4 Implementation
of Member States' employment policies
| (24450)
8460/03
COM (03) 177
| Commission Recommendation for a Council Recommendation on the implementation of Member States' employment policies.
|
| Legal base | Article 128(4) EC; consultation; qualified majority voting
|
| Document originated | 8 April 2003
|
| Deposited in Parliament | 24 April 2003
|
| Department | Work and Pensions
|
| Basis of consideration | EM of 8 May 2003
|
| Previous Committee Report | None; but see (22670) COM (01) 512: HC 152-iii (2001-02), paragraph 15 ( 31 October 2001)
|
| To be discussed in Council | 2-3 June 2003
|
| Committee's assessment | Politically important
|
| Committee's decision | Not cleared; further information requested
|
Background
4.1 This is the first year of the new cycle for the Employment
Strategy. We cleared the draft Joint Employment Report in January.[3]
The Spring Brussels European Council took it into account when
providing political orientation on the main policy priorities.
In line with the priorities, the Commission has now produced the
Recommendation on the implementation of Member States' employment
policies and the Employment Guidelines, which are also considered
in this Report.[4] Member
States will use these documents when developing their National
Employment Action Plans for presentation in the autumn.
4.2 The Recommendation on the implementation of Member States'
employment policies outlines the Commission's proposed Council
recommendations to individual Member States on their employment
policies. The recommendations are intended to provide Member States
with specific guidance for the implementation of the Employment
Guidelines, focussing on key areas for action. This is the fourth
year that the Commission has brought forward such a document.
The document
4.3 The Commission's Explanatory Memorandum sets out the new cycle.
It emphasises that the proposed recommendations reflect the objectives
and priorities of the new guidelines, and have been selected to
address the key challenges ahead for each Member State.
4.4 The Annex to the formal Recommendation contains a summary
of the employment situation in each Member State, together with
a number of recommendations, following the order of the Employment
Guidelines and ranging in number from three to six. The guidelines
under which most of the recommendations fall are Gender equality,
Lifelong learning and Labour supply and active ageing.
4.5 The section on the UK acknowledges that the overall unemployment
rate remains well below the EU average. It notes, however, significant
disparities in terms of access to the labour market, relatively
low levels of productivity, and specific job quality-related problems.
4.6 Four recommendations are directed at the UK:
Prevention and activation
1. Implement active labour market policies leading to sustainable
integration in the labour market, to alleviate the high concentration
of unemployment and inactivity in certain communities. Special
attention should be paid to people facing particular problems
in the labour market and at risk of becoming long-term unemployed,
working poor or inactive.
Labour supply and active ageing
2. Ensure that all those who are able to work have the opportunities
and incentives to do so, in particular by reforming sickness and
disability benefit schemes.
Gender Equality
3. Strengthen efforts to address the underlying factors of the
gender pay gap, in particular by improving the balance in representation
between women and men across occupations and sectors, and increasing
access to training for low paid women part-time workers. Further
improve the provision of affordable care services for children
and other dependants.
Social partnership
4. Further develop social partnership at the national and workplace
levels to help improve productivity and quality in work, in particular
by addressing low levels of basic skills and skills gaps amongst
the workforce."
The Government's view
4.7 The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department
of Work and Pensions (Mr Malcolm Wicks) tells us that the Government
supports the principles underlying the Recommendations, and believes
they are important in taking the European Employment Strategy
forward. He says that the UK will respond to the recommendations
in the National Action Plan in October, by setting out the steps
which will be taken, or are already being taken, to address the
issues.
4.8 The Minister informs us that the Recommendation is intended
for adoption at the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer
Affairs Council on 2-3 June, and endorsement at the European Council
on 20 June.
Conclusion
4.9 We are disappointed that the Minister
does not give any indication of his view of the recommendations
directed at the UK. We recall that, last time, the then Minister
helpfully set out the lines on which the Government's response
would be based. We had hoped for a similar analysis this year.
4.10 In addition, we note that several
of the recommendations are
very similar to the previous ones.
We ask the Minister why this is the case. Is it because the recommendations
address intractable, long-term issues, or because they are in
some way inappropriate? It would also be useful to know whether
the Government's criticism of some of the Guidelines[5]
extends to the recommendations related to them.
4.11 Although we note that this document
is due for adoption at the Employment, Social Policy, Health and
Consumer Affairs Council on 2-3 June, we are unwilling to clear
it on the basis of so little information about the Government's
views. We will therefore keep it under scrutiny until we hear
from the Minister again.
3 (24011)14378/02+ADD 1; see HC 63-vi (2002-03), paragraph
9 (8 January 2003). Back
4
See paragraph 3 above. Back
5
See paragraph 3 above. Back
| 
