{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2006-544/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2006-544/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "eudn/2006/544",
  "legislation_title": "Council Decision of 18 July 2006 on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States (2006/544/EC)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2006-544",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "Council Decision\nof 18 July 2006\non guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States\n(2006/544/EC)\nTHE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,\nHaving regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 128(2) thereof,\nHaving regard to the proposal from the Commission,\nHaving regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,\nHaving regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee,\nHaving consulted the Committee of the Regions,\nHaving regard to the opinion of the Employment Committee,\nWhereas:\n(1)\nThe reform of the Lisbon Strategy in 2005 has placed the emphasis on growth and jobs. The Employment Guidelines of the European Employment Strategy and the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines have been adopted as an integrated package, whereby the European Employment Strategy has the leading role in the implementation of the employment and labour market objectives of the Lisbon Strategy.\n(2)\nThe European Union must mobilise all appropriate national and Community resources — including the cohesion policy — in the Lisbon strategy's three dimensions (economic, social and environmental) so as better to tap into their synergies in a general context of sustainable development.\n(3)\nThe Employment Guidelines and the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines should be fully reviewed only every three years, while in the intermediate years until 2008 their updating should remain strictly limited to ensure the degree of stability that is necessary for effective implementation.\n(4)\nThe examination of the Member States' National Reform Programmes contained in the Commission's Annual Progress Report and in the Joint Employment Report shows that Member States should continue to make every effort to address the priority areas of:\nattracting and retaining more people in employment, increasing labour supply and modernising social protection systems,\nimproving adaptability of workers and enterprises, and\nincreasing investment in human capital through better education and skills.\n(5)\nThe European Council of 23 and 24 March 2006 stressed the central role of employment policies in the framework of the Lisbon agenda and the necessity of increasing employment opportunities for priority categories, within a life-cycle approach. In this connection, it approved the European Pact for Gender Equality that should further heighten the profile of gender mainstreaming and give impetus to improving the perspectives and opportunities of women on a broad scale.\n(6)\nThe removal of obstacles to mobility for workers, as laid down by the Treaties, including the Treaties of Accession, should strengthen the functioning of the internal market and enhance its growth and employment potential.\n(7)\nIn the light of both the Commission’s examination of the National Reform Programmes and the European Council conclusions, the focus should now be on effective and timely implementation, paying special attention to the agreed quantitative targets as laid down in the Employment Guidelines for 2005-2008, and in line with the conclusions of the European Council.\n(8)\nMember States should take the Employment Guidelines into account when programming their use of Community funding, in particular of the European Social Fund.\n(9)\nIn view of the integrated nature of the guidelines package, Member States should fully implement the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines,\nHAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "Opinion of 4 April 2006 (not yet published in the Official Journal)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "Opinion of 17 May 2006 (not yet published in the Official Journal)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f3",
      "text": "Opinion of 27 April 2006."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f4",
      "text": "Council Decision 2005/600/EC of 12 July 2005 on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States (OJ L 205, 6.8.2005, p. 21)."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f5",
      "text": "Council Recommendation 2005/601/EC of 12 July 2005 on the broad guidelines for the economic policies of the Member States and the Community (2005 to 2008) (OJ L 205, 6.8.2005, p. 28)."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2006/544/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:17:31.822914+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}