Introductory text

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 128(2) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament^f1,

Having regard to the Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee^f2,

After consulting the Committee of the Regions,

Having regard to the Opinion of the Employment Committee^f3,

Whereas:

The reform of the Lisbon Strategy in 2005 has placed the emphasis on growth and jobs. The Employment Guidelines of the European Employment Strategy^f4 and the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines^f5 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.

• attracting and retaining more people in employment, increasing labour supply and modernising social protection systems,

• improving adaptability of workers and enterprises, and

• increasing investment in human capital through better education and skills.

In the light of both the Commission’s examination of the National Reform Programmes and the European Council’s conclusions, the focus should be on effective and timely implementation in line with the conclusions of the European Council, thereby also strengthening the social dimension of the Lisbon Strategy. Special attention should be paid to the agreed targets and benchmarks.

The Employment Guidelines are valid for three years, while in the intermediate years until the end of 2010 their updating should remain strictly limited.

Member States should take the Employment Guidelines into account when implementing programmed Community funding, in particular of the European Social Fund.

In view of the integrated nature of the guideline package, Member States should fully implement the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: