NEWS
The ETUC has been actively contributing to the development of the standard on AI Risk Management (prEN 18228), which is now under Public Enquiry until the end of July. This standard is intended to support Article 9 of the AI Act. Its adoption will therefore be particularly important, as all high-risk AI systems placed on the market or put into service in the EU—including the ones to be deployed at the workplace—will need to demonstrate conformity with its requirements.
On 28 April, trade unions across the world marked International Workers’ Memorial Day. The day provides a moment to remember the people who have lost their lives, health, and livelihoods because of unsafe work.
From construction sites and chemical manufacturing plants to firefighting and emergency response operations, many workers face hazardous environments where respiratory safety is a matter of life and death.
The European Commission is expected to publish its proposal to revise the EU regulatory framework on standardization in the second half of this year. In December, the ETUC contributed to this process by submitting its response to the Commission’s public consultation, which sought stakeholders’ views on the key priorities for updating the current regulation.
The ETUC took part in the plenary meeting of the CEN-CENELEC Joint Technical Committee 21 on 'Artificial Intelligence', held from 18 to 21 November in Copenhagen. The meeting brought together delegates from across Europe, along with international observers, to advance the standards requested by the European Commission to support the implementation of the AI Act’s requirements for high-risk AI systems.
The safety of machines remains fundamental to protecting workers across all sectors. As modern machinery increasingly relies on software, connectivity, and AI, new risks emerge, such as cyber-attacks, remote interference, and unpredictable behaviour of AI-driven safety functions.
On 22 October, the ETUC, in partnership with the Irish Confederation of Trade Unions (ICTU) and the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI), will host a national event on standardization in Dublin.
The ETUC has been actively contributing to the work of CEN and CENELEC Joint Technical Committee 21 (JTC 21) in the development of two European standards mandated by the European Commission to support the implementation of the AI Act.
Every year on 28 April, millions of people come together to observe International Workers’ Memorial Day (IWMD), a day dedicated to remembering workers who have tragically lost their lives, become disabled, or suffered injury or illness due to unsafe working conditions.
Standards provide rules and guidance on how products and tools are made, how methods are applied, and how services are rendered. Not only are they crucial in enabling the Single Market through interoperability and compatibility, they also ensure the safety and quality of products. At the same time – and very importantly –, standards affect workers. From the design of high-risk machinery and AI systems used in the workplace to the specifications governing personal protective equipment across various sectors in Europe, standards permeate the world of work.