L 60/60 Official Journal of the European Communities 1.3.2002 COUNCIL COUNCIL DECISION of 18 February 2002 on guidelines for Member States' employment policies for the year 2002 (2002/177[EC) 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 (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Employment Committee, Whereas: (1) The Luxembourg process, based on the implementation of the coordinated European Employment Strategy, was launched by the extraordinary European Council meeting on Employment on 20 and 21 November 1997. The Council Resolution of 15 December 1997 on the 1998 Employment Guidelines (°) has launched a process with high visibility, strong political commitment and a wide-ranging acceptance by all parties concerned. (2)  The Lisbon European Council on 23 and 24 March 2000 set a new strategic goal for the European Union to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge- (') Proposal of 12 September 2001 (not yet published in the Official Journal). (*) Opinion delivered on 29 November 2001 (not yet published in the Official Journal). (*) Opinion delivered on 17 October 2001 (not yet published in the Official Journal). (*) Opinion delivered on 14 November 2001 (not yet published in the Official Journal). () O] C 30, 28.1.1998, p. 1. based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. The attainment of this goal will enable the Union to regain the conditions for full employment. The Nice European Council on 7, 8 and 9 December 2000 approved the European Social Agenda, which states that the return to full employment involves ambi- tious policies in terms of increasing employment rates, reducing regional gaps, reducing inequality and improving job quality. The Stockholm European Council on 23 and 24 March 2001 agreed to complement the Lisbon targets for employment rates to be reached by 2010 with inter- mediate targets for employment rates by 2005 and a new target for 2010 for increasing the employment rate among older women and men. The Stockholm European Council also agreed that regaining full employment not only involves focusing on more jobs, but also on better jobs. To this end common approaches should be defined for maintaining and improving the quality of work, which should be included as a general objective in the employment guide- lines. The Stockholm European Council further agreed that the modernisation of labour markets and labour mobility need to be encouraged to allow greater adaptability to change by breaking down existing barriers.