The importance

of early intervention and better

management of RMDs

Ádám Kósa
MEP

21th April, Budapest

Burden of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases: Challenges in Work Capacity
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and Prevention of Disability in the EU
 On Disability Intergroup

• The largest and oldest

intergroup in the European
Parliament
• Member of the DI are over
100
• Secretary of DI is provided
by the EDF
• DI holds meeting regulary
on issues relevant to
disability issues

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 Disability or disease?

• Musculoskeletal conditions comprise 150 diseases and

syndromes
• Prevalence of physical disabilities is higher in women
• 30% of all workers were exposed to MSD (1996)
• Construction, agriculture, hotels and restaurants as well as
social and health industries are the main more dangerious areas
• From Germany to the Netherlands, from 30%-46% of all
workdays lost due to sickness
• According to studies, "many workplaces are ergonomically
inappropriate for women"
• US supreme court case of Toyota Motor Mfg. versus Williams in
2002 where it decided that a woman with a carpal tunnel
syndrome not to be considered disabled because it […] did not
”substantially limit [a] major life activity"

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 The Council already decided on…
- Directive 89/391 - on adaptation the work to persons
with designing environment
- Directive 90/269 - on back injuries and manual
handling risks
- Directive 90/270 - on display screens
- Directive 89/654 - on workstation layout, seating, etc
- Directive 89/655 - on minimum safety and health
requirements
- Directive 89/656 - on minimums for assessment
- Directive 98/37 - on designs and constructions of
machines
- Directive 93/104 - on working time

- standards : prEN 1005-1 - 5

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 Hungarian Presidency

- the PERSON is the main priority

- demographic changes are so huge no one

could expect their real outcomes - just until
2020 10 million actives are becoming
pensioner and by 2050 one-third of the
population will be over 60

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 What’s happening in the European Parliament
- RMD Interest Group in the EP

•Androulla Vassiliou Commissioner in 2009 stressed the importance of

raising awareness actions
•European Musculoskeletel Conditions Surveillance and Information
Network under Health Programme
•Expansion of the European Health Survey System - Eurostat

•László Andor Commissioner also took part in the interests group work in
2010

Kósa report on mobility and inclusion of people with disabilities and

new EU Disability Strategy 2010-2020 with references on working
conditions and reasonable accommodation

- reference to early prevention and development, with more emphasis on

the importance of families

- barrier-free environment and accessibility as general principles

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 Thank you for your attention

adam.kosa@europarl.europa.eu