Kasa Rolniczego
Ubezpieczenia Społecznego

Since the beginning of its activity, the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund has cooperated with foreign insurance institutions and organisations in Europe and around the world. 

International Social Security Association (ISSA)

Membership at ISSA entitles the Fund to participate in the work of the Association, in conferences, trainings, symposia and colloquia on insurance, prevention and rehabilitation. It is a unique opportunity to learn about global solutions and trends in this field.

KRUS actively participates in the work of the ISSA International Section for Prevention in Agriculture. This section was established in 1969 and fulfils the tasks
aimed at preventing accidents and occupational diseases for people employed in agriculture and forestry.

As an expression of recognition for the Fund’s activities within the ISSA and commitment to the development of the ISSA International Section for Prevention in Agriculture, the most important functions in the Section’s authorities were entrusted to the Fund and the General Secretariat of the Section was moved from Germany to Poland. The Fund has been running the Secretariat of the Section since 2007, and the President of KRUS acts as the Chairman of the Section Board and initiates activities promoting safe work and prevention in an agricultural holding.

In 2017, the Section launched the international Vision Zero campaign – a global prevention strategy understood as a long-term process of reaching the goal of zero accidents and injuries at work and eliminating occupational diseases. It is a new approach to the problem of prevention in the field of occupational safety, which combines three dimensions of human work: health, safety and welfare. The strategy is based on 7 Golden Rules, the application of which helps reduce the risk of adverse events. 

The Agricultural Social Insurance Fund joined the international campaign to promote Vision Zero in 2018 and thus became the official Partner of Vision Zero. 

In May 2019 in Cordoba, the 39th International Colloquium entitled “Vision Zero – Prevention Strategy in Agriculture” was organised by the ISSA International Section for Prevention in Agriculture in cooperation with the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund. The main goal of the event was to promote Vision Zero as a global prevention strategy in the agricultural sector. On 13 June 2019, at the conference inaugurating the Vision Zero Strategy in the agricultural sector in Poland, the Fund presented a number of preventive actions aimed at further improving the occupational safety and health of farmers. In 2020, due to the pandemic, international meetings were held in the form of videoconferences. In 2021, the Fund co-organised international events, such as the symposium “SYM 16. Safety culture in farming – growing from generation to generation” during the 22th World Congress on Safety and Health at Work.

In 2022, the Fund co-organised in Rome – together with the International Social Society Association (ISSA) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) – the 40th International Colloquium of the ISSA International Section on Prevention in Agriculture entitled “Occupational Health and Safety in Agricultural Development”. The aim of this anniversary event was to raise awareness of the risks and hazards in agriculture and provide examples of how to manage them. The colloquium was an excellent opportunity and a valuable platform for experts to share their experiences and new initiatives that contribute to the reduction of accidents and occupational diseases, thus protecting the lives, health and well-being of farmers and rural residents.

In addition, the Fund has actively participated in international events such as, i.a.: the virtual Vision Zero Summit Japan 2022, during which the ISSA Agriculture Section organised the L session “Agri(OSH)culture”, or the World Social Security Forum (WSSF) in Marrakesh, organised by ISSA and CDG Prévoyance, during which the Section organised an interactive session entitled “Transforming Prevention and the Role of Vision Zero”.

European Forum of the Insurance against Accidents at Work and Occupational Diseases

The aim of the Forum’s activities is to share experiences and information on effective protection against occupational risks at work, gained by member organisations and institutions.

European Network of Agricultural Social Protection Systems (ENASP)

KRUS is an active member of ENASP, which currently includes five European institutions operating social security systems for farmers: Poland – KRUS, France – MSA, Austria – SVS, Germany – SVLFG and Finland – MELA. Representatives of other social security institutions also participate in the work of ENASP as observers. The priorities of ENASP are:

• defending and strengthening the values and principles of social security for farmers based on the principle of solidarity and territorial cohesion;
• representing the social security interests of farmers in the institutions of the European Union;
• exchange of information and good practices among Network members in order to develop tools so that member organisations can better respond to common needs.

As part of its activities at ENASP, the Fund participated i.a. in a pan-European study on poverty and exclusion of people from rural areas.

International Association of Rural Health and Medicine (IARM)

The Agricultural Social Insurance Fund played an important role in the development of the International Association of Rural Health and Medicine (formerly the International Association of Agricultural Medicine and Rural Health – IAAMRH).

From the beginning of its operation, KRUS has supported the Association in its activities, actively participating in the work of subsequent Congresses of the Association.
The cooperation of the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund with the Association began in the mid-1990s. In the years 2000-2002, the Association’s Secretariat operated at KRUS. In 2000, members of the KRUS management were also part of the Management Board of the then IAAMRH, and served as Chairman of one of the Association’s committees.
In the following years, the cooperation between the Fund and the Association was suspended. Since 2016, KRUS has again been a member of IARM.

Bilateral cooperation

Meetings held within the framework of international organisations also promote the development of bilateral cooperation. The membership of the Fund in ISSA and joining the work of the ISSA International Section for Prevention in Agriculture contributed to establishing bilateral cooperation and exchange of experience in the field of activities related to the social security system of farmers with many organisations, including with the German Social Insurance Institution for Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture (Sozialversicherung für Landwirtschaft, Forsten und Gartenbau – SVLFG) as well as the Austrian Social Insurance Institution for the Self-Employed (Sozialversicherungsanstalt der Selbständingen – SVS). 

One of the Fund’s most important foreign partners is the Agricultural Mutual Social Assistance Fund (Mutualité Sociale Agricole – MSA) from France. The French farmers’ social security system was a reference when creating the concept of the farmers’ social insurance system in Poland. Under the 1992 bilateral agreement, cooperation began on the basis of partnership between the then 49 Regional Branches of the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund and 54 MSA Departments. This cooperation consisted of exchanges between groups of specialists in different social security areas. The effect of the cooperation was, i.a., a pilot program “Five Towns Project” conducted in 2004 under the patronage and with the financial support of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in France, in cooperation with the French Embassy and the European Union Representation. This project helped find solutions enabling families from rural areas to overcome challenging economic conditions and social problems. The results of the work were published in the “Good Practices Guide”under the title “Five Towns Project”. 

An important focus of KRUS activities includes cooperation with the Lithuanian State Social Security Fund Board SODRA, with which an agreement was signed in 1993 and is regularly renewed. Thanks to the cooperation, experts from SODRA and KRUS annually have the opportunity to become acquainted with the detailed solutions in the insurance systems of both countries and with the organisation of work in institutions established for this purpose.

The Fund maintains numerous contacts with many other social security institutions in Europe, such as MELA from Finland and DGUV or Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund from Germany. Bilateral social security agreements have also been concluded with Australia, Canada, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Mongolia, the Republic of Turkey, the Republic of Belarus, the State of Israel and the United States of America, as well as an agreement with the Government of Quebec.