92000E0115

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0115/00

by Camilo Nogueira Román (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(31 January 2000)

Subject: Unemployment and treaty reform

The Portuguese Presidency intends to devote the first European Council meeting to be held in Portugal to unemployment and social cohesion. It is clear that the unemployment problem in the EU in recent years has been directly linked to economic development, and the 25 regions with the lowest level of unemployment, at 4 %, are among the richest regions, while the 25 regions with the highest unemployment, standing at 23,7 %, are among the poorest.

In the light of this situation, will the Portuguese Presidency include the implementation of a European employment policy at the same level as the regional development policy among the issues for which reform of the Treaties is proposed at the Intergovernmental Conference for the year 2000?

Reply

(16 March 2000)

Under the Treaty of Amsterdam, a new Title VIII on employment has been included in the EC Treaty requiring Member States and the Community to work towards developing a coordinated strategy for employment. While it is early days still in developing such a coordinated strategy, the initial experience of implementing the Treaty provisions, which began in advance of the actual entry into force under the Luxembourg process, has been encouraging. One of the reasons for the recent improvements in the overall employment situation are the policies being implemented by Member States and efforts to coordinate them through the various processes at the level of the Union. In all Member States, the 1998 and 1999 Employment guidelines have been successfully transposed into national action plans demonstrating the continuing and strengthened commitment to the process.

The Presidency's aim for the special European Council in Lisbon on 23 and 24 March is to update the European strategy for growth, competitiveness and employment in the light of the new conditions, as well as to enhance the European Employment Pact.

Neither the conclusions of the European Council in Cologne nor the conclusions of the European Council in Helsinki include the implementation of a European Employment Policy within the mandate of the conference of representatives of the governments of the Member States which shall be called to amend the Treaties.