Proposal for a DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Decision No 573/2014/EU on enhanced cooperation between Public Employment Services (PES)
Date: 2019-09-11
Institutions: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
Subjects: EU employment policy, administrative cooperation, employment service, integration into employment

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 11.9.2019  COM(2019) 620 final 2019/0188 (COD)  Proposal for a DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Decision No 573/2014/EU on enhanced cooperation between Public  Employment Services (PES) (Text with EEA relevance) {SWD(2019) 319 final} - {SWD(2019) 1350 final}  
 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

1. 

• 

CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 

Reasons for and objectives of the proposal 

Public  Employment  Services  (PES)  are  the  main  agencies  executing  employment  policies 
facilitating  labour  market  integration  of  jobseekers.  Although  structured  differently  in  each 
country, all PES help matching supply and demand in the labour market through information, 
placement and active support services at local, national and European levels. PES are also the 
main  actors  implementing  activation  policies  in  the  Member  States,  and  they  play  an 
important role in facilitating successful labour market transitions and integration. The quality 
of  their  services  has  direct  consequences  for  the  impact  of  employment  policies  on  the 
ground.  Thus,  PES  are  key  actors  in  fighting  unemployment  in  Europe  and  in  ensuring  the 
successful implementation of relevant EU policy initiatives. 

European-level  collaboration between PES  started in  1997, when the Commission  set  up an 
informal advisory group of heads of PES (the European Network of Heads of PES (HoPES)). 
The  aim  was  to  promote  cooperation,  exchange  and  mutual  learning  between  the  member 
organisations and to receive feedback on employment policy initiatives. 

Building on this, the Commission proposed to formalise this cooperation in 2013, to support 
innovation,  benchmarking  and  mutual  learning  at  European  level.  In  2014,  Decision  
No 573/2014/EU of the European Parliament and Council on enhanced co-operation between 
Public  Employment  Services  established  the  European  Network  of  Public  Employment 
Services (‘the Network’) until 31 December 2020. 

This  proposal  aims  at  continuing  to  reinforce  PES  capacity,  effectiveness  and  efficiency 
through providing a platform for comparing their performance at European level, identifying 
good practices and developing a mutual learning system. It also aims at giving the PES more 
opportunities to help develop innovative, evidence-based policies. 

The  Network  should  ensure  that  it  complements  and  does  not  replace  nor  duplicate  actions 
undertaken as part of the European Employment Strategy within the meaning of Title IX of 
the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union  (TFEU),  in  particular  those  of  the 
Employment Committee (EMCO) and its tools such as the Joint Assessment Framework, as 
well as the Mutual Learning Programme. Furthermore, to promote synergies, the Commission 
should continue ensuring that the Secretariat of the Network cooperates closely with that of 
EMCO. 

An evaluation has been carried out to shed light on the state of implementation of the previous 
Decision,  as  well  as  related  challenges  and  opportunities  for  a  further  continuation  of  the 
Network beyond 31 December 2020. The evaluation demonstrates that the Decision has been 
successfully implemented with in particular the benchlearning initiative1 as a fruitful example 
of an EU shared tool promoting comparability, learning and maturity among the EU PES. It 
also concludes that the Network has been effective in delivering on the objectives set in the 
Decision. 

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https://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=20613&langId=en, see page 1 

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The objective of the proposal amending Decision No 573/2014/EU is therefore to build upon 
the  positive  achievement  of  the  Network  demonstrated  in  the  findings  of  this  evaluation2 
while  answering  the  needs  and  strong  support  of  the  Network  stakeholders  to  continue 
implementing this valuable cooperation beyond 2020. It thereby aims to extend the period of 
establishment of the Network until 31 December 2027. 

• 

Consistency with existing policy provisions in the policy area 

With  Article  149  TFEU  as  its  legal  basis,  the  Network  is  established  to  contribute  to 
cooperation between Member States and to  support  their action in  the  field  of employment. 
The Network is part of the EU employment policy framework that is developed to respond to 
new  priorities  and  changes  in  the  labour  market.  In  accordance  with  Article  148(4)  of  the 
Treaty, by Decision 2010/707/EU the Council adopted guidelines for the employment policies 
of the Member States, which have been updated (Council Decision (EU) 2018/1215 of 16 July 
2018) and maintained for the year 2019. 

Together with the Economic Policy Guidelines, the Employment Guidelines provide guidance 
to  the  Member  States  on  defining  their  national  reform  programmes  and  on  implementing 
reforms. Guideline 7 stresses that “Member States should aim for more effective and efficient 
public  employment  services  by  ensuring  timely  and  tailor-made  assistance  to  support 
implementing  performance-based 
jobseekers,  supporting 
management”. The integrated guidelines form the basis for country-specific recommendations 
that the Council addresses to the Member States in the European Semester process. In recent 
years, they have included specific recommendations on the functioning and capacity of PES 
and  on  the  effectiveness  of  active  labour  market  policies  in  Member  States.  This  includes 
needs  for  more  personalised  tailored  services  for  the  unemployed,  a  more  comprehensive 
performance measurement system, better targeting and prioritisation, and better coordination 
between central and regional administrations. 

labour-market  demand  and 

Active  support  to  employment  is  also  one  of  the  priorities  of  the  European  Pillar  of  Social 
Rights3 (Principle 4).The priority  related to  targeted support for those who need help  to  get 
access to the labour market, such as via PES, is reinforced. An example of this is the increased 
focus on the role of PES in outreach to the inactive population. 

One of the aims of the Network is to contribute to the implementation of EU policy initiatives 
in  the  field  of  employment  such  as  the  Council  Recommendation  of  22  April  2013  on 
establishing  a  Youth  Guarantee  and  Council  Recommendation  of  15  February  2016  on  the 
integration of the long-term unemployed into the labour market, where PES play a key role. 
Furthermore,  the  Network  should  support  implementation  of  EU  initiatives  aimed  at  better 
skills  matching,  decent  and  sustainable  work,  enhanced  voluntary  labour  mobility  and 
facilitating the transition from education and training to work. 

The Network’s activities are within the areas of PES responsibility, and are complementary to 
initiatives  taken  by  other  stakeholders,  and  contribute  to  the  enforcement  of  overall  efforts 
made in this policy area. The evaluation of the Network demonstrates this complementarity, 
and that Network’s initiatives have not replaced other initiatives. 
EURES4, the European jobs portal, and the Network have certain complementary objectives 
related  to  improvements  of  the  functioning  of  the  labour  market.  The  Network  aims  at 
cooperation between PES to improve PES performance and contributes to the implementation 
of policy initiatives in the field of employment, whilst EURES focuses on the pooling of job 

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Staff Working Document SWD (2019)1350 
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/social-summit-european-pillar-social-rights-booklet_en.pdf 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/589/oj 

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vacancies and applications and the provision of mobility services in view of facilitating free 
movement of workers and the further integration of labour markets. 

Finally, the European Labour Authority (ELA), the new EU body to support Member States 
in  enforcing  rules  in  the  area  of  labour  mobility5,  will  facilitate  access  for  individuals  and 
employers  to  information  on  their  rights  and  obligations  as  well  as  to  relevant  services, 
including through the Single Digital Gateway. ELA will also mediate in cases of cross-border 
disputes between national authorities. Thus, the Network and ELA have different targets that 
are complementary in efforts to improve the functioning of the European labour market. 

• 

Consistency with other Union policies 

The  Europe  2020  strategy  is  the  EU's  agenda  for  growth  and  jobs  for  the  current  decade. 
Overall, the evaluation  of Decision No 573/2014/EU revealed that there is a high degree of 
coherence between the Decision and the EU policy framework. Synergies could be improved, 
for  example  through  cooperation  with  other  labour  market  stakeholders,  including  other 
providers  of  employment  services,  and  where  appropriate,  EU  Agencies  in  the  area  of 
employment,  social  policy  and  education  and  training,  social  partners,  organisations 
representing  unemployed  persons  or  vulnerable  groups,  NGOs  working  in  the  field  of 
employment,  regional  and  local  authorities.  However,  none  of  the  stakeholders  observed  a 
duplication of action. 

The  EU  plays  an  important  role  in  shaping  and  implementing  the  United  Nations  2030 
Agenda  for  Sustainable  Development  and  its  Sustainable  Development  Goals  (SDGs)6.  The 
Network contributes to the promotion of sustainable and inclusive economic growth, full and 
productive employment and decent work for all (SDG 8)7. 

2. 

• 

LEGAL BASIS, SUBSIDIARITY AND PROPORTIONALITY 

Legal basis 

The legal basis of the proposal remains the same as the one for Decision No 573/2014/EU. 

The right to act derives from Article 149 TFEU, which states that “the European Parliament 
and  the  Council  [….],  may  adopt  incentive  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 […]”. 

• 

Subsidiarity (for non-exclusive competence)  

The  proposal  complies  with  the  subsidiarity  principle  as  it  seeks  to  provide  support  to 
Member States to modernise their PES with a view to reach the overall European employment 
objectives. 

At  this  stage,  there  is  no  information  how  cooperation  between  PES  could  be  organised  in 
case  of  non-prolongation  of  Decision  No  573/2014/EU.  Although  some  cooperation  is 
probable to continue without the Network, the formal role supported by the Decision, as well 
as technical  and financial  support provided by the Commission is  felt by stakeholders to  be 

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https://ela.europa.eu/ 
https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/sites/devco/files/european-consensus-on-development-final-20170626_en.pdf 
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics/sustainabledevelopmentgoals 

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crucial.  Therefore,  it  is  likely  that  cooperation  between  PES  would  be  less  effective  and 
systematic in the absence of prolonging the Decision. 

• 

Proportionality 

The proposal conforms to the proportionality principle since it is proposed in the form of an 
incentive measure for PES and its duration is limited to the time span until 2027.  

While Member States remain responsible for organising, staffing and running their PES, this 
proposal  prolongs  the  period  of  establishment  of  the  Network,  providing  a  platform  for 
comparing  their  performance  at  European  level,  identifying  good  practices  and  fostering 
mutual learning in order to strengthen service capacity and efficiency. Experience has shown 
that  PES  are  not  engaging  sufficiently  in  mutual  learning  and  benchmarking  activities  by 
themselves, thus hampering the prospects of early identification of low performance by PES 
at the national level and potential structural labour market problems deriving from this.  

• 

Choice of the instrument 

instrument  chosen 

The 
Decision No 573/2014/EU on enhanced cooperation between PES is an incentive measure in 
the  sense  of  Article  149.  In  light  of  the  nature  of  this  incentive  measure  the  choice  of  a 
Decision as legal instrument remains the most appropriate. 

is  a  Decision,  as  per 

the  original  amended 

instrument.   

3. 

RESULTS 
CONSULTATIONS AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS 

EX-POST 

EVALUATIONS, 

OF 

STAKEHOLDER 

Ex-post evaluations/fitness checks of existing legislation 

• 
An  evaluation8  of  the  implementation  of  Decision  No  573/2014/EU  has  been  undertaken  to 
assess  the  state  of  play  and  degree  of  implementation,  as  well  as  to  shed  light  and  inform 
possible  future  cooperation  between  the  European  PES  post-2020.  This  evaluation  was  not 
required  by  Decision  No  573/2014/EU,  but  has  been  undertaken  to  ensure  good 
administration  in  line  with  the  "evaluate  first"  principle9,  in  order  to  take  into  account  the 
lessons from past EU action. It assesses if the Network has fulfilled its legal obligations and 
achieved its objectives. It covers the five criteria set out by the Better Regulation requirements 
namely relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and EU added value. 

The Decision remains highly  relevant for PES. The Network’s objectives and initiatives, as 
outlined in Articles 3 and 4 of the Decision, encompass the key areas of PES responsibility 
and  provide  a  robust  framework  for  the  policy  and  concrete  activities  of  the  Network.  By 
providing a broad framework for Network activities, the objectives enable a flexible approach 
to addressing priorities for action depending on labour market developments. 

The  evaluation  demonstrates  that  the  Network  has  been  effective  in  delivering  on  its 
objectives  and  initiatives.  The  Network  has  proven  that  it  is  an  effective  vehicle  to  support 
national  PES  in  the  individual  challenges  they  face  and  to  foster  European  cooperation.    In 
particular, the benchlearning initiative (combining benchmarking and mutual learning) serves 
as  a  fruitful  example  of  an  EU  shared  tool  promoting  comparability,  learning  and  maturity 
among the PES. They have taken up the results of the benchlearning assessments, and have 
become more mature as organisations as a result. The effectiveness can above all be attributed 

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https://publications.europa.eu/en/home 
https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-making-process/planning-and-proposing-law/better-regulation-why-
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to the benchlearning initiative, as well as knowledge sharing through mutual learning events, 
reports and PES best practices. 

Some  Network  activities  are  difficult  to  quantify,  and  four  years  is  a  short  period  to  realise 
certain gains and make them visible, such as changes in organisational culture. However, the 
willingness  of  PES  to  participate  in  benchlearning  and  mutual  learning  events,  as  well  as 
positive  feedback  from  PES  demonstrate  that  the  Network  outputs  are  highly  efficient  and 
appreciated by all Network members. Overall, less advanced PES have benefited more from 
participating  in  the  Network  in  terms  of  the  progress  they  have  made  on  performance,  but 
advanced PES have also progressed. As potential to further improve efficiency, the evaluation 
identifies some areas, such as focusing on smaller and more targeted learning events and the 
potential for further use of digital solutions. 

that 

there 

shows 

is  a  good  degree  of  coherence  between  
The  evaluation 
Decision No 573/2014/EU and the EU policy framework. The contributions of the Network to 
EU policy initiatives have been most extensive in the implementation of the Youth Guarantee 
and  the  integration  of  long-term  unemployed  in  the  labour  market.  The  Network  has 
demonstrated flexibility to target new topics, such as the integration of migrants and refugees, 
prevention of unemployment and addressing skills shortages. These outputs have also clearly 
contributed  to  better  analysis  of  Member  States’  economic/employment  performance  in  the 
context of the European Semester. 

In  addition,  the  Network  supports  national  PES  in  implementing  Country  Specific 
Recommendations  (CSRs)  addressed  to  Member  States  on  Active  Labour  Market  Policies 
(ALMPs)  and  PES  issues  in  the  context  of  the  European  Semester.  As  key  actors  in  the 
implementation of the European Social Fund, PES also play an active role in the development 
of  a  comprehensive  policy  framework  for  ALMPs  within  their  respective  Member  States, 
thereby contributing to the effective and efficient spending of EU funds. 

An  added  value  of  the  PES  Network  has  been  a  structured  framework  for  assessing  PES 
performance and capacity and for facilitating comparisons, peer learning and improvements.  
The evaluation demonstrates several other results of the Decision, which did not occur before 
the  Network  was  established  in  2014,  and  that  would  not  have  been  achieved  by  voluntary 
cooperation  of  national  PES.  Some  important  achievements  are  greater  ownership,  the 
provision  of  individual  PES  learning  and  collective  mutual  learning,  ensuring  a  collective 
voice and a formal platform in policy-making at EU level, and contributions to the EU2020 
objectives. The evaluation also demonstrates that financial, organisational and expert support 
from the EU level is essential to ensure the continuous participation of all PES. 

• 

Stakeholder consultations 

To ensure that the views of the interested stakeholders were well reflected in the evaluation, a 
wide  range  of  stakeholders  was  involved  in  the  consultation  process.  Targeted  stakeholders 
included  representatives  from  the  32  PES  involved  in  the  Network10,  relevant  EU  level 
organisations and bodies (e.g. EMCO, EU level private employment services and temporary 
work  agencies,  European  Lifelong  Guidance  Policy  Network),  relevant  international 
organisations  (e.g.  ILO,  OECD,  World  Bank,  WAPES),  as  well  as  the  PES  Secretariat, 
contractors, former members of the PES  Network or people involved with PES  cooperation 

10 
The  PES  Network  includes  PES  from  each  of  the  EU28  Member  States,  as  well  as  Iceland  and  Norway  (30 
countries  in  total).  However,  since  there  are  three  participating  PES  in  the  case  of  Belgium,  the  total  number  of  PES 
participating in the Network is 32. 

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pre-2014. A workshop dedicated to the evaluation was conducted with the PES Advisers for 
European  Affairs  (AFEPA).  An  internet-based  public  consultation  was  also  open  to  any 
interested party and to the public. 

The  findings  are  consistent  across  the  different  types  of  stakeholders.  Some  differences  do 
exist  concerning  the  assessment  of  the  effectiveness  of  different  Network  activities  or  the 
degree  of  their  contribution  to  the  achievement  of  each  objective.  For  example,  most 
stakeholders reported that there is some cooperation between the Network and other relevant 
labour market stakeholders (as set out in Decision No 573/2014/EU Article 5), but that there 
is scope for improvement in the future by developing stronger relationships with partners at 
EU  and  national  levels.  The  feedbacks  from  the  stakeholders  are  important  input  for  future 
priorities of the Network in line with the objectives of Decision No 573/2014/EU. 

• 

Collection and use of expertise 

To  support  the  collection  of  evidence,  the  stakeholders’  views  and  opinions  as  well  the 
analytical part of the evaluation, an external study was commissioned to a contractor11. 

• 

Impact assessment 

The  prolongation  of  Decision  No  573/2014/EU  implies  a  continuation  of  the  existing 
framework  and  initiatives.  This  proposal  is  limited  to  prolonging  the  period  of  the 
establishment  of  the  Network  in  Article  1  and  some  technical  updates.  The  proposal  is 
accompanied by the above-mentioned evaluation. This proposal of routine nature qualifies as 
a non-major initiative under the Better Regulation rules.  

No separate impact assessment was carried out because: 

– 

– 

– 

– 

• 

the evaluation shows that the PES Decision works well and suggests no substantial 
amendments to the existing policy;  

the evaluation findings support the prolongation of the PES Decision;  

the  evaluation  (coupled  with  the  call  from  the  national  PES  and  the  Board  of  the 
Network) already provides sufficient evidence of the fact that not prolonging would 
have negative impacts; 

the  proposed  initiative  follows  logically  and  is  consistent  with  the  evaluation 
findings. 

Fundamental rights 

Decision  No  573/2014/EU  respects  the  fundamental  rights  and  observes  the  principles 
recognised  by  the  Charter  of  Fundamental  Rights  of  the  European  Union.  In  particular,  the 
Decision seeks to ensure full respect for the rights of access to free placement services and to 
promote  the  application  of  Article  29  of  the  Charter.  This  proposal  does  not  imply  any 
changes. 

4. 

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS 

The proposal does not require additional resources, including staff, from the EU- budget.  

The financial support to the Union-wide Network of Public Employment Services is already 
foreseen  in  the  proposal  of  the  ESF+  Regulation  for  2021-2027  under  the  EaSI  strand 

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https://publications.europa.eu/en/home 

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proposed budget12. The corresponding expenditure is a simple extension of the support to the 
Network already granted under the current programming period 2014-2020. 

5. 

• 

OTHER ELEMENTS 

Implementation plans and monitoring, evaluation and reporting arrangements 

Annual  reports of the  Network shall be sent  to  the European Parliament  and to  the Council 
and shall be published.  

An  evaluation  on  the  application  of  the  proposal  shall  be  submitted  to  the  European 
Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of 
the Regions by September 2026. 

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COM(2018)382 final 

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2019/0188 (COD) 

Proposal for a 

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 

amending Decision No 573/2014/EU on enhanced cooperation between Public  
Employment Services (PES) 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  and  in  particular 
Article 149 thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, 

After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee13,  
Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions14, 

Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

Decision  No  573/2014/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council15  establishes 
the European Network of Public Employment Services (‘the Network’) from 17 June 
2014 until 31 December 2020. 

The  Network  aims  at  reinforcing  Public  Employment  Services  (PES)  capacity, 
effectiveness  and  efficiency  through  providing  a  platform  for  comparing  their 
performance  at  European  level,  identifying  good  practices  and  establishing  a  mutual 
learning  system.  It  also  aims  at  giving  the  PES  more  opportunities  to  help  develop 
innovative, evidence-based policies in line with relevant Union policy initiatives. 

The  Network  has  been  key  in  encouraging  further  cooperation  between  the  Member 
States  within  the  areas  of  PES  responsibility  as  well  as  contributing  to  the 
modernisation  and  strengthening  of  the  PES.  An  evaluation  of  the  state  of 
implementation  of  Decision  No  573/2014/EU16  shows  that  the  Network  has  had  a 
positive  impact  and  identifies  lessons  learned  on  the  basis  of  the  different  activities 
and experiences. 

(4) 

In  order  to  capitalise  on  the  results  achieved  so  far  and  further  foster  cooperation 
between PES, the period of establishment of the Network should be prolonged until 31 
December 2027. 

13 
14 
15 

16 

OJ C […], […], p. […]. 
OJ C […], […], p. […]. 
Decision  No  573/2014/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  15  May  2014  on  enhanced 
cooperation between Public Employment Services (PES) (OJ L 159, 28.5.2014, p. 32). 
Commission Staff Working Document SWD(2019)1350 

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(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

(9) 

The continuation of the Network should support the implementation of the European 
Pillar of Social Rights, which includes the provision of active support to employment 
among its principles. It should also contribute to sustainable development goal 8 of the 
United  Nations  2030  Agenda  for  Sustainable  Development  by  contributing  to 
inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all. 

The Network should continue to organise cooperation and contacts with other labour 
market  stakeholders  to  promote  synergies  between  them,  including  in  particular 
cooperation with Union Agencies in the area of employment, social policy, education 
and training, to ensure a consistent policy framework. 

Union financial support for the Network should be made available in accordance with 
the Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021-2027. 

Decision No 573/2014/EU should therefore be amended accordingly. 

In  order  to  ensure  a  seamless  continuation  of  the  activities  of  the  Network,  this 
Decision should apply from 1 January 2021. 

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION:  

Decision No 573/2014/EU is hereby amended as follows: 

(1) 

In Article 1, the first paragraph is replaced by the following: 

Article 1 

“A  Union-wide  network  of  Public  Employment  Services  (PES)  (‘the  Network’)  is  hereby 
established for the period until 31 December 2027.”  

(2) 

In Article 3, introductory wording is replaced by the following: 

“The  aim  of  this  Decision  is  to  encourage  cooperation  between  Member  States  through  the 
Network  in  the  field  of  employment,  within  the  areas  of  PES  responsibility,  in  order  to 
contribute  to  the  implementation  of  the  Union’s  employment  policies.  This  will  also  help 
implementing  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  and  the  United  Nations  Sustainable 
Development Goals, thereby supporting:” 

(3) 

In Article 4, point (c) of paragraph 1 is replaced by the following: 

“(c) contribute to modernising and strengthening PES in key areas, in line with the Union’s 
employment policies, the European Pillar of Social Rights, and the Sustainable Development 
Goals;” 

(4) 

Article 5 is replaced by the following: 

“Cooperation 

The  Network  shall  develop  cooperation  with  relevant  labour  market  stakeholders  including 
other providers of employment services,  and where appropriate, EU Agencies in the area of 
employment,  social  policy  and  education  and  training,  social  partners,  organisations 
representing  unemployed  persons  or  vulnerable  groups,  NGOs  working  in  the  field  of 
employment, and regional and local  authorities, by involving them in relevant activities and 
meetings of the Network and by exchanging information and data with them.” 

(5) 

Article 7 is replaced by the following: 

“Financial support 

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The  global  resources  for  the  implementation  of  this  Decision  shall  be  made  available  in 
accordance  with  the  next  Multiannual  Financial  Framework  2021-2027  as  appropriate,  the 
annual  appropriations  of  which  shall  be  authorised  by  the  European  Parliament  and  by  the 
Council within the limits of the financial framework.” 

(6) 

in Article 9, paragraph 2 is replaced by the following: 

“The delegation of power referred to in Article 8 shall be conferred on the Commission until 
31 December 2027.” 

(7) 

Article 10 is replaced by the following: 

“Review 

By  September  2026,  the  Commission  shall  submit  an  evaluation  on  the  application  of  this 
Decision  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European  Economic  and  Social 
Committee and the Committee of the Regions.” 

This Decision shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in 
the Official Journal of the European Union.  

Article 2 

It shall apply from 1 January 2021. 

Done at Brussels, 

For the European Parliament 
The President 

For the Council 
The President 

EN 

10 

  EN