Activites

• 2011/05/26 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Decision 2011/308
  • OJ L 138 26.05.2011, p. 0056
• #3089
• 2011/05/19 Council Meeting
• 2011/05/19 End of procedure in Parliament
• 2011/05/19 Act adopted by Council after consultation of Parliament
• #3073
• 2011/03/07 Council Meeting
  • 3073 summary

    The Council agreed on a general approach on a decision concerning the employment guidelines of the Member States for 2011.Given that the employment guidelines for 2010 were only adopted in October 2010, it is proposed to maintain them unchanged for 2011.However, the Council was unable to adopt the employment guidelines today, since it has to await the adoption by the European Council on 24 March of its conclusions on the basis of the Joint Employment Report, pending also the opinion of the Committee of the Regions. The European Parliament, the Employment Committee and the Economic and Social Committee have already accepted the Commission's proposal to maintain the guidelines unchanged for 2011.

• 2011/02/17 Results of vote in Parliament
  • Results of vote in Parliament
  • T7-0070/2011 summary

    The European Parliament adopted by 551 votes to 59, with 8 abstentions, a legislative resolution approving, unamended, in the framework of a special legislative procedure (consultation of the European Parliament), the proposal for a Council decision on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States.Parliament reiterates its longstanding call to the Commission and the Council to ensure that the Parliament is given the necessary time, and in any event no less than five months, to express its views on the Integrated Guidelines (Broad Economic Policy Guidelines and Employment Guidelines) in the framework of the European Semester and to fulfil its consultative role, as defined in Article 148(2) of the Treaty, during the full revision of the guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States, which is scheduled to take place in 2014.It should be noted that the European Parliament expressed its position on this issue in a joint resolution adopted on the same day (refer to RSP/2011/2536).

• 2011/02/16 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2011/02/14 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A7-0040/2011
• 2011/02/03 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 2011/01/12 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(2011)0006 summary

    PURPOSE : to ensure that the guidelines for Member States' employment policies as set out in  the Annex to Council Decision 2010/707/EU of 21 October 2010 on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States are maintained for 2011 and shall be taken into account by the Member States in their employment policies. PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.BACKGROUND: following the adoption of the Europe 2020 strategy for jobs and growth, the European Council agreed to set EU headline targets, which constitute shared objectives guiding action of the Member States and of the Union. The Treaty on the functioning of the EU provides that Member States are to regard their economic policies and promoting employment as matters of common concern and coordinate them within the Council. In two distinct articles, it provides that the Council is to adopt broad economic policy guidelines (Article 121) and employment guidelines (Article 148), specifying that the latter must be consistent with the former. The guidelines for employment and economic policies are presented as two distinct — but intrinsically interconnected — legal instruments:  a Council Recommendation on broad guidelines for the economic policies of the Member States and of the Union -Part I of the Europe 2020 Integrated Guidelines; a Council Decision on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States -Part II of the Europe 2020 Integrated Guidelines.  These guidelines implemented by the above mentioned legal instruments form together the integrated guidelines for implementing the Europe 2020 strategy. The employment guidelines were adopted on 21 October 2010, and as provided by the adoption decision should remain stable until 2014 to ensure a focus on implementation. The overall objectives and priorities expressed in the guidelines for the employment policies remain valid. Their validity for 2011 needs to be confirmed by a Council decision, following consultation of the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of Regions and the Employment Committee.LEGAL BASIS: Article 148(2) TFEU. IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment was carried out.CONTENT: the proposal provides that the guidelines for Member States' employment policies as set out in the Annex to Council Decision of 21 October 2010 on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States are maintained for 2011 and shall be taken into account by the Member States in their employment policies. The integrated guidelines are in line with the conclusions of the European Council. They give precise guidance to the Member States on defining their National Reform Programmes and implementing reforms, reflecting interdependence and in line with the Stability and Growth Pact. The employment guidelines should form the basis for any country-specific recommendations that the Council may address to the Member States under Article 148(4) TFEU, in parallel with the country-specific recommendations addressed to the Member States under Article 121(2) of that Treaty. The employment guidelines should also form the basis for the establishment of the Joint Employment Report sent annually by the Council and the European Commission to the European Council. The examination of the Member States' draft National Reform Programmes contained in the draft Joint Employment Report shows that Member States should continue to make every effort to address the priority areas of: increasing labour market participation and reducing structural unemployment, developing a skilled workforce responding to labour market  needs and promoting job quality and lifelong learning, improve the performance of education and training systems at all levels and increasing participation in tertiary education, promoting social inclusion and combating poverty. The Employment Guidelines adopted in 2010 should remain stable until 2014 to ensure a focus on implementation. In the intermediate years until the end of 2014 their updating should remain strictly limited. Lastly, the proposal states that Member States should explore the  use of the European Social Fund when implementing the Employment Guidelines,

  • DG {'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/social/', 'title': 'Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion'}, ANDOR László

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(2011)0006
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A7-0040/2011
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T7-0070/2011
• Debate in Council: 3073
• : Decision 2011/308
• : OJ L 138 26.05.2011, p. 0056

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)