The reform will focus on combatting unemployment and social exclusion. It will ensure better targetting and impact. It will simplify administrative and financial arrangements, and re-model the partnership process between the Commission and the Member States. It will improve the Structural Funds' ability to do their job, especially in the light of the Treaty advances, and the Jobs Summit priorities. The ESF will remain our most important weapon in this task.
Work is well under way in implementing the employment strategy.
Together with them, we have embarked on a series of national seminars to help shape the action plans which provide the substance of the new process. 13 of the 15 seminars have already taken place. All member states have demonstrated serious commitment to the exercise. All the Member States are involving the social partners in one or another way in the process of developing the National Action Plans. Some have parallel preparatory groups for the social partners, some are consulting them on the drafts.