2004/740/EC:Council Decision of 4 October 2004 on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States
Date: 2004-10-04
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: European Employment Strategy, economic and social cohesion, employment policy, full employment, integration into employment, work productivity

29.10.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 326/45

II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL DECISION

of 4 October 2004

on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States

(2004/740/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community, and in particular Article 128(2) thereof,

establishing the European

European Employment Taskforce recommended more
forceful recommendations and a more effective use of
peer
than engaging in a process of
rather
further change of the Guidelines.

review,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

(3)

Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament (1),

Having
Committee,

consulted

the

European

Economic

and

Social

Having regard to the Opinion of
Regions (2),

the Committee of

the

Having regard to the Opinion of the Employment Committee,

Whereas:

(1)

The European Employment Strategy has the leading role
in the implementation of the employment and labour
market objectives of the Lisbon strategy. The reform of
the European Employment Strategy in 2003 placed the
emphasis on medium-term orientation and on the
importance of
range of
implementation of
policies recommended in the Employment Guidelines.

the full

(2)

The Employment Guidelines should be fully reviewed
only every three years, while in the intermediate years
their updating should remain strictly limited. The

(1) Opinion of 22 April 2004 (not yet published in the Official Journal)
(2) Opinion of 29 September 2004 (not yet published in the Official

Journal)

(4)

(5)

economic

conditions

to changing

The conclusions drawn by the European Employment
Task Force and the examination of the Member States'
National Action Plans for employment, both contained in
the Joint Employment Report 2003-2004, show that
Member States and the social partners
should give
priority to increasing the adaptability of workers and
enterprises
and
labour market demands; attracting more people to
enter and remain in the labour market and making
work a real option for all, including by facilitating the
access of unemployed young people to their first job and
by encouraging older workers to stay in the labour
investing more and more effectively in human
market;
capital and lifelong learning as well as in research and
including platforms for excellence; and
development,
ensuring
reforms
implementation of
the
including efforts aimed at
through better governance,
convincing
at
improving
citizens of the need for reforms and at strengthening
the ESF in particular, and
links between EU funding,
the
the European Employment
Guidelines. These priorities are fully consistent with,
the current
and can be pursued in the context of,
Guidelines.

implementation of

involvement,

democratic

effective

The Employment Guidelines apply to the new Member
States since accession.

should fully implement
and ensure

In addition to these Employment Guidelines, Member
the Broad Economic
States
Policy Guidelines
fully
action is
that
consistent with the maintenance of
sound public
finances and macro-economic stability,

L 326/46

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

29.10.2004

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

The guidelines for Member States' employment policies as set out in the Annex to Council Decision
2003/578/EC of 22 July 2003 on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States (1) are
maintained and shall be taken into account by the Member States in their employment policies.

Done at Luxembourg, 4 October 2004.

For the Council
The President

A. J. DE GEUS

(1) OJ L 197, 5.8.2003, p. 13.