Setting up an employment and labour market policy Commitee

OBJECTIVE: setting up of an Employment and Labour Market Policy Committee to assist the Social Affairs Council in carrying out its responsibilities. COMMUNITY MEASURE: Council Decision 97/16/EC setting up an employment and labour market policy committee. SUBSTANCE: within the framework of the political priorities of the Council and the multi-annual programmes of the Member States, as well as the common indicator system which will be set up, the Committee will be responsible for: - monitoring trends in employment in the Community, - examining the Member States' employment and labour market policies, - exchanges of information and experience between Member States and with the Commission in these fields; - preparing reports and recommendations for the Council on these questions (it can also undertake work on its own initiative). Provision is made for ensuring coordination with other existing committees (in particular the Economic Policy Committee and the Standing Employment Committee). It will consist of two representatives of each Member State and two representatives of the Commission, assisted by alternates. The Secretariat of the Committee will be provided by the Commission in consultation with the General Secretariat of the Council, particularly as regards the holding of its meetings. The Chair of the Committee is elected for a non-renewable term of two years. ENTRY INTO FORCE: 20 December 1996. �