Council Decision
of 13 March 2000
on guidelines for Member States' employment policies for the year 2000
(2000/228/EC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 128(2) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament(1),
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee(2),
Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions(3),
Having regard to the opinion of the Employment and Labour Market Committee,
Whereas:
(1) Employment remains the top priority of the European Union. Coordinated action must be pursued in a sustained manner to combat unemployment and raise the present levels of employment on a lasting basis.
(2) The Luxembourg process, based on the implementation of the coordinated European Employment Strategy, was launched by the extraordinary European Council meeting on employment on 20 and 21 November 1997. The Council Resolution of 15 December 1997 on the 1998 Employment Guidelines(4), confirmed by the European Council, has launched a process with high visibility, strong political commitment and a wide-ranging acceptance by all parties concerned.
(3) The Council resolution of 22 February 1999 on the 1999 Employment Guidelines(5) has allowed consolidation of the Luxembourg process through compliance with those guidelines.
(4) The contribution of the social partners in the framework of the Standing Committee on Employment, the social dialogue and the contacts established with the Heads of State or Government and the Commission should be taken into account.
(5) The opinion of the Employment and Labour Market Committee was drafted jointly with the Economic Policy Committee.
(6) The 1999 Joint Employment Report, drawn up by the Council and the Commission, describes the employment situation in the Community and examines the action taken by the Member States in implementing their employment policy in line with the 1999 Employment Guidelines.
(7) On 14 February 2000 the Council adopted recommendations on the implementation of Member States' employment policies.
(8) In Cologne on 3 and 4 June 1999 the European Council took the initiative for a European employment pact which provides a basis for a sustained and comprehensive strategy for more growth and employment and has added macroeconomic dialogue (Cologne process) as a third pillar to the coordinated employment strategy (Luxembourg process) and economic reform (Cardiff process).
(9) Consistency and synergy between the employment guidelines and the broad economic policy guidelines must be ensured.
(10) In Helsinki on 10 and 11 December 1999 the European Council adopted conclusions on Employment Guidelines for the year 2000, introducing a limited number of changes to further sharpen the guidelines' focus and aims.
(11) The preventive and active measures to be taken should encourage effective integration into the labour market.
(12) There is a need to develop skills in information technologies and to provide schools with computer equipment, as well as access to the Internet.
(13) The social partners at all levels as well as the regional and local authorities need to be involved in the implementation of the guidelines so that they can contribute, in their field of responsibility, to promoting a high level of employment.
(14) Public employment services should play an important role in delivering preventive and active measures and in identifying job opportunities at local level, to achieve a better functioning of the labour market.
(15) The implementation of the guidelines may vary according to their nature, the parties to whom they are addressed and the different situations in the Member States. They should respect the principle of subsidiarity and Member States' responsibilities with regard to employment.
(16) In implementing the employment guidelines, in accordance with the subsidiarity principle, Member States should be able to take regional situations into account, while fully respecting the attainment of national targets and equal treatment of all citizens.
(17) Directive 1999/85/EC(6), which provides for the possibility of applying a reduced VAT rate on labour-intensive services on an experimental basis, should be followed up in order to examine, in particular, the impact of national initiatives in terms of job potential.
(18) The implementation of the employment guidelines could play a positive role in dealing with the problem of undeclared work.
(19) The Commission and the Member States have agreed to continue and accelerate work on indicators and systems for the collection of comparable data, which will make it possible to assess the implementation and impact of the annexed guidelines and to refine the Community and national targets which they contain. Good practice from the Member States should also be taken into account.
(20) A mid-term review of the employment guidelines during the year 2000 would be desirable, with a view to streamlining and consolidating them within the existing four-pillar structure.
(21) Focused national reports, supported by indicators, will permit an effective peer-group review by other Member States and the Commission in order to assess progress achieved by each Member State in implementing the guidelines.
(22) The contribution of the European Social Fund to the European Employment Strategy in the new programming period should be highlighted.
(23) Sustainable development and the integration of environmental concerns into other Community policies were endorsed by the European Council in Amsterdam. Member States are invited to give effect to such integration within their national employment strategies by promoting employment creation in the environmental field,
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
Sole Article
The guidelines for Member States' employment policies for the year 2000, annexed hereto, are hereby adopted. They shall be taken into account by the Member States in their employment policies.
Done at Brussels, 13 March 2000.