text: **Foreword by Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for**
  
  **Jobs and Social Rights**
  
  Occupational safety and health (OSH) has been at the heart of the 
  European project since the very beginning. OSH concerns all 
  European citizens whether they work in a factory, in an office, sell 
  goods in a shop or take care of patients in a hospital. Health and 
  safety at work is an essential part of any organisation’s operations. 
  
  This is why EU policy and legislation on OSH, based on both 
  scientific and technical evidence and data, is a vital policy area for 
  EU society and all of its citizens. 
  
  “Occupational safety and health in Europe – state and trends 2023” is a very important contribution from 
  the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). The Agency’s analysis is also 
  particularly timely, as the EU takes stock of progress made under the 2021-2027 EU Strategic 
  framework on health and safety at work. 
  
  This publication originates from a European Commission initiative, supported by its tripartite Advisory 
  Committee on Health and Safety at Work, to create a comprehensive EU OSH Information System. 
  Work in this area started in 2015 and the project was later transferred to EU-OSHA which together with 
  the Commission put the information system online under the title of “EU OSH Barometer”. 