ILO calls for stronger EU action on mental health, AI and climate risks at work
Occupational diseases now account for the vast majority of work-related deaths in the EU, driven largely by cancer and chronic illness.
The International Labour Organization has called for occupational disease prevention, mental health risks, AI, and climate change to become central elements of the European Union’s future workplace health and safety agenda.
The intervention was delivered during a European Parliament hearing on the EU strategic framework on occupational safety and health after 2027.
The ILO stressed that while Europe has reduced fatal workplace accidents, occupational diseases now account for more than 98% of work-related deaths in the EU. Cancer, respiratory diseases, and circulatory diseases remain the leading causes, underscoring the need for stronger prevention, better labour inspection, and improved recognition of work-related illness.
The organisation also highlighted emerging risks linked to digitalisation and environmental change. AI-driven systems are reshaping working conditions through algorithmic management, surveillance, and automated decision-making, while psychosocial pressures and mental health risks are becoming a growing concern for workers.
Climate change was also identified as a major occupational safety and health challenge, with rising temperatures and extreme weather events increasing risks across European workplaces.
The ILO urged the EU policymakers to integrate these evolving risks into a renewed strategic framework, alongside stronger international cooperation and prevention-based approaches. It said Europe can help shape global workplace safety standards through coordinated regulation, effective prevention, and sustainable working conditions.
Why does it matter?
The ILO’s intervention shows how workplace safety policy is expanding beyond traditional accident prevention. AI systems, algorithmic management, psychosocial risks, occupational disease, and climate-related hazards are becoming part of the same strategic debate. For the EU, the post-2027 framework will be a test of whether workplace regulation can adapt to technology-driven work organisation, demographic pressures, and climate volatility.
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