European Parliament resolution on the Commission communication to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions'Acting locally for employment - a local dimension for the European employment strategy' (COM(2000) 196 — C5-0597/2000 — 2000/2275(COS))
Date: 2000-11-30
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: European Employment Strategy, employment service, labour market, regional policy, structural policy

C 228/128

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.8.2001

Thursday 30 November 2000

European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a European Parliament and Council
decision concerning a set of actions relating to the trans-European network for the collection,
production and dissemination of statistics on the trading of goods within the Community and
between the Community and non-member countries (Edicom) (COM(2000) 458 % C5-0401/2000
% 2000/0201(COD))

(Codecision procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

(cid:19) having regard to the Commission proposal

to the European Parliament and the Council

(COM(2000) 458),

(cid:19) having regard to Article 251(2) and to Article 285 of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Commis-

sion submitted the proposal to Parliament (C5-0401/2000),

(cid:19) having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure,

(cid:19) having regard to the report of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and the opinion of

the Committee on Budgets (A5-0353/2000),

1.

Approves the Commission proposal as amended;

Asks to be consulted again should the Commission intend to amend its proposal substantially or

2.
replace it with another text;

3.

Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission.

3. Employment (procedure without debate)

A5-0341/2000

European Parliament resolution on the Commission communication to the Council, the European
Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions ‘Acting locally
for employment % a local dimension for the European employment strategy’ (COM(2000) 196 %
C5-0597/2000 % 2000/2275(COS))

The European Parliament,

(cid:19) having regard to the Commission communication (COM(2000) 196 (cid:19) C5-0597/2000),

(cid:19) having regard to the White Paper on ‘Growth, competitiveness, employment (cid:19) the challenges and

ways forward into the 21st century’ (COM(1993) 700),

(cid:19) having regard to the Commission communication on ‘a European strategy for encouraging local devel-
opment and employment initiatives’ (COM(1995) 273) and the two Commission reports on local
development and employment initiatives (SEC(1996) 2061 and SEC(1998) 25),

(cid:19) having regard to the Commission’s second progress report on the territorial pacts for employment
(SEC(1999) 1932) and the Commission’s working document entitled ‘Guide to territorial pacts for
employment 2000-2006’ (SEC(1999) 1933),

(cid:19) having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provi-
sions on the Structural Funds (1), European Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No 1784/1999 of
12 July 1999 on the European Social Fund (2) and the Commission communication entitled ‘The Struc-
tural Funds and their coordination with the Cohesion Fund (cid:19) Guidelines for programmes in the
period 2000-2006’ (COM(1999) 344),

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 213, 13.8.1999, p. 5.

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(cid:19) having regard to the proposal for a Council Decision on guidelines for Member States’ employment

policies for the year 2001 (COM(2000) 548),

Thursday 30 November 2000

(cid:19) having regard to the conclusions of successive European Councils concerning new sources of employ-
ment and local employment initiatives, in particular the European Council meetings of 9/10 December
1994 in Essen, of 21/22 June 1996 in Florence and of 20/21 November 1997 in Luxembourg,

(cid:19) having regard to Rule 47(1) of its Rules of Procedure,

(cid:19) having regard to the report of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (A5-0341/2000),

A. whereas within the global information society the economy is undergoing far-reaching changes as a
result of investment mobility, the use of new information and production technologies and the emer-
gence of a knowledge-based society,

B. whereas, at the same time, changes in population trends and living patterns have contributed to the
emergence of new demands, particularly with regard to day-to-day services and in areas such as leisure
and cultural activities, the environment and housing,

C. whereas these globalisation trends and the appearance of sources of new jobs represent challenges
job creation opportunities at local level; whereas local bodies play a very
and, at the same time,
important role in job creation both because they are close to job seekers and because they have a
better understanding of local needs and handicaps and the ways to tackle them,

D. whereas local employment has to be based on a sustainable economy, i.e. the careful stewardship of

natural resources and decent environmental conditions,

E. whereas new environmentally friendly fields in local employment could be built in the social econ-

omy, new neighbourhood services, the regeneration of cities as well as in environmental protection,

F. whereas the European Union has already been equipped with instruments specifically designed to
promote local job creation, but whereas it is now necessary to concentrate these efforts and to take
greater account of the territorial dimension in all Union employment policy initiatives,

G. whereas projects set up as part of local development and employment initiatives and territorial
employment pacts have had a considerable impact on job creation; whereas the increase in the
employment rate recorded in third system organisations is much higher than in the European econ-
omy as a whole,

H. whereas local initiatives are, by their integrated nature, a particularly suitable means of promoting the
integration of groups threatened with social exclusion and of reclaiming and subsequently integrating
those manifestly suffering social exclusion as well as those who in general are socially marginalised,
for example adults who have lost their job, young people who have not found their first job, and the
like,

I. whereas an assessment of these initiatives shows that the success of local initiatives lies in the estab-
lishment of partnerships that are both efficient and broad-based, including all those working on the
ground, in particular local authorities, businesses, the third system, local agencies, public employment
services and the social partners,

J. whereas the success of local employment initiatives also depends on the capacity to adopt integrated
strategies based on an analysis of actual needs and skills at local level, financial resources in line with
local needs and adequate and stable support structures,

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K. whereas the development of integrated local strategies often comes up against a lack of national or
regional legislative and administrative provisions promoting local initiative or practices which, in some
cases, favour large-scale companies,

L. whereas European programmes in support of local initiatives by small NGOs, which, more often than
not, do not have substantial cash resources, are less easy to implement on account of the difficulties in
obtaining the bank guarantee required by the Commission, the usefulness of which is not immediately
obvious; whereas this situation results in discrimination between large and small NGOs, running coun-
ter to the desire to foster civil society,

M. whereas, in addition to targeting resources available from the Structural Funds, steps must be taken,
instruments geared

with the cooperation of central and regional authorities, to set up financial
towards local development,

N. whereas the European Union is responsible for supporting national employment policies through
initiatives aimed at developing exchanges of information and best practice, by promoting innovative
approaches and evaluating experiences,

O. whereas the European Parliament has made a significant contribution to the development of a policy
to promote local employment initiatives, in particular by introducing budgetary lines to fund pilot
projects in this area and in its capacity as co-legislator with respect to Structural Funds,

1. Welcomes the Commission communication which not only provides a framework for debate on local
development prospects but also constitutes a practical tool for those working on the ground;

2. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal to increase references to local initiatives in the employment
guidelines and calls for this new priority to be reflected in closer and wider-ranging involvement of regio-
nal and local authorities in the establishment of national employment plans; calls also for cooperation and
information flows to be improved at national level with regard to the European Structural Funds;

Calls on the Member States to step up their efforts to remove structural obstacles in accordance with
3.
the employment guidelines and to initiate an in-depth discussion on the breakdown of responsibilities and
powers between central government and regional and local authorities in the field of employment; warns,
however, against any attempt to break up the employment market into compartmentalised regional labour
markets, using subsidiarity as a pretext; recognises that, in job creation policies, contributions need to be
and should be made by all parties at all levels; considers, therefore, that all efforts and contributions must
be coordinated, since this will enhance the effectiveness of job creation measures;

4.
Calls on the Member States to indicate in their national employment plans how far regional and local
authorities are involved and to what extent responsibilities and powers have been shared between central
and local government with a view to implementing employment strategy;

5.
Regrets that the European employment strategy is not yet sufficiently known at regional and local
level; points out that the European Parliament has launched the ‘local action for employment’ project,
whose main aim is to increase awareness of the relevant issues among those working on the ground;
also supports the idea of designating a European Local Development Year;

6. Welcomes the Commission’s involvement of the municipal authorities, through their national and
European associations, in the drafting of this communication and believes that this process and dialogue
should be developed further with a view to creating cohesion between the relevant local and regional
authorities and the efforts of the Union’s institutions, thereby achieving the greatest possible impact in
terms of job-creation;

7. Welcomes the fact that the new generation of Structural Funds, in particular the Social Fund, take
due account of the territorial dimension of employment, in particular by supporting local initiatives and
the territorial employment pacts as well as establishing risk capital schemes for social purposes; regrets, on
the other hand, that the financial package set aside to support innovative approaches has been reduced;

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8.
Hopes that, when requiring them to furnish the bank guarantees to which payment of the subsidies
that it grants is subject, the Commission will be more flexible in relation to small voluntary organisations
so as to ensure that they are not excluded from European programmes;

Thursday 30 November 2000

9.
Calls for a clear distinction to be established (cid:19) given the wide range of political instruments at
European level (cid:19) between experimental instruments, mainstream instruments and methodological instru-
ments; calls for this distinction to be reflected in the Commission’s internal management structures since
experimental
initiatives require more flexible selection procedures and extra resources for analysis and
evaluation of results;

10.
Suggests, in this context, that the methodological and awareness-raising measures for the implemen-
tation of an employment development strategy at local level be concentrated in future on the programme
of ‘employment incentive measures’, based on Article 129 of the Treaty;

11.
Notes with satisfaction that the territorial pacts for employment genuinely enhance the implemen-
tation of the Structural Funds through their capacity to mobilise exceptional public and private co-funding,
and welcomes the fact that, according to preliminary results, they will eventually create 55 000 jobs;

12.
Calls on the Commission to encourage partners in the territorial pacts to give added emphasis to
qualitative and long-term approaches in future; recalls the considerable importance of an in-depth qualita-
tive assessment of results and advocates increasing exchanges of experience both between the pacts them-
selves and between them and all the regions affected by the measures;

Believes that regional and local authorities, in their dual capacity as regulators and economic entities
13.
and because they are in close touch with, and hence have a better understanding of, the real situation in
every locality or area, have a key role in promoting local employment; suggests that, for the purposes of
mainstreaming, such authorities should from time to time hold joint conferences of regions and cities and
set up coordination units at all levels to ensure that their action is compatible with the aim of job creation;
calls on the Member States to provide training for local elected representatives and officials in this respect;

Believes that such training should also be available for other actors including voluntary organisa-

14.
tions in order to develop their capacity and effectiveness;

15.
Believes that greater efforts are needed to encourage businesses to become involved in innovative
initiatives at local level, by means of financial incentives or greater public visibility of businesses which
decide to take action in this respect;

16.
Believes that, in the face of economic globalisation, new technologies and the modernisation of the
labour market, closer cooperation and efforts to achieve synergy between local businesses are a vital means
of guaranteeing competitiveness; considers, moreover, that regional and local bodies should consequently
conduct information, awareness, and promotion campaigns not just to encourage joint ventures, but also
to enable local integrated networks to be brought into being at the practical level;

17.
Calls on the social partners to support efforts to devise suitable solutions at local level, in particular
through negotiations on atypical forms of work, such as multiple employment, and the provision of regio-
nal and local back-up structures; calls on Member States to give timely and useful effect to experimental
initiatives undertaken by the social partners in predetermined areas suffering severe socio-economic hard-
ships with a view to revitalising the regions concerned and promoting new employment;

18.
Stresses the important role of SMEs in implementing local employment strategies and believes that
large undertakings can, in addition to their important contribution to the economy and the local employ-
ment market, make a vital contribution to a local strategy, e.g. by sponsoring other companies;

19.
Believes that local employment structures should become genuine partners in a proactive local
strategy by taking part in experiences involving other public administrations, companies or associations
and encouraging initiatives taken by the unemployed;

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20.
Calls for Internet sites to be set up and operated at local level with a view to matching the demand
for jobs with supply in given regions, and for local public bodies on the one hand and workers’ trade
union and employers’ representatives on the other to be involved in that process;

Calls on the Member States to support the development of the third system, in particular by adapt-
21.
ing training and consolidating new occupations, as well as through appropriate fiscal and legislative mea-
sures such as renewing the legal framework and thereby facilitating the appearance of new forms of entre-
preneurship and links between public and private sectors;

22.
Is in favour of experimenting with new financial instruments such as service vouchers, local unit
trusts and risk capital for social purposes, and reforming certain public expenditure rules to take account
of the real value of services provided by the social economy;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments

23.
of the Member States, the social partners and the Committee of the Regions.

4. Marine pollution ***III

A5-0336/2000

European Parliament legislative resolution on the joint text approved by the Conciliation Commit-
tee for a European Parliament and Council decision setting up a Community framework for coop-
eration in the field of accidental or deliberate marine pollution (C5-0501/2000 % 1998/0350(COD))

(Codecision procedure: third reading)

The European Parliament,

(cid:19) having regard to the joint text approved by the Conciliation Committee (C5-0501/2000),

(cid:19) having regard to its position at first reading (1) on the Commission proposal to Parliament and the

Council (COM(1998) 769) (2),

(cid:19) having regard to the amended proposal(COM(1999) 641) (3),

(cid:19) having regard to its position at second reading (4) on the Council common position,

(cid:19) having regard to the Commission’s opinion on Parliament’s amendments to the common position

(COM(2000) 475 (cid:19) C5-0434/2000),

(cid:19) having regard to Article 251(5) of the EC Treaty,

(cid:19) having regard to Rule 83 of its Rules of Procedure,

(cid:19) having regard to the report of its delegation to the Conciliation Committee (A5-0336/2000),

1.

Approves the joint text and confirms its statement thereon;

Instructs its President to sign the act with the President of the Council pursuant to Article 254(1) of

2.
the EC Treaty;

Instructs its Secretary-General duly to sign the act and, in agreement with the Secretary-General of

3.
the Council, to have it published in the Official Journal of the European Communities;

4.

Instructs its President to forward this legislative resolution to the Council and Commission.

(1) OJ C 54, 25.2.2000, p. 82.
(2) OJ C 25, 30.1.1999, p. 20.
(3) OJ C 177, 27.6.2000, p. 31.
(4)

‘Texts Adopted’ of 13.6.2000, Item 6.