With the State-Regions Agreement of 21 May 2026, Italy adopted two strategic documents to guide prevention and health protection policies in the coming years: the National Prevention Plan (PNP) 2026-2031, the main planning instrument for public health and prevention in Italy, and the National Strategy on Health and Safety in the Workplace 2026-2030, which defines priorities and specific lines of action for occupational health and safety.
The PNP 2026-2031 strengthens the role of prevention as a strategic lever of public health in Italy. Compared with previous plans, the PNP 2026-2031 provides for a consolidation of the resources dedicated to prevention in support of territorial preventive activities. In continuity with the previous plan, it confirms the One Health approach as the guiding principle of prevention policies, promoting an integrated vision of human, environmental, and animal health. At the core of the Plan are also intersectorality and the strengthening of interventions in the various living and working environments, throughout the life course, in order to make prevention more effective and equitable across the country.
The National Strategy on Health and Safety in the Workplace 2026-2030 identifies five priority axes: addressing changes in the world of work, strengthening the resilience of the institutional system, enhancing the effectiveness of protections, supporting micro and small enterprises, and promoting a broader culture of prevention.
Among the topics highlighted with particular attention is also the prevention of aggression, violence, and harassment in the workplace, considered a significant component of emerging psychosocial risks and an area requiring specific measures for information, training, and prevention, also from a gender and age perspective.
The document also refers to issues that are now central at European level, such as the digital and green transition, the ageing of the workforce, remote work, climate change, and the Vision Zero objective, which aims to eliminate serious and fatal workplace accidents.
Taken together, the two documents show Italy’s intention to consolidate a more coordinated approach, based on data, research, inspection, training, and social dialogue, in order to make workplaces safer, more inclusive, and better prepared for future challenges.