WRITTEN QUESTION E-0526/01

by José Pomés Ruiz (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(22 February 2001)

Subject: Intermediate employment objectives

The Stockholm European Council will, for the first time, evaluate the procedure established at the Lisbon Council, establishing the achievement of full employment as a goal for the year 2010. The Presidency suggested, at the Ecofin Council of 19 January in Brussels, that it might be possible to establish certain intermediate employment objectives, but so far no specific statements have been made as to what these intermediate objectives would comprise.

How does the Commission view this proposal?

What would the parameters be (e.g.: objectives by gender, age, types of activity, regions, temporary jobs, etc.) for these intermediate objectives, so as to be able better to diagnose the problem and target the best solutions, with a view to achieving full employment by the scheduled date?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(21 May 2001)

Attaining full employment in Europe by 2010 calls for resolute and continued efforts by all actors involved. The Commission agrees with the Presidency's wish to reaffirm our commitment to the strategy and aims decided in Lisbon. Substantial progress is possible now thanks to the favourable macroeconomic environment strong economic growth, low inflation and healthy public finances which create the right conditions to move forward.

If we are to reach the objective of full employment by the end of the decade, new intermediate targets for the overall employment rate and for women will help to focus policy action and to monitor progress. Indeed, open policy coordination based on common quantified targets by a given deadline has proved powerful as a political tool for enticing concrete action by national authorities and by social partners. The experience in the Luxembourg Process is a good example and the European Council in Lisbon acknowledged it by extending this principle to other domains such as economic reform, social protection, and education.

The Commission's communication Realising the European Union's potential: consolidating and extending the Lisbon strategy(1) adopted on 7 February 2001 in view of the Stockholm European Council on 23-24 March 2001 goes one step further and calls on the European Council to agree intermediate targets for employment rates across the Community for January 2005 of 67 % overall and 57 % for women.

Member States are also invited as established in Council Decision 2001/63/EC of 19 January 2001 on Guidelines for Member States' employment policies for 2001(2) to consider setting national targets, in consultation with the social partners, for raising the rate of employment, in order to contribute to the Community-wide objectives of reaching by 2010 an overall employment rate of 70 % and of more than 60 % for women and in particular, for significantly increasing the number of older people (55-64) remaining in the workforce.

(1) COM(2001) 79 final.

(2) OJ L 22, 24.1.2001.