European social dialogue on psychosocial risks at work: Benefits and challenges Michael Ertel and Ulrike Stilijanow Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin, Berlin, Germany Sergio Iavicoli and Elena Natali Istituto Superiore Prevenzione e Sicurezza del Lavoro, Rome, Italy Aditya Jain and Stavroula Leka University of Nottingham, UK Abstract In many European countries, psychosocial risks such as work-related stress, violence, bullying and harassment have become major concerns for occupational safety and health. Has the development of instruments and approaches to meet these challenges kept pace? This article examines the role of European social dialogue as a relatively novel mode of regulation (‘soft law’) in the field of psychosocial risks, considering also the changing political and economic context of the enlarged EU. Although some progress has been achieved, diverging stakeholder perspectives and structural weaknesses still pose serious challenges to effective social dialogue in this area. We draw on the results of a recently completed project on psychosocial risk management, including the findings of a European stakeholder survey among experts in occupational safety and health. Keywords EU enlargement, European regulations, OSH legislation, psychosocial risk management, social dialogue, social policy, work-related stress Introduction With the framework agreements on work-related stress (2004) and violence and harass- ment (2007), the European social partners for the first time addressed issues in the field of psychosocial risks at work. These risks and associated outcomes have become major concerns for occupational safety and health (OSH) and also in terms of economic damage Research Note European Journal of Industrial Relations 16(2) 169–183 © The Author(s) 2010 Reprints and permission: sagepub. co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0959680110364830 http://ejd.sagepub.com Corresponding author: Ulrike Stilijanow, Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin (BAuA), Nöldnerstraße 40/42, 10317 Berlin, Germany. e-mail: stilijanow.ulrike@baua.bund.de at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on May 17, 2016 ejd.sagepub.com Downloaded from