Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-04-22-Speech-4-022"
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to be taking part in your debate today on economic policy and employment policy.
I shall refer very briefly to the Commission proposal for the 2004 guidelines for employment. The Commission proposes maintaining the guidelines as adopted by decision of the Council last July. As part of our joint efforts to streamline the economic policy and employment policy circuits of the European Union, the guidelines for employment policies, like the broad economic policy guidelines, follow a three-year cycle. The reform of the policy on employment carried out last year aimed to address better the basic challenges of the job market in the European Union, in order to respond to the Lisbon objectives for 2010. This reform emphasised the medium-term approach and the definition of a framework policy which would take account of the diversity which prevails in the enlarged European Union.
The joint report on employment on which the European Employment Task Force under the chairmanship of Mr Kok agreed, highlighted the need to emphasise the monitoring of the reforms which the Member States undertook to implement, rather than becoming involved in a procedure of further amendments to the guidelines. Similarly, the spring European Council confirmed the need identified in the joint report on employment for the procedure on employment to focus the following year on evaluating progress. The main issue in the next joint report on employment must therefore be the Member States' response to the special recommendations for each country. This means that these recommendations must be at the epicentre of the national action plans submitted by the Member States, both the current fifteen and the new Member States, in the autumn of 2004.
Finally, may I assure you that the European Commission expresses its satisfaction with the constructive approach by the European Parliament, which has focused its amendments on the recitals. The European Commission, during further negotiations with the Council, will also take account of and will support those amendments which improve certain recitals. I am absolutely convinced that the immense challenge which we face in order to achieve the Lisbon objectives by 2010 makes it necessary for us to focus 100% on application, by translating the challenges into political action.
This debate is being held in response to the update of the broad economic policy guidelines and the Commission's 2004 report on the employment strategy. I should like to congratulate in particular Mrs Randzio-Plath and Mrs Hermange on their reports. The adoption by the Commission of the so-called package of guidelines, a package which jointly covers the broad economic policy guidelines and the guidelines for employment policies, is proof yet again that streamlining bears fruit. Streamlining has resulted not only in the update of the economic policy and employment policy coordination circuits of the European Union, but also in stronger complementarity and cohesion between these two basic procedures. The core objective of streamlining, of coordination of the policies, was to increase their efficiency, by placing more emphasis on application than on the annual drafting of guidelines.
Both the broad economic policy guidelines and the guidelines for employment policies were adopted with a three-year perspective. It was clear right from the outset that the guidelines must be amended only in order to take account of important developments. Within this framework, as there are no important developments, the three-year guidelines must remain stable this year. By maintaining a stable strategy, we shall be able to improve how we project and forecast the impact of European Union policies and ensure that they continue and are efficient.
I should like first to comment on the broad economic policy guidelines. The Commission considers that the overall political strategy laid down in these guidelines continues to apply. Emphasis was placed in the 2004 update on incorporating the 10 new countries within the framework of the coordination of our policies. I should like to comment in greater detail on these two aspects, taking account also of certain comments made in the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs.
The European Commission has confirmed the Community's medium-term strategic economic policy laid down in the broad economic policy guidelines for 2003-2005. This strategy has three main axes: macro-economic policies predicated on development and stability, economic reforms to increase development potential and policies to reinforce sustainability. This package of policies focuses on the contribution which economic policies can make towards achieving the Lisbon objectives.
The reasons for continuing the existing strategy and for achieving progress are obvious. First, economic developments are in keeping with the expectations which applied when the Council issued the present broad economic policy guidelines last year. As stated in our new economic forecasts, the economies of the European Union are in the process of recovery, which is expected to consolidate. Of course, I have taken note of what Mrs Randzio-Plath said earlier about concerns about recovery and growth and Mrs Hermange's comments in today's publication about the stagnation in the economy and growth. In all events, the general framework of macro-economic policy is not negative. I should like – and I think that we must – emphasise that we need to take pains to give new impetus to financial restructuring once the recovery has progressed and we must not make mistakes, as has happened on previous occasions when the short-term economy has been sound.
Secondly, in order to strengthen both potential growth and the endurance of the economy, decisive application of the objectives we have set for structural reforms is required. In the first evaluation of the application of the present broad guidelines in January, the Commission recognised that some progress had been made. It did, however, also become clear that more progress with the reforms is needed in order not to jeopardise the achievement of the Lisbon objectives. The 2004 update of the broad economic policy guidelines focuses on integrating the new Member States within the framework of the coordination of our economic policies. It is positive that in Mrs Randzio-Plath's report and in the motion for a resolution you express your support for this objective. The economic challenges which the new Member States face do not differ materially from those which the current Member States face, they are just bigger.
Our medium-term economic strategy is in a position to address the challenges of the acceding countries. The synergy created from the interaction of macro-economic policies and the necessary structural reforms will result in gradual
convergence between these countries. This – gradual
convergence – is the most important challenge which the acceding countries face.
As far as the 2004 guidelines for employment policies are concerned, I should like first of all to thank the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, and in particular the rapporteur, Mrs Hermange, for the dynamic way in which they prepared the European Parliament's opinion on the guidelines. It is very positive that the issues addressed in the report all relate to the four basic policy sectors, as set out by the European Employment Task Force and in the 2004 joint report on employment, which were confirmed by the spring European Council, namely: improving the adaptability of workers and businesses, attracting more people to the work place, improving the quality of employment and investing in human resources. I consequently consider that, materially, we are on the same wavelength, we have the same concerns and the same priorities for action in coming years. It is also important that you emphasised the need for stricter assessment of the performance of the Member States, in order to give impetus to the application of the strategy on employment."@en1
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