Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community incentive measures in the field of employment
Date: 2000-07-20
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU action, EU employment policy, EU financing, cooperation policy, labour market

C 337 E/242

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

28.11.2000

Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community incentive
measures in the field of employment

(2000/C 337 E/39)

(Text with EEA relevance)

COM(2000) 459 final (cid:16) 2000/0195(COD)

(Submitted by the Commission on 20 July 2000)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL
OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 129 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of
Committee,

the Economic and Social

Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions,

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article
251 of the Treaty,

Whereas:

(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, and particularly Article 127
thereof, establishes that the Community shall complement
the action of Member States where necessary; and that the
objective of a high level of employment shall be taken
into consideration in the formulation and implementation
of Community policies and activities.

of a coordinated macro-economic policy and an efficient
internal market, with a view to laying the foundations for
sustainable growth, new dynamism and a climate of
this
confidence
strategy also involves the harnessing in a more systematic
way of all Community policies in support of employment,
both framework policies and support policies.

to boosting employment;

conducive

(5) The European Council of Lisbon has agreed a new
strategic goal for the Union to build a competitive and
dynamic knowledge-based economy capable of sustaining
economic growth with more and better jobs and greater
social cohesion and so to regain the conditions for full
employment. To this end, it has set a new range of targets
and benchmarks and introduced them in a new open
method of coordination at all
levels coupled with a
stronger guiding and coordination role for the European
Council, to ensure more coherent strategic direction and
effective monitoring of progress. Moreover,
it requested
that
the Luxembourg process
should give a new impetus by enriching the guidelines
with more concrete targets establishing closer links with
other relevant policy areas.

the mid-term review of

(6) Article 129 enables

to adopt

incentive
the Council
measures designed to encourage cooperation between
Member States and to support their action in the field
of employment through initiatives aimed at developing
exchanges of
information and best practices, providing
comparative analysis and advice as well as promoting
innovative approaches and evaluating experiences,
in
particular by recourse to pilot projects.

(3) Title VIII of

the Treaty, and particularly Article 128
thereof, 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
in
and labour markets responsive to economic change;
particular,
for
achieving the objective of developing a coordinated
strategy for employment and may make recommendations
to the Member States; and that
the Council and the
Commission make a joint annual report to the European
Council on the employment situation.

the Council

guidelines

adopts

that

(4) The

Extraordinary

European Council Meeting

on
in Luxembourg, 20 and 21 November
Employment
1997,
launched an overall strategy for employment, the
European Employment Strategy, encompassing the coor-
dination of Member States’ employment policies on the
basis of commonly agreed employment guidelines (the
Luxembourg process), the continuation and development

(7) In the past,
supported
employment.

the European Parliament has
activities

Community

in

support

strongly
of

(8) The European Council has determined that comparable
and reliable statistics and indicators
in the field of
employment and the labour market should be defined
and collected.

(9) Council Decision 2000/98/EC of 24 January 2000 estab-
lished the Employment Committee on the basis of Article
130 of the Treaty to promote coordination between the
Member States on employment
and labour market
policies. (1).

(1) OJ L 29, 4.2.2000, p. 21-22.

28.11.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 337 E/243

(10) A financial reference amount has been included in this
the

Decision, without prejudice
budgetary authority as they are defined by the Treaty.

to the powers of

(11) Council Decision 98/171/EC of 23 February 1998 on
Community activities concerning analysis, research and
cooperation in the field of employment and the labour
market which currently provides for such activities will
cease to apply on 31 December 2000 (1).

(12) The present Decision shall provide for the continuation
and development of the activities launched on the basis of
Council Decision 98/171/EC.

(13) In compliance with Article 2 of Council Decision
1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the
implementing powers
procedures
conferred on the Commission (2), measures
the
implementation of this Decision should be adopted by
use of the advisory procedure provided for in Article 3
of that Decision,

the exercise of

for

for

HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 3

Community measures

1. With a view to achieving the objectives referred to in
Article 2, The Community measures will cover the following
activities:

1. Activities which, within the agreed policy aim of raising the
employment rate, underpin a more strategic approach to
employment policy in the EU through analysis
and
evaluation of
framework policy
conditions, assessment of policy options and the impact of
community policies. To the maximum possible extent,
analysis will be gender specific.

employment

trends,

2. Activities aimed at providing support for Member States
efforts
in a
in evaluating their National Action Plans
consistent and coordinated manner; a special evaluation
exercise will be completed by the 5-year anniversary of
the first
the Luxembourg Job Summit, at
period of the implementation of the guidelines.

the end of

Article 1

Establishment of Community activities

1.
Community activities concerning analysis, research and
field of
cooperation among the Member States
employment and the labour market shall be carried out in
the period from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2005.

in the

3. Activities aimed at bringing together and exchanging
experiences in Member States, both in terms of the pillars
individual guidelines, as defined in the annual
and of
Employment Policy Guidelines
the Member States.
for
Increasing this cooperation will help Member States in
developing their employment policies in the light of the
lessons learned.

the coordinated strategy for employment

These activities shall also contribute to the development
2.
through the
of
analysis, monitoring and support of actions carried out
in
the Member States, with due regard for the latter’s responsi-
bilities in this field.

Article 2

Objectives

The activities referred to in this Decision are those
1.
the Employment
directly linked to the implementation of
the development,
Title of
the TEC. Their main task is
the
planning, monitoring,
European Employment Strategy with a strong forward-looking
emphasis.

follow up to, and evaluation of,

In particular,

it aims at fostering cooperation between
2.
Member States in analysis, research and monitoring of labour
market policy,
and promoting
identifying best practices
information and experience,
exchanges
developing the approach and contents of
the European
Employment Strategy, and enacting an active information
policy in this domain.

and transfers of

(1) OJ L 63, 4.3.1998, p. 26-28.
(2) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.

4. Activities

aimed at

the monitoring of

Employment Strategy in the Member States,
through the European Employment Observatory.

the European
in particular

5. Technical

and scientific work needed for developing
improving and completing statistics,
common indicators,
of
the
and
performances
benchmarking
information on best practices,
inasmuch as this is more
cost effective to undertake at Community level rather than
at the level of individual Member States.

exchange

6. Prospective analysis on policy areas of importance to the
Commission and Member States, for the development of the
European Employment Strategy through forward analysis,
new fields of
the
employment impact of Community policies.

research and the mainstreaming of

7. Activities

the

to support

input of European Union
presidencies to create a special focus on priority elements
events of high international
of
special
importance or of general
interest to the Union and the
Member States.

the Strategy,

C 337 E/244

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

28.11.2000

In implementing the measures referred to in paragraph 1,
2.
the Commission shall take into account the statistical data,
studies and project reports available from international organi-
sations such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD) and the International Labour Organi-
sation (ILO).

Article 4

Outputs

The output of the activities mentioned in Article 3 will vary
according to the type of activity involved. They will include the
Employment in Europe report and other publications, working
documents, reports to be submitted to the Council and the
Commission A in particular the Joint Employment Report
A, national
the
National Action Plans, seminars on employment policy or the
international events on priority
organisation of
topics or of general importance. Greater use will be made of
Internet facilities for dissemination of results (web publishing,
Internet chats and seminars) and as a tool to foster cooperation
and exchange of information.

for example in preparation of

important

seminars

cooperation, association or partnership agreements with those
countries in the area concerned.

Article 7

Implementation

1.
The Commission shall
accordance with this Decision.

implement

these activities

in

The Commission shall be assisted by an advisory
2.
committee composed of
the representatives of the Member
States and chaired by the representative of the Commission
(hereinafter referred to as Bthe CommitteeC).

3. Where reference is made to this paragraph, the advisory
procedure laid down in Article 3 of Council Decision
in compliance with Article 7,
1999/468/EC shall apply,
paragraph 3 and Article 8.

The representative of the Commission shall in particular

4.
consult the Committee on:

Article 5

Consistency and complementarity

A the general guidelines

for

the implementation of

the

programme;

this Decision and the other
(such as

The Commission shall ensure that the measures implemented
relevant Community
under
programmes and initiatives
inclusion
the social
programme and the Framework programme for research, tech-
are
nological development
consistent with
The
each
outcomes of other Community initiatives could be used as
inputs into the actions covered by this Decision, and results
from the activities mentioned in this decision could be used as
inputs in other Community initiatives.

and demonstration activities)
complementary.
other

and

Article 6

Participation of third countries

1.

The activities shall be open to participation by:

A the countries of the European Economic Area,

A the annual budgets and the distribution of funding between

measures;

A the annual plan of work for the implementation of the
programme’s actions, and the Commission proposals for
selection criteria for financial support;

To ensure the consistency and complementarity of this
5.
programme with other measures referred to in Article 5, the
Commission shall keep the Committee regularly informed
about other relevant Community action. Where appropriate,
the Commission shall establish regular and structured coop-
eration between this Committee and the committees estab-
lished for other relevant policies, instruments and actions.

Article 8

Links to be established

A the candidate countries of central and eastern Europe
(CEECs), in accordance with the conditions established in
the Europe Agreements, in their additional protocols, and
in the decisions of the respective Association Councils,

The Commission shall establish the necessary links with the
Employment Committee as well as with the social partners
the activities referred to in this
within the framework of
Decision.

A Cyprus, Malta and Turkey on the basis of bilateral

agreements to be concluded with these countries,

The Commission shall inform the European social partners at
their request of the results of its implementing activities.

A other Mediterranean countries

in the context of

the

European Union’s relations with those countries.

Article 9

Financing

2.
The cost of the participation referred to in paragraph 1
shall be borne either by the countries concerned or under the
Community budget headings covering implementation of the

1.
The financial reference amount for the implementation of
the Community activities referred to in this Decision for the
period 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2005 shall be Euro 55
million.

28.11.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 337 E/245

The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the
financial

authority within the

limits of

the

2.
budgetary
perspective.

The Commission may have recourse to technical and/or
3.
administrative
the
Commission and of the beneficiaries, as well as to support
expenditure.

to the mutual benefit of

assistance,

Article 10

Evaluation and reporting

1.
The Commission shall identify performance indicators for
the actions, monitor achievement of interim results, and carry
out independent evaluations in the third year (mid-term) and
early during the last year (ex-post) of the programme. The
evaluations shall particularly assess the impact achieved and
the efficiency of the use of resources, and provide decision-
oriented recommendations for adjustments and the eventual
extension of the programme.

The Commission shall make the results of actions

2.
undertaken and the evaluation reports publicly available.

In the light of

3.
propose an extension of the programme.

the evaluations,

the Commission may

4.
The Commission shall submit an interim report on the
results of the activities to the European Parliament, the Council,
the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the
Regions by 31 December 2003 at the latest, and a final report
by 31 December 2006 at the latest. It shall incorporate into
these reports information on Community financing within the
framework of the programme and on consistency and comple-
and
mentarity with other
initiatives, as well as the relevant evaluation results.

relevant programmes,

actions

Article 11

Publication

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