92000E1471

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1471/00

by Alejandro Agag Longo (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(10 May 2000)

Subject: Major Economic Policy Guidelines

It seems obvious that both the Major Economic Policy Guidelines and the General Guidelines on Employment provide the basis for the coordination of economic policies at Community level. Does the Commision not consider that the different publication dates of the two documents make it difficult to devise a comprehensive strategy such as that proposed by the Commission in its recommendation on the Major Economic Policy Guidelines?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(27 June 2000)

The European Council has reiterated over recent years in Vienna, Helsinki and Lisbon the need for ensuring better synergy and full exploitation of co-ordination of economic and employment policies in the Community. The broad economic policy guidelines (BEPGs) and the employment guidelines the Luxembourg Process are the fundamental tools based on the EC Treaty for policy co-ordination.

With its recommendation for the 2000 BEPGs, the Commission has set out a comprehensive economic policy strategy to enhance the capacity of the Community economy to generate durably high, non-inflationary growth and to meet the main economic challenges confronting the Community, in particular to restore full employment. For the strategy to work it is essential that its elements are coherent and mutually reinforcing.

The Commission considers that ensuring coherence and synergies by providing guidance on the full range of economic policies is the key role of the BEPGs which are at the centre of the policy co-ordination process and which have acquired increased significance in view of the Lisbon European Council conclusions. The employment guidelines are turning into a powerful pillar to sustain the overall economic policy strategy as defined in the BEPGs. The distinct role of the employment guidelines is to deal in greater detail with their subject matter, while maintaining consistency with the BEPGs.

The Commission sees no obstacle in the current timetable for each process to ensure the objectives of efficiency, consistency and synergy. Better synergy between processes does not necessarily imply that they should mirror each other in time but calls for a close and effective dialogue and mutual contributions from the very early stages of preparation. The current set-up allows the Commission, the Council, the European Council, the Parliament and others concerned to contribute to the strategy on the overall macroeconomic and structural aspects in spring, with a closer look at employment and labour market policies in autumn. Furthermore, the lead of the BEPGs in setting the overall frame allows policies for employment to be better prepared and articulated.