{"id":8490,"date":"2017-03-02T11:28:36","date_gmt":"2017-03-02T10:28:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.efnweb.be\/?p=8490"},"modified":"2017-03-02T11:28:36","modified_gmt":"2017-03-02T10:28:36","slug":"european-parliament-voted-on-own-initiative-reports-important-for-nurses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/?p=8490","title":{"rendered":"The European Parliament voted on Own Initiative Reports important for Nurses"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The European Parliament EMPL committee voted on the Own Initiative Report (OIR) for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending <a href=\"http:\/\/europa.eu\/rapid\/press-release_IP-16-1656_en.htm\">Directive 2004\/37\/EC on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens or mutagens at work<\/a>. A topic of high relevance for nurses! The OIR has been approved with 38 votes in favour and 6 votes against, but the two tabled amendments, 80 and 81, were rejected. It is surprising, as expressed by the rapporteur, that all amendments tabled by the ENVI Committee were rejected. For clarity, the amendment 80 and 81 are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amendment 80 &#8211; Professionals and workers exposed to hazardous substances, in particular healthcare professionals, nurses, must receive suitable and regular information on the risks, personal protective equipment, as well as suitable decontamination, cleaning and disinfection guidelines based on surface contamination levels and type of drugs. Regular monitoring of surface contamination needs to be made mandatory, in particular for healthcare professionals and workers.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Amendment 81 &#8211; Closed System Drug Transfer Device, defined by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as \u201ca device which mechanically prohibits the transfer of environmental contaminants into the system and the escape of hazardous drug or vapour concentrations outside the system\u201d, which is airtight and leakproof, needs to be made mandatory for professionals and workers, in particular healthcare professionals, nurses, exposed to contamination.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Although the European Federation of Nursing Associations find support from MEPs in favour of these amendments, as cancer is now the main cause of work-related deaths in the EU and cytotoxic drugs are the most dangerous chemical risk factor in healthcare, they did not pass in the EMPL committee, although the cost benefits of using an effective CSTD have been largely proven and these amendments will protect nurses, pharmacists, doctors, workers and patients from the life changing and limiting effects of cancer caused by exposure to carcinogenic hazardous drugs. The EFN, will follow up closely the process of debate linked with this topic, and lobby the rapporteur Marita Ulskog (S&amp;D) in charge of the compromise text of the future directive.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.emeeting.europarl.europa.eu\/committees\/agenda\/201702\/EMPL\/EMPL(2017)0227_1\/sitt-3958113\">EMPL<\/a> Committee also discussed the \u2018Minimum Income policies\u2019 as a tool to tackle poverty, with rapporteur Laura Agea (EFDD-Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy Group) and rapporteur Miguel Viegas (Confederal Group of the European United Left &#8211; Nordic Green Left). Laura stated that \u201c120 million European citizens are living in poverty, leading to social exclusion\u201d. This is in contrast with the upcoming celebration of the Treaty of Rome, representing the values of European Union, like inclusion, and better living condition. So, what do we have to celebrate? It was argued that the \u2018Minimum Income Scheme\u2019 need to be accompanied by a Social Integration Model. Although the aim of the Draft Report on \u2018Minimum Income Scheme\u2019, developed by EMPL Committee, is to push the Commission to take a clear position on the topic, I think Juncker has other major challenges. However, a panel of experts provided alternatives to the Minimum Income Scheme: 1. Guarantee Transition Jobs, a non-inflationary alternative to Basic Income Proposal; 2. Adequacy of the actual Minimum Income Scheme, need to be developed based on the needs of the population; 3. An adequate, accessible Minimum Income scheme; and, 4. Improved social reforms and decent Minimum Income Schemes. The deadline for the opinions on the draft report on Guarantee Minimum Income is set 14 March 2017 (12.00) with rapporteur Laura Agea and rapporteur Miguel Viegas.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Finally, the EFN is following up the vote on the Draft Opinion on the Budgetary Control of financing NGOs from the EU budget, in the ENVI committee. The draft opinion by Ms Mireille D&#8217;Ornano (ENF, FR) detects the changes needed to the actual communication and definition of NGOs. The improvement of financing scheme, the increase in transparency, the promotion of control from the OLAF, are amongst some of the measures needed to achieve the goals of higher transparency regarding the financing of NGOs from the EU funds. For this Opinion ENVI tabled 66 amendments, 13 amendments were adopted, 43 amendments were rejected. Finally, the draft opinion was rejected with 47 votes against and 7 in favour, which is positive, as it opened the opportunity for EFN to keep on lobbying the MEPs addressing the civil society concerns. As such, the EFN will continue lobbying the <span class=\"st\">Budgetary Control Committee<\/span>, in particular MEP Markus Piper in order to address the EFN concerns on financing NGO, or the lack of Commission funding for NGOs, making reference to the Joint Actions exclusion European NGOs as partners, addressing the complexity of participation in H2020 calls and civil society being excluded form almost all consortia, and the Commission preference to outsource studies to big consultancies, often paid by the Industry! So, the Commission is drying up the funding streams for Civil Society!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The European Parliament EMPL committee voted on the Own Initiative&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8815,"url":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/?p=8815","url_meta":{"origin":8490,"position":0},"title":"Public Hearing EMPL EP Committee on protecting workers from carcinogens and mutagens at work","author":"efn efn","date":"July 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Following the provisional agreement reached by the Maltese presidency and the European Parliament on 28 June 2017 on a new directive intended to help protect workers from exposure to carcinogens or mutagens in the workplace, the European Parliament Committee on Employment and Social Affairs organised today, 13 July, a Public\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Latest News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Latest News","link":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/?cat=35"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":8650,"url":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/?p=8650","url_meta":{"origin":8490,"position":1},"title":"European Expert Group on Hazardous Drugs","author":"efn efn","date":"May 8, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The European Biosafety Network (EBN) brought healthcare professions together in Brussels, including European and International Associations of professionals and practitioners as well as academic experts, explaining best practice in monitoring, contamination findings and prevention of exposure to hazardous drugs in healthcare (often hospitals), to exchange views on Hazardous Drugs, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Latest News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Latest News","link":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/?cat=35"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":19813,"url":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/?p=19813","url_meta":{"origin":8490,"position":2},"title":"The EP EMPL-SANT Committee Endorsed the INI Report on the EU Health Workforce with a strong majority!","author":"efn efn","date":"June 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The European Parliament EMPL-SANT Committees have endorsed the Own-Initiative Report (INI) on \u201cAn EU health workforce crisis plan: sustainability of healthcare systems and employment and working conditions in the healthcare sector.\u201d, developed by Co-Rapporteurs Ruggero Razza (SANT, ECR, Italy) and Loucas Fourlas (EMPL, EPP, Cyprus), with a strong majority of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Latest News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Latest News","link":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/?cat=35"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/efn.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-06-04-at-11.21.46.jpeg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/efn.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-06-04-at-11.21.46.jpeg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/efn.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-06-04-at-11.21.46.jpeg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/efn.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-06-04-at-11.21.46.jpeg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/efn.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-06-04-at-11.21.46.jpeg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4422,"url":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/?p=4422","url_meta":{"origin":8490,"position":3},"title":"IMCO votes in favour of trialogue agreement on Directive 2005\/36\/EC","author":"efn efn","date":"July 9, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Following on the trialogue agreement, on 12 June, on the revised Directive on Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications (Directive 2005\/36\/EC), and on COREPER formal approval of the text, on 27 June, today\u2019s vote of the European Parliament Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, with an overwhelming majority - 37 votes\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Latest News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Latest News","link":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/?cat=35"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3162,"url":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/?p=3162","url_meta":{"origin":8490,"position":4},"title":"More EU nursing leaders hold EU politicians accountable for their decision on Directive 2005\/36\/EC","author":"efn efn","date":"November 28, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Taking forward the European Parliament Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) Committee vote last 6 November, the EU nursing leaders are now challenging their MEPs who voted against some of the amendments of the Directive on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications, namely on the compromise amendment on the 12-year\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Latest News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Latest News","link":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/?cat=35"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3609,"url":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/?p=3609","url_meta":{"origin":8490,"position":5},"title":"MEPs vote in IMCO on the modernisation of the professional qualifications Directive (2005\/36\/EC)","author":"efn efn","date":"January 24, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"On 23 January 2013, the European Parliament Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) Committee has positively voted on Bernadette Vergnaud\u2019s report on the modernisation of the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive. Still to be voted in Plenary soon, Bernadette Vergnaud\u2019s report represents a high consolidated position of members of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Latest News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Latest News","link":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/?cat=35"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/efn.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/IMCO-vote3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8490","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8490"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8490\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/efn.eu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}