Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the "Commission proposal for a Council Decision on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States"
Date: 2003-07-03
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: EU Member State, European Employment Strategy, employment policy

C 256/90

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

24.10.2003

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘Commission proposal for a Council Decision
on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States’

(2003/C 256/16)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to the Proposal for a Council Decision on guidelines for the employment policies of the
Member States (COM(2003) 176 final — 2003/0068 (CNS));

having regard to the decision of the Council of 22 April 2003 to consult it on this subject, under the
second paragraph of Article 128 of the Treaty establishing the European Community;

having regard to the decision of its President of 19 March 2003 to instruct its Commission for Economic
and Social Policy to draw up an opinion on this subject;

having regard to its opinion on the Review of the European Employment Strategy and the Employment
Guidelines for 2003 based on the Communication on Taking stock of five years of the European
Employment Strategy and the Communication on The future of the European Employment Strategy
(EES): A strategy for full employment and better jobs for all, (CdR 15/2003 fin);

having regard to its draft opinion (CdR 137/2003 rev.) adopted on 13 June 2003 by the Commission for
Economic and Social Policy (rapporteur: Ms Pauliina Haijanen, Member of the Board, Regional Council of
Southwest Finland (FIN-EPP)),

adopted the following opinion unanimously at its 50th plenary session, held on 2 and 3 July 2003
(meeting of 3 July).

1. The Committee of the Regions’ views

The Committee of the Regions

welcomes the fact

1.1.
the Commission proposal
that
stresses the need to improve the governance and delivery of
the Employment Strategy and that, in the light of this, the
Commission calls on the Member States to ensure that the
guidelines are also implemented at local and regional level.
The new strategic approach opens the way to strengthening
the local and regional dimension in the implementation of all
the guidelines. The Committee of the Regions nevertheless
feels that, for this objective to be achieved in preparatory work
at national level, strong political support is needed from the
Union as well as gearing EU funding instruments towards
enhancing the regional and local dimension;

1.2.
considers it a shortcoming of the Commission proposal
that the approach adopted assesses the role of the various local
and regional levels primarily from the viewpoint of the process,
i.e. the effectiveness and legitimacy of the strategy. This
approach does not pay adequate attention to the direct role
played by local and regional actors in the implementation of
the Employment Strategy and in improving its effectiveness;

takes the view that the ability of policies determined at
1.3.
macro level to respond to local and regional problems is
diminishing. The devolution of the decision-making process in

the implementation of employment policy to the local and
regional level should be regarded as the starting-point for
drawing up national employment action plans. National action
plans should include an assessment of the implementation of
the guidelines at local and regional level;

considers it essential that addressing regional unem-
1.4.
ployment disparities be made a priority for action in accord-
ance with the conclusions of the European Council, as already
proposed in Commission Communication COM(2003) 6
final. Measurable targets should be set for reducing regional
In addition to occupational and geographical
disparities.
mobility, wide-ranging measures supporting regional employ-
ment and competitiveness are needed in order to reduce
regional employment disparities;

1.5.
feels that the guidelines should contain practical infor-
mation on local and regional employment strategies as instru-
ments linking the local and regional level to the implemen-
tation of the European Employment Strategy. The planning of
these strategies should be effectively integrated into the
preparation of national action plans. The role of local partner-
ships and the social economy in the implementation of
the Employment Strategy should be further clarified and
strengthened;

24.10.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 256/91

1.6.
reiterates its earlier view that the role of Member States’
parliaments in the implementation of the Employment Strategy
should be further clarified and strengthened. The importance
of national employment action plans should be enhanced by

adopting them in national parliamentary bodies. In addition,
the link between national action plans and national budgets
should be reinforced.

Brussels, 3 July 2003.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Albert BORE