Draft Council Decision establishing the Employment Committee
Date: 1999-09-08
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU employment policy, European Conference of Ministers of Transport, exchange of information, labour market, rules of procedure

C 21 E/66

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

25.1.2000

Draft for a Council Decision establishing the Employment Committee

(2000/C 21 E/13)

COM(1999) 440 final (cid:151) 1999/0192(CNS)

(Submitted by the Commission on 17 September 1999)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 130 thereof,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,

and repealing Decision 70/532/EEC (1), will
required;

also be

(7) The Employment Committee is to replace the Employment
and Labour Market Committee, established by the Council
Decision 97/16/EC (2) to assist the Council in carrying out
its responsibilities in the fields of labour and social affairs;
Decision 97/16/EC must therefore be repealed,

Whereas:

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

(1) Article 3 of the Treaty sets out that the activities of the
Community shall
include the promotion of coordination
between employment policies of the Member States with
a view to enhancing their effectiveness by developing a
coordinated strategy for employment;

(2) Title VIII of the Treaty establishes the procedures by which
Member States and the Community shall work towards
developing a coordinated strategy for employment and
particularly for promoting a skilled, trained and adaptable
workforce and labour markets responsive to economic
this Title provides for the establishment of an
change;
advisory Employment Committee (hereafter referred to as
(cid:145)the committee(cid:146));

(3) The European Council at its meeting in Cologne in June
1999 launched a process of macroeconomic dialogue at
Community level;

(4) The members of the committee nominated by the Member
States and the Commission should possess the required
level of knowledge, experience and standing;
its chair-
person should represent the interests of the committee as
the
from one of
a whole and may also be an expert
Member States holding a position of vice-chairperson;

Article 1

Institutions and functions

An advisory Employment Committee (hereinafter referred
1.
to as (cid:145)the committee(cid:146)) is hereby established to promote coor-
dination between Member States on employment and labour
market policies, in full compliance with the Treaty and with
due regard for the powers of the Community’s institutions and
organs.

2.

The committee shall, in particular, be responsible for:

(cid:151) monitoring the employment situation and employment

policies in the Member States of the Community;

(cid:151) formulating opinions at the request of either the Council or
the Commission or on its own initiative, and contributing
to the preparation of the Council proceeding referred to in
Article 128 of the EC Treaty, without prejudice to Article
207 of that Treaty;

(cid:151) promoting exchanges of

information and experience
between Member States and with the Commission in
these fields;

(cid:151) participating in the dialogue on macroeconomic policies at

Community level.

(5) A structure of working groups should allow the committee
itself to determine the structure through which detailed
expertise will be available to that committee;

Article 2

Membership

the procedure

(6) The Amsterdam Resolution on Growth and Employment of
16 June 1997 called for an enhanced coordination of
economic policies
as
to complement
envisaged in the new Title on Employment in the Treaty,
the Employment Committee should
and requested that
Policy
closely
work
Committee; close collaboration with the Economic and
Financial Committee, and with the social partners repre-
sented in the Standing Committee on Employment
provided for by the Council Decision of 9 March 1999
on the reform of the Standing Committee on Employment

together with

Economic

the

The Member States and the Commission shall each
the committee. They may also

two members of

1.
appoint
appoint two alternates.

2.
The member of the committee and the alternates shall be
selected from among senior experts possessing outstanding
competence in the field of employment and labour market
policy in the Member States.

(1) OJ L 72, 18.3.1999, p. 33.
(2) OJ L 6, 10.1.1997, p. 32.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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The committee may call on external experts where appro-

3.
priate to its agenda.

Article 3

Operation

The committee shall elect its chairperson from among its

1.
members for a non-renewable term of two years.

The chairperson shall be assisted by three vice-chair-
2.
persons representing those Member States which at any given
time represent the Member State holding the Presidency of the
Council, and those Member States which have preceded and
will follow the incumbent Presidency.

The Commission shall provide the analytical and organi-
3.
sational support for the committee.
liaise with the
General Secretariat of the Council with regard to the holding
of meetings.

It shall

chair shall be taken by either the Commission, a member or an
alternate member of
appointed by the
committee. The working groups may call upon experts to
assist them.

committee,

the

Article 5

Liaison with other bodies

The committee shall consult management and labour. It
social
establish coordination mechanisms with the
on
the

Standing Committee

represented

on

1.
shall
partners
Employment.

The committee shall work as appropriate in cooperation
relevant bodies and committees dealing with

2.
with other
economic policy matters.

Article 6

Repeal

4.

The committee shall establish its own rules of procedure.

Decision 97/16/EC is hereby repealed.

the committee shall be convened by the
5. Meetings of
chairperson, either on his own initiative or at the request of
at least half of the members of the committee.

The Employment and Labour Market Committee established by
the above Decision shall cease to exist upon adoption of this
Decision.

Article 4

Working groups

Article 7

Publication

The committee may entrust the study of specific questions to
its alternate members or to working groups. In such cases, the

This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the
European Communities.