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The papers continues presentation of the new framework for health policy related to "Health 2020" strategy adopted in September 2012 unanimously by all member countries of EURO Region during the 62nd session of the World Health Organization Regional Committee for Europe. Four priority areas for action are presented.

A growing interest in the development and implementation of preventive programs at workplace has recently been observed. According to the modern model of occupational health protection, recognition, monitoring and elimination of any potential risks at work are obligatory. This means that occupational health prevention also addresses the issue of psychosocial risks at work. There is a need of common understanding what the psychosocial risks are and how they affect human functioning to prevent them adequately and effectively. The aim of the paper is to present the present knowledge of psychosocial factors at work in a systematic way.

The development of health promotion in theory and practice is presented-from the Ottawa Charter in 1986, to the community based health promotion programmes, as the vision for the 21 Century. The historical mile stones in the process of change and the conceptualisation of health promotion are discussed with reference to the World WHO Conferences and documents from these conferences. These events and documents have been vital as guidelines for member countries, both for implementation of community based programmes, as well as for healthy public policy and for training, especially concerning evaluation. The paper also discusses the main trends in research; definitions of principal concepts are highlighted, concerning planning, implementation and evaluation of health promotion programmes.