An injury is a bodily lesion resulting from acute exposure to energy (mechanical, thermal, electrical, chemical or radiant) or from an insufficiency of a vital element (drowning, strangulation or freezing). The time between exposure and the appearance of the injury needs to be short. Injuries are often classified as unintentional (due to accidents) and intentional (due to self harm or interpersonal violence).

Injuries are a leading cause of death among the European population. The risk of death and severe injury is particularly high in such diverse areas as the home, leisure activities and sports, road transportation, the workplace, and in connection with consumer products and services. Unintentional and intentional injuries are estimated to be the main cause of chronic disability in the young, leading to an enormous loss of life years in good health. Among people over 65 years old, too, accidents and injuries are a major cause of death and disability and are often the trigger for a fatal deterioration in their health. Considering the huge impact of the injury epidemic on productivity, health and well-being in the Community, a Community response to the issue would have added value. Progress could be achieved through a co-ordinated approach with sustained leadership by the Commission, the Member States and related partner organisations.

A number of initiatives have been taken in the past to reduce the frequency of injuries due to accidents and violence and have been particularly successful in reducing road fatalities, workplace accidents, chemical accidents and consumer product-related injuries. There is also ample evidence that improvements in trauma care have led to a significant reduction in mortality from trauma.

However, there is still scope for more effective action to reduce the huge social toll of accidents and injuries, in particular by addressing risk settings and risk groups that have until now received less attention. The significant differences in accident and injury rates between Member States and within their populations indicate that there is still great potential for reducing the burden of injuries in the Community and in neighbouring countries. The current injury mortality rate in the European Union ranges from 27 death per 100 000 residents in the United Kingdom and in the Netherlands to more than 120 death per 100 000 in the Baltic countries (129 in Latvia and Estonia and 143 in Lithuania).

Activities in regards to injury prevention and safety promotion are based on experience gained within the framework of the Injury Prevention Programme which started in 1999 and ended in 2003 when the Public Health Programme came into force.
The major directions for injury related actions under the Public Health Programme are determined in the Commission Communication on “Actions for a Safer Europe” and in the Proposal for a Council Recommendation on the prevention of injuries and the promotion of safety . Both documents have been adopted by the Commission in June 2006.
The Communication presents the state of play with respect to the injury issue and opportunities to addresses the issue as an important part of public health policy. The proposed Council Recommendation suggests actions that the Member States should consider to set in place with a view to reducing the burden of injuries in the European Union.

The Council Recommendation on the prevention of injury and promotion of safety was adopted on 31 May 2007.

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Communication on Actions for a Safer Europe
Proposed Council Recommendations
Working Group on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion

Communication on Actions for a Safer Europe

The Commission Communication identifies the reduction of injury mortality and morbidity as a major challenge for the Community. The fulfilment of this vision requires that Member States acknowledge the challenges of injury prevention and place injury prevention and safety promotion higher on their public health policy agenda.
The Communication highlights the role of the health sector in:

• quantifying the size and impact of injuries in our society;
• disseminating evidence-based strategies
• outreach and capacity building

• Safety of children and adolescents;
• Safety of elderly citizens;
• Safety of vulnerable road users;
• Prevention of sports injuries;
• Prevention of injuries caused by products and services;
• Prevention of self-harm;
• Prevention of interpersonal violence.

1. Develop a national injury surveillance and reporting system, which monitors the evolution of injury risks and the effects of prevention measures over time;
2. Set up national plans for preventing accidents and injuries initiating interdepartmental co-operation;
3. Ensure that injury prevention and safety promotion is introduced in a systematic way in vocational training of health care professionals.

1. Support a Community-wide injury surveillance exchange based on injury data provided by the Member States;
2. Establish a Community-wide mechanism for the exchange of information on good practice and disseminate this information to relevant stakeholders;
3. Provide Member States with the necessary evidence for inclusion of injury prevention knowledge into the vocational training of health professionals;
4. Support the development of good practice and policy actions in relation to the seven priority areas.