The information on this site is subject to a disclaimer and a copyright notice . It advocates a balanced mix of macro-economic policies, improved national employment policies and reform in product, services and capital markets in order to tackle the EU's employment problems. The Communication forms part of the Commission's contribution to the proposed European employment pact. The central importance of EU-wide action on employment was highlighted at the Jobs Summit in Luxembourg in November 1997. The Luxembourg process, based on Employment Guideline's concerning employability, entrepreneurship, adaptability and equal opportunities which Member States have transposed into National Action Plans for employment, was the main outcome of the Jobs Summit.
Progress is already evident.
Employment growth in the EU was strong during 1998 with the creation of 1.7 million jobs. At the Jobs Summit, the Heads of State and Government also agreed that employment has to be taken on board in all EU policies and activities and this Communication sets out how this challenge is being tackled. If the EU average were to match the performance of the three best Member States, a further 30 million people would be in work. However, the growth potential of the EU workforce will only yield results if the opportunities created by EMU and the European employment strategy are fully exploited and if macroeconomic and employment policies mesh more effectively. The Member States should continue to reform their labour markets and maintain their commitments to stability and budget restructuring.