Study visit – EU-OSHA, Bilbao ( 18-22 june)
Study visit to an EU country for exchange of experiences regarding strategic, organizational planning, implementation of OSH standards, advocacy and involvement of civil society organizations in the decision-making process.
For the realization of the mentioned activity, the project coordinator of Macedonian Occupational Safety and Health Association, Focal Point for the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work for Macedonia, decided that it should be organized and implemented in the premises of the Agency.
The purpose of the study visit was to provide first-hand information on best practices and knowledge related to strategical, organizational planning, implementation of OSH standards, running an awareness campaign (communication strategy, advocacy skills and networking) and involvement of civil society organizations in the decision-making process. Also, to enable the participants to exchange views, experiences and good practices with other CSO representatives from the region and from the European Union.
The study visit also provided experience and information to stakeholders, how to ensure continuous support for regional civil society organizations / Media, in building coalitions and partnerships, further increasing their involvement in the decision-making process at the national level and acquiring practices of lobbying in the European Union and EU institutions.
The study visit was organized for a period of four days with the presence of 15 participants, according to the following agenda:
- EU-OSHA within the framework of the European Occupational Safety and Health System;
- Raising OSH awareness in Europe;
- European and regional OSH networks;
- Media partnerships and healthy working environment campaigns.
At the very beginning of the study visit, Mr. Milan Petkovski, President of the Macedonian Occupational Safety and Health Association and Focal Point of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work had short presentation explaining the idea and the initiative for creating the informal BalcanOsh.net network, the beginnings, goals and vision of the network, the idea of preparing the project as own tool for functioning. On the other hand, briefly presented the work of the Macedonian Occupational Safety and Health Association, through cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, other State Institutions, social partners, educational institutions and CSOs.
Participants had their own presentation and shared experiences from their country.
Host was Mr. Cvetomir Canev, Project Coordinator in the EU OSHA, who gave short presentation of agency’s activities, the cooperation with other institutions in the European Union, the manner of financing, the preparation of the OSH campaigns and the manner of implementation of the project activities of the Agency were presented.
Mr. Tim Tregensa, presented the networking tools, the manner of research in the field of safety and health at work and the preparation of campaigns.
Ms. Krista Sedlachak, EU Executive Director, welcomed the idea of the functioning of the BalcanOsh.net network, the way of functioning of CSOs in the Balkan region and the cooperation with the competent institutions. Presenting the projects implemented by the European OSH Agency in the European Union and promoting the involvement of the Macedonian Occupational Safety and Health Association in promoting the campaigns and marking the European Week for OSH at the national level through the reports submitted to the Agency after completion and realization on various events according to the theme of the campaign.
Among the other were presented the ways of promotion of campaigns, media coverage, use of funds, ways of joining the interested organizations for campaign promotion, the manner of cooperation with the private sector, using services for preparation of materials from outsourcing companies, etc.
