Recommendation 2003/579 - Implementation of Member States' employment policies - Main contents

official title

 

Legal instrument	Recommendation
Number legal act	Recommendation 2003/579
Original proposal	COM(2003)177
CELEX number i	32003H0579

Avis juridique important

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Council Recommendation of 22 July 2003 on the implementation of Member States' employment policies

Official Journal L 197 , 05/08/2003 P. 0022 - 0030

Council Recommendation

of 22 July 2003

on the implementation of Member States' employment policies

(2003/579/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 128(4) thereof,

Having regard to the Commission recommendation,

Having regard to the opinion of the Employment Committee,

Whereas:

• (1) 

  The Lisbon European Council on 23 and 24 March 2000 set a new strategic goal for the European Union to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. To this end the Council agreed overall employment targets and employment targets for women, for 2010.

• (2) 

  The Barcelona European Council of 15 and 16 March 2002 called for a strengthening of the European Employment Strategy through a reinforced, simplified and better-governed process fully integrated into the Lisbon strategy. The Barcelona European Council also requested a streamlining of policy coordination processes, with synchronised calendars for the adoption of the broad economic policy guidelines and the employment guidelines.

• (3) 

  The Council agreement on streamlining of 3 December 2002 considered that streamlining should be guided by the objective to increase transparency and efficiency, avoid overlap and repetitions in the formulation of guidelines, and ensure consistency, complementarity and coherence.

• (4) 

  The spring European Council held on 20 and 21 March 2003 in Brussels confirmed that the Employment Strategy has the leading role in the implementation of the employment and labour market objectives of the Lisbon strategy, and urged Member States to maintain the momentum of reform of national labour markets.

• (5) 

  The Council adopted the guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States by Decision 2003/578/EC(1).

• (6) 

  The joint employment report adopted by the Commission and the Council on 6 March 2003 describes key challenges for employment policy in each Member State and indicates priorities for action which will enhance the contribution of each Member State towards the achievement of the overall objectives of the employment guidelines.

• (7) 

  Sound macroeconomic policies and comprehensive economic reforms are crucial for job creation. Member States should therefore implement this recommendation in a way that is consistent with the broad economic policy guidelines,

HEREBY RECOMMENDS that the Member States should take the actions set out in the Annex.

Done at Brussels, 22 July 2003.

For the Council

The President

• G. 

  Alemanno

• (1) 

  See page 13 of this Official Journal.

ANNEX

BELGIUM

The challenges posed by an ageing population suggest a need for measures aimed at mobilising the non-occupied potential labour force, thereby increasing employment and participation rates. Despite the positive evolution in recent years, employment rates in Belgium remain markedly below the EU average and far from the EU targets, especially for older workers, for which the employment rate is the lowest in the EU. It is unlikely that measures taken so far to promote a more active ageing will suffice to reach the EU target by 2010. Although long-term unemployment has decreased in recent years and is now below the EU average, it remains a structural problem. The inflows into long-term unemployment remain high and an appropriate preventive approach for all adult jobseekers is still not provided. Notwithstanding recent measures to remove unemployment traps, the risk of benefit dependency calls for a further review of the benefit system, while at the...

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