1999/207/EC: Council Decision of 9 March 1999 on the reform of the Standing Committee on Employment and repealing Decision 70/532/EEC
Date: 1999-03-09
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: employment policy, labour market, rules of procedure, social policy, standing committee (EU)

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL DECISION

of 9 March 1999

on the reform of the Standing Committee on Employment and repealing
Decision 70/532/EEC

(1999/207/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 145 thereof,

to be introduced between that Committee and the
Employment
and Labour Market Committee;
whereas, in its Resolution of 18 November 1998, the
European Parliament welcomed the initiatives taken
with a view to the reform of the Standing Committee
on Employment;

(1) Whereas, in its Resolutions of 15 December 1997 on
the 1998 Employment Guidelines (1), and of 22
February 1999 on the 1999 Employment Guide-
lines (2), the Council affirmed that the social partners
at the levels would be involved in all stages of the
coordinated employment strategy and would make
an important contribution to the implementation of
the Guidelines and that that contribution would be
regularly assessed;

(2) Whereas the social partners’ contribution to the
coordinated employment strategy should be taken
into account both at the level of the Employment
and in examining their
Guidelines
consistency with the Broad Economic Policy Guide-
lines, in order to provide for greater synergy and with
a view to incorporating the objective of a high level
into the drawing-up and imple-
of employment
mentation of the Community’s policies;

themselves

(3) Whereas, in its Resolution of 18 July 1997 on the
Commission communication concerning the devel-
opment of the social dialogue at Community level (3),
the European Parliament calls
the Standing
Committee on Employment to be reformed as a
matter of urgency and for coordination mechanisms

for

(4) Whereas the Economic and Social Committee in its
opinion of 29 January 1997 (4) on the same Commis-
Standing
sion communication stated that
Committee on Employment was to be given a higher
profile;

the

(5) Whereas, in its communication of 20 May 1998 on
adapting and promoting the social dialogue at
Community level, the Commission considered that
the new context of Community social dialogue and
the incorporation of a new employment title in the
Amsterdam Treaty justified reforming the Standing
Committee on Employment;

(6) Whereas it seems advisable to maintain the structure
of the Standing Committee on Employment while
making the adjustments necessary to improve its
operation; whereas it seems desirable to incorporate
this reform into a new decision replacing Council
Decision 70/532/EEC of 14 December 1970 setting
up the Standing Committee on Employment (5) in
the European Communities;

(1) OJ C 30, 28. 1. 1998, p. 1.
(2) OJ C 69, 12. 3. 1999, p. 2.
(3) OJ C 286, 22. 9. 1997, p. 338.

(4) OJ C 89, 19. 3. 1997, p. 27.
(5) OJ L 273, 17. 12. 1970, p. 25. Decision as amended by De-

cision 75/62/EEC (OJ L 21, 28. 1. 1975, p. 17).

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(7) Whereas it is desirable that the social partners’ del-
egations should cover the whole economy but that,
in order to allow the efficient and orderly conduct of
their
business in the Committee,
the
representatives
respective social partners’ representation should be
adequately coordinated;

the number of
should be reduced; whereas

(8) Whereas the social partners at national level also play
in the
an important role in the implementation,
Member States, of
the coordinated employment
strategy; whereas they may be involved in an appro-
priate manner in the fulfilment of the Committee’s
functions;

(9) Whereas the Committee may deem it appropriate to
meet in restricted formation in accordance with this
Decision and with rules set out in its Rules of Pro-
cedure;

(10) Whereas Article 1(3) of Council Decision 97/16/EC
of 20 December 1996 setting up an Employment
and Labour Market Committee (1) provides that that
Committee will maintain an appropriate liaison with
the Standing Committee on Employment,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The Standing Committee on Employment (hereinafter
referred to as the ‘Committee') shall be reformed in
accordance with the provisions set out below.

The social partner’s delegations shall cover the whole
economy, being composed of European organisations
representing either general
interests or more specific
interests of supervisory and professional staff and small
and medium-sized businesses.

For this purpose, each delegation shall be made up of
representatives of
the organisations of social partners
consulted by the Commission pursuant to the provisions
of the Treaty concerning social policy and falling within
the following categories:

— general cross-industry organisations;

— cross-industry organisations representing certain cat-

egories of workers or undertakings, and

— sectoral organisations

representing agriculture and

trade.

The practical coordination of
the workers’ delegation
shall be undertaken by the European Trade Union
Confederation (ETUC), and that of the employers’ delega-
tion by the Union of Industrial and Employers’ Confed-
erations of Europe (UNICE).

4.
The Commission shall notify the Chairman of the
Committee on a regular basis of the list of the organ-
isations referred to in paragraph 3. The Commission will
take account of possible changes in the way in which the
two sides of industry are represented at European level.

5. Where the Committee deems it appropriate to do
so, it may, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure
referred to in Article 6, meet in restricted formation. In
this case, the Council may be represented by the Pres-
idency.

Article 2

Article 3

1.
The task of the Committee shall be to ensure, in
compliance with the Treaty and with due regard for the
powers of the institutions and bodies of the Communities,
that
there is continuous dialogue, concertation and
consultation between the Council, the Commission and
the social partners in order to enable the social partners to
contribute to the coordinated employment strategy and to
facilitate coordination by the Member States of their pol-
icies in this field, taking into account the economic and
social objectives of the Community as reflected in both
the Employment Guidelines and the Broad Economic
Policy Guidelines.

1.

The Committee shall meet at least twice a year.

2.
The Committee shall be chaired by a representative
of the Member State which holds the Presidency of the
Council.

3.
In order to ensure that the Committee carries out
the tasks set out in Article 2(1) in the most favourable
conditions, the Presidency shall see to it that dialogue,
concertation and consultation within the Committee take
place in due time.

2.
The members of the Council or their representa-
tives, the Commission, and representatives of the social
partners at European level shall take part in the work of
the Committee.

Each of the two social partners’ delegations shall
4.
notify the Chairman in advance of
the
spokesperson responsible for presenting that delegation’s
position.

the name of

3.
There shall be a maximum of 20 social partner
representatives organised in two equal delegations, 10
from each side of industry.

(1) OJ L 6, 10. 1. 1997, p. 32.

In the light of

the subjects on the agenda,

5.
the
Chairman may, in consultation with the Commission and
the social partners,
invite additional representatives of
sectoral organisations, other than those mentioned in
Article 2(3), to express their views.

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Article 4

1.
The matters to be discussed by the Committee shall
be placed on the agenda at the request of any of the
parties referred to in Article 2(2).

Documents or proposals to be submitted for discussion
shall be forwarded to the Chairman who shall bring them
to the attention of the other parties; they may forward
comments in writing.

2.
the
The Chairman shall make preparations for
meetings in close contact with the Commission and the
organisations on the two sides of industry taking part in
the work of the Committee. The Chairman shall convene
the preparatory and plenary meetings and shall draw up
the provisional agenda therefor, taking into account any
communications submitted pursuant to paragraph 1.

Committee members representing the social part-
3.
ners’ organisations, referred to in Article 2(3) shall receive
travelling expenses as determined by the Council.

Article 6

The Committee shall establish its Rules of Procedure by
common accord. These rules shall relate in particular to
the practical functioning of the Committee, the prepara-
tion of its meetings and the contacts to be established
with other relevant bodies, in particular the Employment
and Labour Market Committee.

Article 7

This Decision shall be reexamined not later than 9 March
2002 and, if appropriate, shall be amended in the light of
the experience acquired.

Article 5

Decision 70/532/EEC shall be repealed.

Article 8

1.
The Chairman shall draw up the conclusions of the
meeting and shall prepare a record of the Committee’s
proceedings.

2.
The Commission shall prepare and gather informa-
tion which will enable the Committee to carry out its
task.

Done at Brussels, 9 March 1999.

For the Council

The President

W. RIESTER