CELEX: 51980PC0411
Language: en
Date: 1980-08-07
Title: PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION CONCERNING EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND AID MEASURES FOR PERSONS EMPLOYED IN THE TEXTILE AND CLOTHING INDUSTRIES, FOR MIGRANT WORKERS, FOR PERSONS AFFECTED BY EMPLOYMENT DIFFICULTIES (YOUNG PEOPLE UNDER 25) AND FOR WOMEN (presented by the Commission to the Council)

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COM (80) 411
Vol. 1980/0145
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OP THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                       COM(80)411 final
                                       Brussels / 22th July 1980
                                            Û£'?r       S P'Hor VA
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               PROPOSAL . FOR A COUNCIL DECISION CONCERNING
             EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND AID MEASURES FOR PERSONS
           EMPLOYED IN THE TEXTILE AND CLOTHING           INDUSTRIES ,
             FOR MIGRANT WORKERS , FOR PERSONS AFFECTED BY
           EMPLOYMENT DIFFICULTIES    ( YOUNG PEOPLE UNDER 25 )
                             AND FOR WOMEN     .               .
                ( presented by the Commission to the Council )
C0M(80 ) 411 final
 ---pagebreak---                            Explanatory  Memorandum
1 . Among the Decisions to grant aid from the European Social Fund adopted
     under Article 4 of Council Decision 71 / 66 / EEC ( 1 ), those concerning workers
     in the textile and clothing industries (2 ), migrant workers (3 ), young
     people under 25 (4 ) and women ( 5 ) will expire on 31 December 1980 . It is
     proposed to the Council to take a Decision to extend these              . >
     four decisions . The Decision of December 1977 concerning women . will . be
     extended for the first time ; the other three , already extended at different
     times in the past ; will be renewed once more .
( 1 ) Decision amended by     Decision 77 / 801 / EEC of 20.12.1977 , OJ N° L 28 of
      4.2.1971 , p. 15 and    L 337 of 27.12.1977 , p. 8 .
( 2 ) Decision 77 / 802 / EEC of 20.12.1977 , OJ L 337 of 27.1211977 ,
      P. 10 .                                             , "
( 3 ) Decision 77 / 803 / EEC of 20.12.1977 , 0J L 337 of 27.12.1977 , p. 12 .
(4 ) Decision 75/ 459/ EEC    of 22.7.1975 , last amended by Decision 77 / 802 / EEC of
      20.12.1977, 0J L 199 of 30.7.1^75 , p. 36 and L 374 of 30.12 .1 978 , p. 37
( 5 ) Decision 77 / 805 / EEC of 20.12.1977 , 0J L 337 of 27.12.1977 , p. 14 .
 ---pagebreak---                               - 2 -
2 . Each of the Decisions resulting from measures adopted in connection with
       Community policies or common actions relates to an imbalance in the em­
       ployment situation for a given category of workers . From the details given
       below, it appears that these imbalances persist and in view of their scale ,
       Community action is justified .
3 . The context in which Fund assistance is given today may , depending on the
      area , have changed to a greater or lesser extent as compared with the
      situation at the time the initial decisions granting aid were adopted .
      This does not mean that the Decisions should be amended as regards the
      persons to whom they apply or the type of aid given : the annual adjustment
     of the Fund budget and the guidelines for the management of the Fund make
      it possible , in their application , to take account efficiently of specific
     needs .
4 . It is proposed to extend the Decisions for two years , taking account of the
       timellmit imposed for ' the next review - of the Social Fund ,
       which  must   take place   at   the   latest    by  31   December   1982 .
     . The Social Fund Committee , which was consulted at its meeting on 27 June
      1980 , expressed a favorable opinion about the proposal .
Persons working in the textile and clothing sectors *
5 . For many years , the textile and clothing industries have been in difficult­
      ies largely due to the weak growth of internal demand and the rapid
       industrialisation of the textile industry in the third world . These difficulties
      have been exacerbated by the economic recession and have affected the
      industry 's ability to find the financial means needed to carry out the
      necessary modernisation .
  "                                                                                           I
                                                                                       ./.
* This field of intervention can also be covered by Article 5 , paragraph ( c )
    (" Groups of firms:") of Decision 71 / 66 / EEC . However , to underline the importance
    of a specific common action for the sector , the renewal of Decision 76 / 206 / EEC ,
    taken under the heading of Article 4 of Decision 71 / 66/ EEC , is necessary .          j
 ---pagebreak---                                   - S -
6 . With respect to employment ; more pressure has been exerted on the textile
     and clothing industry than on any other . The work force has steadily diminish­
     ed in all the Community countries . In the five years from 1973 to 1978
      361 000 jobs were lost in textiles and 256 000 in clothing .
7 . Confronted with this situation , in recent years the industry has developed
      large-scale programmes to adjust their strategy and modernize their structures .
     Like the Member States , the Community has gradually stepped up its action
     to meet international competition and maintain a substantial employment
     level over the long term . This has been done through the negociation of
     multifibre agreements , the redefinition of guidelines with respect to aids ,
     the introduction of the second technological research programme and by
     facilitating the financing of reorganisation and conversion measures in the
    synthetic fibres sector . The Social Fund has helped to cushion the effects
     of these developments on the labour force : the volume of assistance has
     risen from 5 to 20 million EUA per year , facilitating vocational training
     and , in certain cases , geographiqcal mobility for some 120 000 workers .
8 . In view of the outlook for the textile and clothing industries today . Social
     Fund assistance should be maintained and be developed in a direction that takes
     account of the sectorial objectives defined within the Community framework of
     assistance to the textile industry ( 1 ). Regardless of the degree of control
     over imports that could be obtained through a renewal of the Multifibre
     Agreement , imports from developing countries and new competition from indus­
     trialized third countries will constitute a growing challenge . The foreseeable
     weak growth in final demand for textiles on the Community market and the
     changes in the terms of trade that could result from the forthcoming enlarge­
     ment of the Community will force the industry into new paths , as regards both
     technology and creativity .
                                                                                 ./.
( 1 ) Documents SEC < 71 ) 363 final official statements to Member States dated
       30.7.1971 , and to new Member States dated 19.12.1973 ; additional statement
       dated 4.2.1977 ( annex IV   382 / 76 of the letter dated 4.2.1977 ).
 ---pagebreak---      In the circumstances , the training of the labour force for more skilled
     work and the retraining of workers transferred to replacement jobs will
     continue to be of primordial importance . The effort required will be all the
     greater given that the textile and clothing industries , at least in certain of
     their activities , are still largely labour-intensive , with a great many small
     medium-sized firms concentrated in certain rural areas where .economic survival
                             /
     in jeopardy .
 Migrant workers
 9 . Since 1976 , the migrant population in the Community has more or less
     stabilized at 12 million people , of whom 6 million are workers . The effect
     of Member States' restriction on immigration from third countries and the
     return of migrants to their countries of origin seems to have been offset
     by the arrival on the labour market of the wives and children of workers
     already established in the host countries . The proportion of the population
     represented by this second generation is steadily increasing ; it has been
     estimated that the migrant population accounts for 30 - 40 % of the
     birth rate in industrial zones in the Community .
10 . In the same period , the Member States have increasingly accepted respons­
     ibility for integrating this migrant population . Particular attention has
     been, given to vocational training or , more frequently , preparatory training
     schemes , socio-cultural integration of the family and education adapted to
     the needs of migrant children . Many of these measures are eligible for
     Social Fund assistance under Article 4 "migrants " of the Decision to be
     extended - at least , within the limits of an extremely small budget
     ( 16 million EUA in 1978 and 23 million in 1979 ).
 ---pagebreak---                                       - s -
11 . Everywhere , however , needs are far in excess of the means available .
     This situation will tend to worsen in the years to come . The demo­
     graphic factor mentioned above , the unification of migrant families in
     the host countries , which immigration curbs seem to encourage ,
     efforts to set up some form of labour market machinery at Community
      level and the accession of Greece , are some of the salient factors that
     will influence future development . They fully justify the continuation
     of the specific common actions to improve social and living conditions
     for migrant workers and their families initiated by the Council in
     1974 and given effect through Social Fund assistance for this category
     of persons .
12 . It is expected that Fund assistance in this area will take on certain
     new forms , in particular in relation to :
     - the scale of the requirements of vocational preparation of young people
        who are   second generation " migrants . Since most of these young people
        leave school without obtaining a certificate of the end of studies , and
        are not able , as a consequence , to proceed to vocational training
              • ,
        courses , the Member States are , more and more , implementing specific
        programmes in their favour to try to remedy this situation ;
     - increased use of aid measures for returning migrants . The increasingly
        frequent initiatives taken by certain regions of origin suggest that action
        implemented under the integrated programmes as defined in Decision 77 / 803 / EEC
        will arouse increasing interest .
     - in addition , the requirements of adult migrants in relation to language
     training and vocational skills remain important , particularly when account is
     taken of the threat of unemployment .
 ---pagebreak---                                 - 6 -
Young people under 25
13 . Since 1975 , the date of the decision on action by the European
     Social Fund for persons affected by employment difficulties , the number
     of unemployed persons under 25 has risen from 1.5 million to over
     2 million , some 35 % of the total number of jobless . The sample labour
     force survey made in 1979 , still incomplete , shows that the situation varies
     considerably from one region to another .
14 . Bearing in mind the effects of very low economic growth and the massive
     arrival on the labour market of young people under 25 , the forecast for
     the next few years is sombre ; the unemployment rate for young people
     under 25 Will rise by a few points in some of the larger Community
     countries in 1980-81 and the situation will' not change - until 1985 .
     There has also been a considerable increase in the number of young people
     unemployed for more than 6 months . Unemployment is at its worst in the
     20-24 age group .
                                     • ;  i                     i
                .                      '                    ! , .
15 . At Community level , the European Social Fund has helped     in
     coping     with the youth employment situation , by supporting ,
     particularly in regions with a high youth unemployment rate , preparations
     training and vocational training measure^ fol lowed up by aids to em­
     ployment . In 1979, such assistance represented 40 % of the Fund budget
     and helped 450 000 young people . In another connection , the Community
     has supported the improvement of training facilities for young people .
     In this context , the Council recommended the development of training
     linked with work experience , in other words , the inclusion in the
 ---pagebreak---                                   - 7 -
      transition to working Life of periods combining training and on-
     the-'job experienced ). The Social Fund can assist the implementation
     of experimental projects involving training / work experience .
16 . The impact of recent actions cannot yet be assessed ; Fund assistance
     for recruitment and temporary employment schemes did not come into
                           I
     effect until December 1978 , while other measures ( Training / work ex­
     perience schemes ) are on the point of being launched . A report on
     experience gained in the application of aids for young people based
     on information provided by the Member States is being prepared and
     will be submitted to the Council before 1 October 1980 .
     In view of the discouraging outlook for youth employment , it is
     likely that efforts to facilitate their access to the labour market
     will be still further reinforced in the Member States . Common
     action for young people under Article 4 of Decision 71 / 66 / EEC should
     be extended so that all these efforts can continue to be supported
     by substantial contributions from the Social Fund .
     ( 1 ) See Council Resolution of 18 December 1979 , OJ C 1 of 3.1.1980 , p. 1 .
 ---pagebreak--- Women over 25
17 . The situation of women on the labour market continues to § ive
      cause for serious concern : the employment rate for women has risen
      slightly - to 36.2 % in 1978 - while at the same time their share
      in total registered unemployment has risen from 38.7 '/. in 1976 to
     42.8 % in 1 978 , and 44.8 % in 1979 .
     This divergence is significant ; the situation of women , already worse
     than that of men , has been further aggravated by the crisis . The
     vulnerability of women can largely be ascribed to the sensitivity of
     the      sectors where they are very numerous' ( footwear , textiles-clothing ,
     skin and hides , certain jobs in the tertiary sector ), the continuing
     inadequacy of their qualifications , fewer years of service in their firm and
     the fact that they > are mainly employed at a low> level of qualification
     or under fixed term contracts or for part-time jobs solely performed
     by women . In addition , women remain unemployed for longer than men .
18 . In view of the situation , the Community has continued its efforts to
     bring about equality between men and women in employment . On the
      legal plane , it has supplemented existing provisions on equality as
     regards remuneration and access to employment and vocational training
      ( 1 ). In addition , the Commission has supported attempts to break down
     the compartmentalization     of the labour market with a view to making
      room for women in better conditions : for example , it has proposed a
     programme to promote equal opportunity for girls in secondary
     education and has associated itself with the programme to compile and
     disseminate information on pioneering measures by the Member States in
      respect of vocational training for women initiated by the European
     Centre     for the Development of Vocational Training ( CEDEFOP ).
                      •                                                      m/m
      ( 1 ) See Council Directive 79 / 7 of 19.12.1978 on equal treatment for
            men and women in matters of social security , OJ L 6 of 10.1.1979 , p. 24 .
 ---pagebreak---                                      V *"
19 . The specific action by the Social Fund on behalf of women with no
     skills or with insufficient ski 11 , wishing to work again after a
     break or loss of job or seeking first employment , was given substance
     by the first appropriation of 8 million EUA in 1978 , raised to
     18 million in 1979 and 20 million ( proposai ) in 1980 .
     Some 16 000 women benefited from Fund assistance in 1979 compared to 12 000
      in the previous year , without counting those who have benefitted from aid
     from the Social Fund in other fields of intervention .
     The Commission has expressed its preference for programmes aimed at
     widening the vocational opportunities for women whilst re-affirming
     that the priority objective of this field of intervention is to
     promote a mix   of jobs and to improve the possibilities for women in
     the labour market .
     Consequently, priority is given to non traditional training programmes ,
     geared towards new skills or aimed at training women in these skills
     or functions in which they have been traditionally under-represented .
20 . It cannot be denied that the demand for work by women is an irreversible
     trend despite the unfavourable general context . It is important that
     the Community should respond to this demand by pursuing the community
     Social Fund action , decided on in 1977 , under which vocational training
     should be accompanied by supplementary measures to overcome the specific
     obstacles to the ''integration or re-integration of women in working
     life .
 ---pagebreak--- Proposal for a Council Decision concerning European Social Fund
aid measures for persons employed in the textile and clothing
industries , migrant workers , persons affected by employment
difficulties ( young people < under 25 ) and women .
                       /
The Council of the European Communities ,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community ,
Having recp rd to the Council Decision 71 / 66 / EEC of 1 February 1971
concerning the reform of the European Social Fund ( 1 ) amended by
Decision 77 / 801 / EEC ( 2 ) and in particular Article 4 of that Decision ,
                            )
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament ( 3 )
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and . Social Committee ( 4 ),
                           !
Whereas :
- the Council Decision 76 / 206 / EEC of 9 February 1976 concerning
    European Social Fund aid for people employed in the textile and
    clothing industries ( 5 ), last amended by the Decision 77 / 802 / EEC ( 6 ),
( 1 ) OJ . N° L 28 dated 4.2.1971 , p. 15
( 2 ) OJ . N° L 337 dated 27.12.1977 , p. 8
( 3 ) 0J .
( 4 ) 0J .
( 5 ) OJ . N° L 39 dated 14.2.1976 , p. 39
( 6 ) OJ . N° L 337 dated 27.12.1977 , p . 10
 ---pagebreak---                \
                 \
                            - 2 -
                     ν
                      Ν
                             Y
- Council Decision 77 / 805 / Et\of 20 December 1977 concerning European
    Social Fund aid for migrant \^\ers ( 7 )
                                          \                                   •   .
- Counci I Decision 75 / 459 / EEC of 22 u^y 1975 concerning European
                                              %
    Social Fund aid for people affected \ employment difficulties ( 8 ),
     last amended by Decision 78/ 1036/ EEC \) anc|
                                                   \
- Council Decision 77/ 804/ EEC of 20 Decembe\i977 concerning
     European Social Fund aid for women ( 10 )         \
                                                         \ \
expiring on 31 December 1980 ;                                       \
                                                                       \
                                                                         \
 •'Weas the imbalance of employnerit within tr.a Community h^s made
 appart^; the necessity to follow joint specific action for peop' e
 employed >\ t ^ e textile and clothing sectors , migr;>t workers and
 their fami lies , v«, rsons affected by employment diff i \ jLties ( young
  people under 25 ) ar;«v v0men ,
                           x\                                                   •
  DECIDED                                                                  v
                       ■ N       Y.                                          \
  Article 1                       V,
  1 . In article 5 of Decision        75 / 459 / EEC the date 1 January 19t;
        is replaced by 1 January 1^3
  2 . In article 3 of Decision N° \/ 206 / EEC the date 1 January 1981
        is replaced by 1 January 1983 \
                                            x
  3 . In article 4 line 2 of the Decis\. n 77 / 803 / EEC the date'
        1 January 1981 is replaced by 1 j\ uary 1983
  4 . In article 3 line 2 of the Decision \x 77 / 804 / EEC the date
        1 January 1981 is replaced by 1 Janu,\y 1983 .
                                                     \
                                                         \
                                                           \
   ( 7 ) OJ . N° L 337 dated 27.12.19 77 , p . 12            \
   (8 ) OJ . N° L 199 dated 30.7.1975 , p . 36                 \ \
   ( 9 ) 0J . N° L 374 dated 30.12.1978 , p . 37                   \
                                                                    \
                                                                       \
                                                                        \
   ( 10)0J . N° L 337 dated 27.12.1977 , p . 14
 ---pagebreak---                       - 3 -
Article 2
This Decision is to be published in the Official Journal of
the European Communities and shall enter into force on 1 January 1981
                                         Done at Brussels
                                         For the Counci l