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European Parliament
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Employment Committee

2015/0801(CNS)

PURPOSE: to establish an employment committee.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the Council adopts the act after consulting the European Parliament but without being obliged to follow its opinion.

BACKGROUND: Article 5 of the Treaty on Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) states that the Union shall take measures to ensure coordination of the employment policies of the Member States with a view to enhancing their effectiveness by developing a coordinated strategy for employment and particularly for promoting a skilled, trained and adaptable workforce and labour markets responsive to economic change.

The TFEU foresees the establishment of an advisory Employment Committee which should contribute to ensuring that the European Employment Strategy, macroeconomic policy coordination and the process of economic reform are formulated and implemented in a consistent and mutually supportive way.

CONTENT: the proposed Council Decision aims to establish an advisory Employment Committee to promote coordination between Member States on employment and labour market policies. Decision 2000/98/EC should be repealed.

Functions: the tasks of the Committee shall be to monitor the employment situation and employment policies in the Member States and the Union. To this end, the Committee should in particular:

  • promote the consideration of the objective of a high level of employment in the formulation and implementation of Union policies and activities;
  • contribute to the procedure leading to the adoption of the Broad Economic Guidelines in order to ensure consistency with the Employment Guidelines;
  • macroeconomic policy coordination and the process of economic reform in a mutually supportive way;
  • participate actively in the macroeconomic dialogue at Union level;
  • contribute to all aspects of the European Semester within its mandate and report on them to the Council;
  • promote exchanges of information and experience between Member States and with the Commission.

In fulfilling its mandate, the Committee shall consult the social partners and work, as appropriate, in cooperation with other relevant bodies and committees dealing with social and economic policy matters, such as the Social Protection Committee, the Economic and Financial Committee the Economic Policy Committee, the Education Committee and the governing board of the European Network of Public Employment Services.

Membership and operation: each Member State and the Commission shall appoint two members of the Committee. The Committee shall elect its Chairperson from among the members appointed by the Member States for a term of two years, which shall be renewable once. The Chairperson shall be assisted by four vice-Chairpersons.