European Union and other European institutions, organizations and associations. It contributes the expertise of KAN and its occupational safety and health experts to consultations by the European Commission, publishes KAN position statements at European level and raises awareness of workplace safety and health issues among policymakers. In cooperation with the Technical and Scientific Department of the KAN Secretariat, the KAN European Representation has issued position statements on numerous important EU legislative proposals, such as the AI Regulation, the Regulation on Construction Products, and Commission initiatives such as the EU standardization strategy.

Where regulations and directives impact upon occupational safety and health and standardization, the KAN European Representation monitors the European legislative process through all stages and advocates for KAN’s interests at key points. This begins with initial impetus provided by the Parliament’s own-initiative reports, or the publication of roadmaps or announcements by the European Commission. The European Representation also actively monitors further steps in the European Parliament and closely observes the subsequent procedure in the Council of the European Union, through to publication of the legislation in the EU Official Journal. The work of the committees is particularly relevant in the European Parliament: they amend and approve the European Commission’s legislative proposals and draw up the reports that form the basis for the European Parliament’s negotiating mandate. The KAN European Representation serves as a mouthpiece here for KAN’s most important interests. Finally, KAN’s European Representation deals with numerous other topics in the field of product safety, the safety and health of workers at work, and the overarching political principles and key events in Brussels, such as the recent European elections.

Standards are an important aspect of prevention activity and contribute to safe and healthy workplaces. Since standards in many areas are developed at European level, the activities of the most important players in European standardization policy, such as the European Commission and the European standards organizations CEN, CENELEC and ETSI, are of great importance for KAN’s work. With regard to the social interests recognized in European standardization, the European Representation also monitors the activities of the "Annex III" organizations ANEC, ECOS, ETUC and SBS, which represent relevant social interests vis-à-vis standardization activity. Common interests are often found here, and provide points of contact for dialogue.

Workplace safety and health is an important topic, affecting millions of workers across Europe. It is therefore increasingly important for KAN, as a national organization, to find allies at European level. KAN’s European Representation is therefore also expanding KAN’s network to include other organizations, institutions and decision-makers in Brussels.

Ronja Heydecke
heydecke@kan.de

KAN European Representation
Rue Marie de Bourgogne 58
1000 Brussels, Belgium