2024-02-14 18:03:05
From March, four more diseases will be recognized as occupational diseases
Vienna (PK) – The National Council Health Committee today also gave the green light for a modernization of the list of occupational diseases. The MPs voted unanimously for an amendment to the ASVG proposed by the ÖVP and the Greens, which, among other things, brings a clearer structure of recognized occupational diseases and the inclusion of four new diseases in the list. In addition, the reporting of occupational diseases and accidents at work will be reorganized. The SPÖ would have liked a more far-reaching solution, but ultimately supported the decision.
A comprehensive amendment to veterinary law also passed the committee, the centerpiece of which is a new animal health law. Accompanying a directly effective EU regulation, it is intended to help improve animal health in Austria and prevent the spread of animal diseases. Two applications from NEOS have been postponed again: On the one hand, they aim to conclude framework agreements with all of Austria’s neighboring countries for cross-border rescue operations and, on the other hand, to reintroduce observer status for Taiwan in the WHO.
Four new occupational diseases
Specifically, the list of occupational diseases is updated with the ASVG amendment (3870/A) about hypothenar or thenar hammer syndrome (a vascular damage to the hand that is caused by sudden movements and occurs, for example, in craftsmen), about focal dystonia in instrumental musicians (a neurological disease that leads to muscle spasms or movement disorders ), which includes squamous cell carcinoma and actinic keratoses (a form of skin cancer or its precursor) due to UV exposure and expanded to include ovarian cancer (ovarian carcinoma) after exposure to asbestos. However, diseases caused by Thomas slag powder are deleted due to a lack of practical relevance. In total, the list will now include 73 diseases, ranging from silicosis and hearing loss caused by noise to diseases caused by certain chemical substances such as benzene or nitric acid esters.
With an amendment taken into account in the vote, the MPs ensured that people who fell ill with one of the newly listed occupational diseases before the law came into force would also be entitled to accident insurance benefits from March 2024. The same applies to the surviving relatives of those affected.
In the debate, ÖVP MP Werner Saxinger informed that the list of occupational diseases had been comprehensively reviewed by a working group in the Ministry of Health and adapted to the current state of research. MP Markus Koza (Greens) also pointed out that no new diseases have been added to the list for 17 years.
On the part of the SPÖ, Rudolf Silvan welcomed the adjustment that had been requested for a long time, but he would have liked a much more extensive expansion. Above all, it would have been necessary to include Long Covid, as was the case in Germany, he noted. The inclusion of intervertebral disc diseases, for example in construction workers and stonemasons, would also have been important. A motion for a resolution tabled by Silvan at the beginning of 2021 (1216/A(E)), which aims at a comprehensive revision of the list of occupational diseases, did not find a majority in the vote.
Cross-border deployment of emergency services
In order to create legal certainty for cross-border operations by emergency services, the NEOS proposed some time ago to conclude framework agreements with all Austria’s neighboring countries based on the model of an agreement with the Czech Republic (1958/A(E)). Currently, paramedics and doctors who provide help across the border are operating in a legal vacuum, argues NEOS health spokesman Loacker.
The motion was postponed by the coalition parties on the grounds that negotiations were ongoing anyway. According to ÖVP MP Alexandra Tanda, a corresponding agreement with Slovakia is already in the Council of Ministers. Talks are also being held with Bavaria and Hungary, although in the case of Hungary the ball is currently in the neighboring country’s court. Tanda also referred to the amendment to the Medical Act passed in 2022, which has facilitated cross-border medical missions by organized emergency medical services as well as emergency and on-call services since January 1, 2023.
NEOS proposes observer status for Taiwan in the WHO
In response to the corona pandemic, the NEOS are also in favor of granting Taiwan an observer status at the World Health Organization (WHO). It has been shown that in order to overcome such a health crisis, global cooperation between all countries, regardless of political orientation and opinion, is needed, says Loacker in a motion for a resolution addressed to the Federal Government (2352/A(E)) applies. In his opinion, other countries could also benefit from Taiwan’s experience. Apparently nobody is really committed to Taiwan out of fear of China, regretted NEOS MP Fiona Fiedler in the committee.
However, Green Party health spokesman Ralph Schallmeiner currently sees no solution to this issue. He agreed with the NEOS that the WHO is an important place for cooperation, but the situation is complicated. International law must be observed and there is a UN resolution regarding Taiwan – independent of the WHO. According to Schallmeiner, Taiwan is integrated into technical networks.
New legal regulations to prevent animal diseases
With the votes of ÖVP, SPÖ, Greens and NEOS, the Health Committee approved the 2024 veterinary law amendment (2433 d.B.) forwarded to the plenary session. The extensive legislative package aims in particular to adapt Austrian animal health law to the EU’s “Animal Health Law” (AHL) and to introduce accompanying measures to the EU regulation. The main aim is to prevent the spread of animal diseases and to improve the health of farm animals.
Among other things, the government is proposing to bundle the disease control measures that have so far been scattered across various laws, to introduce new options such as a ban on harvesting and to restructure the substantive authority responsibilities. In addition, preventive regulations to maintain animal health (biosecurity measures) can in future be ordered not only for commercial operations or wild animals, but also for non-commercial animal husbandries. The advance of various highly contagious animal diseases makes this necessary, it says in the explanations. Legal bases for any necessary interventions in fundamental rights, compensation regulations for killed or dead animals and for employment disabilities, more detailed provisions for the issuance of pet passports and the establishment of an umbrella organization “Tiergesundheit Österreich” as a relevant competence center are also anchored in the new Animal Health Act.
The legislative package, which, in addition to a new animal health law, also includes changes to the Food Security Act, the Veterinary Medicines Act, the Veterinarians Act and the Control and Digitalization Act, is due to come into force on July 1, 2024. At the same time, the Animal Diseases Act and the Bee Diseases Act will be repealed. The approval of the federal states is required for individual provisions in the Animal Health Act.
Broad approval of the legislative package
On behalf of the ÖVP, Josef Hechenberger promoted the legislative package, which, according to him, would bring about a positive further development of the current provisions. It is clearly regulated that prevention is the priority, he emphasized. Compensation in the event of an epidemic is also planned, although according to Ulrike Fischer (Greens) the federal government will step in in this case. Fischer also considers the planned sanctions for non-compliance with the regulations to be important. “We are creating a really good framework,” she is convinced.
The package also received support from SPÖ and NEOS. It is long past time for the law to be passed, said Rudolf Silvan (SPÖ). Katharina Werner (NEOS) stated that her group would also agree after some concerns had been dispelled in advance.
Health Minister Johannes Rauch emphasized that “a lot of work” had gone into the law. According to him, the Animal Health Forum, a new advisory body, will meet for the first time in the second half of 2024, as he announced in response to a question from NEOS MP Werner (continued Health Committee) gs
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