Broad guidelines of the economic policies of the Member States and the Community for 1997

The Committee adopted a draft report drawn up by Mrs Christa RANDZIO-PLATH (PES, D), in which the Commission's recommendation for the broad economic guidelines of the Member States for 1997, is criticised. In particular, the Committee felt that the Commission's recommendation was too narrow insofar as it deals almost exclusively with the goals of monetary stability and budgetary consolidation. While agreeing that these are necessary, the Committee felt that such a minimalist approach could do little to significantly improve economic growth, or combat unemployment. The Committee also objected to the fact that the recommendation is mostly concerned with individual guidelines to the Member States rather than with a genuine coordination of economic policies, as provided for in the treaties. The Committee therefore called for the guidelines to be revised to include a real coordination of economic policies based on an appropriate policy mix combining economic, structural, fiscal, monetary and incomes policies. In this policy mix, an active employment policy based on the Essen and Dublin declarations should play a leading role. Finally, to supplement the Broad Economic Guidelines, the Committee called for the introduction of a similar report to be named Broad Guidelines for Employment, thus making employment a priority objective in the coordination of economic policies. �