Freizügigkeit und Sozialpolitik – gibt es Fortschritt im Bereich des europäischen Arbeits- und Gesundheitsschutzes?

In this contribution the question is addressed of how the EU Framework Directive and other Directives on health and safety at the workplace have fared alongside the single market. The free movement of workers and the prevalence of subcontracted cross-border work make it necessary to have transnational and uniform occupational health and safety standards in Europe. But the current policy of the EU-Commission in this area showcases a considerable degree of inertia. The impression can be easily gained that mobility is no longer happening, even though the promotion of mobility is one of the primary concerns of the Europe 2020 Strategy. The EU policy in the field of health and safety at the workplace no longer seems to be well-equipped to cope with the problems produced by the single market. Instead, there is a strong tendency to deregulate existing social standards. The design of the single market based on economic freedoms (such as the freedom of movement and the freedom to provide services) is endangering the health of those who put the single market into practice.