Employment policy: maintain the guidelines for 2005-2008 in 2006 (Decision 2005/600/EC)

PURPOSE:  to maintain the guidelines for Member State employment policies, 2006.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision 2006/544/EC on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States.

CONTENT: In March 2006, the Council reiterated the importance of implementing employment policies within the Member States as part of the overall framework for achieving the Lisbon objectives. In light of both the Commission’s examination of the National Reform Programmes and the European Council conclusions, focus should therefore be given to the effective and timely implementation of the “Employment Guidelines for 2005-2008”. Further, particular attention should be given to the agreed quantitative targets.

This Decision requires the Member States to take account of the Employment Guidelines when programming the use of Community funding and the European Social Fund, in particular. In view of the integrated nature of the guidelines package, Member States should fully implement the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines.

To do so, this Decision states that the guidelines for Member States’ employment policies, as set out in Annex to Decision 2005/600/EC, should be maintained for 2006 and should be taken into account by the Member States in their employment policies.