EHLASS: Community system of information on home and leisure accidents, renewal for the period 1994-1997

OBJECTIVE: to renew the Community system of information on home and leisure accidents (ELHASS) for the period 1994-1997. COMMUNITY MEASURE: European Parliament and Council Decision No. 3092/94/EC introducing a Community system of information on home and leisure accidents CONTENT: . The purpose of the system, the elements of which are described in an annex to the decision (especially the type of data to be collected and how it is to be processed), is to collect data on home and leisure accidents with a view to promoting accident prevention and improving consumer product safety and consumer information and education and thus achieve better use of products at both national and Community level. It applies mainly to accidents which occur in the home or its immediate environment (gardens, courtyards, garages) or during leisure (sport) or school activities. The system does not apply to accidents at work or occupational illnesses or to accidents on the roads, on the railways, at sea or in the air. . The Member States will be responsible for implementing the system, directly applying the data collected and sending the Commission an annual report evaluating the results obtained at national level and the conclusions drawn from them. . Basic data will be collected from the emergency services and hospitals selected by the Member States (54 hospitals in 9 Member States) and in Germany, Spain and Luxembourg (which are not involved in hospital surveys), data will be collected through home surveys. All trace of the identity of victims must be deleted during collection. The Commission will set rules governing the collection of data in order to ensure uniform codes, definitions and classification of the data collected. . The estimated cost of implementing the system is ECU 2.5 million per annum between 1994 and 1997. Community grants for the hospitals taking part in data collection will be allocated on the basis of a uniform rate which represents 80% of the actual costs per annum, capped at ECU 28,000 per hospital. Support for the 3 Member States conducting home surveys also represents 80% of the actual costs, capped at: . ECU 380,000 for Germany, . ECU 225,000 for Spain, . ECU 95,000 for Luxembourg. Provision has also been made for financial support to strengthen the least developed national infrastructures (especially computer networks) and for Member States which already have similar systems and which provide technical assistance to other Member States. . The Commission will draft a report evaluating the working of the system and containing any proposed changes to the division of participating hospitals between the Member States at the beginning of 1995, followed by a general report evaluating the system at the beginning of 1996. A final report on the implementation and efficiency of the system will be drawn up by 31 December 1997. These reports will be sent to the Council, the European Parliament and the ESC. - ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE DECISION: 21 December 1994. The system itself will apply retroactively from 1 January 1994.�