Directory code: Freedom of movement for workers and social policy / Social policy / Working conditions / Industrial relations Freedom of movement for workers and social policy / Social policy / Employment and unemployment / Protection of workers

Over the past year, Malta has made considerable legislative progress in the areas of freedom to provide services, environment and customs and further progress in other areas, particularly regarding free movement of goods, free movement of persons and statistics.

However delays have occurred in the areas of free movement of persons (citizens' rights and free movement of workers), fisheries (vessel monitoring, market policy), agriculture (establishment of the Paying Agency), transport (road and maritime transport) and social policy (labour law and gender equality).

This Communication follows and complements previous reports and texts related to free movement, such as the Commission's 1990 Communication on Frontier Workers [5], the Report of the High Level Panel on the free movement of persons (the "Veil Report") of 1997, the Commission's Action Plan for Free Movement of Workers [6], the Resolution of the Council and the Member States concerning an action plan for mobility [7], the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Mobility [8], Commission Communication on a mobility Strategy for the European Research Area [9], the Communication on New European Labour Markets [10] and t ...[+++]he Commission's Action Plan for Skills and Mobility [11].

This Communication follows and complements previous reports and texts related to free movement, such as the Commission's 1990 Communication on Frontier Workers [5], the Report of the High Level Panel on the free movement of persons (the "Veil Report") of 1997, the Commission's Action Plan for Free Movement of Workers [6], the Resolution of the Council and the Member States concerning an action plan for mobility [7], the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Mobility [8], Commission Communication on a mobility Strategy for the European Research Area [9], the Communication on New European Labour Markets [10] and t ...[+++]he Commission's Action Plan for Skills and Mobility [11].

(7) Whereas existing national health and safety provisions providing protection against the risks caused by machinery must be approximated to ensure free movement on the market of machinery without lowering existing justified levels of protection in the Member States; whereas the provisions of this Directive concerning the design and construction of machinery, essential for a safer working environment, shall be accompanied by specific provisions concerning the prevention of certain risks to which workers can be exposed at work, as well as by provisions based on the organisation of safety of workers in the working environment;