5.8.2003 Official Journal of the European Union L 197/13 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COUNCIL COUNCIL DECISION of 22 July 2003 on guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States (2003/578/EC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com- munity, 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 European 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) Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union sets the Union the objective of promoting economic and social progress and a high level of employment. Article 125 of the Treaty establishing the European Community states that Member States and the Community shall work towards developing a coordinated strategy for employ- ment and particularly for promoting a skilled, trained and adaptable workforce and labour markets responsive to economic change. (2)  Following the extraordinary European Council meeting on employment on 20 and 21 November 1997 in Luxembourg, the Council resolution of 15 December 1997 on the 1998 employment guidelines (°) launched (") Proposal of 8 April 2003 (not yet published in the Official Journal (%) Opinion of 3 June 2003 (not yet published in the Official Journal (}) Opinion of 14 May 2003 (not yet published in the Official Journal () 0) o= *) Opinion of 3 July 2003 (not yet published in the Official Journal ’) O] C 30, 28.1.1998, p. 1. a process with high visibility, strong political commit- ment and a wide-ranging acceptance by all parties concerned. 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- based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. To this end the Council agreed overall employment targets and employment targets for women, for 2010, which were completed at the Stockholm European Council on 23 and 24 March 2001, by inter- mediate targets for January 2005, and a new target for 2010, reflecting the demographic challenge, for the employment rate of older women and men. 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 Barcelona European Council of 15 and 16 March 2002 called for a strengthening of the European Employment Strategy through a reinforced, simplified and better-governed process, with a time frame aligned to 2010, and which incorporates the targets and goals of the Lisbon strategy. The Barcelona European Council also requested a streamlining of policy coordination processes, with synchronised calendars for the adoption of the broad economic policy guidelines and the employment guidelines.