Draft Council Decision establishing the Employment Committee
C 21 E/66 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 25. 1. 2000 Draft for a Council Decision establishing the Employment Committee (2000/C 21 E/13) COM(1999) 440 final - 1999/0192(CNS) (Submitted by the Commission on 17 September 1999) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 130 thereof, Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament, and repealing Decision 70/532/EEC (1), will required; also be (7) The Employment Committee is to replace the Employment and Labour Market Committee, established by the Council Decision 97/16/EC (2) to assist the Council in carrying out its responsibilities in the fields of labour and social affairs; Decision 97/16/EC must therefore be repealed, Whereas: HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: (1) Article 3 of the Treaty sets out that the activities of the Community shall include the promotion of coordination between employment policies of the Member States with a view to enhancing their effectiveness by developing a coordinated strategy for employment; (2) Title VIII of the Treaty establishes the procedures by which Member States and the Community shall work towards developing a coordinated strategy for employment and particularly for promoting a skilled, trained and adaptable workforce and labour markets responsive to economic this Title provides for the establishment of an change; advisory Employment Committee (hereafter referred to as áthe committeeí); (3) The European Council at its meeting in Cologne in June 1999 launched a process of macroeconomic dialogue at Community level; (4) The members of the committee nominated by the Member States and the Commission should possess the required level of knowledge, experience and standing; its chair- person should represent the interests of the committee as the from one of a whole and may also be an expert Member States holding a position of vice-chairperson; Article 1 Institutions and functions An advisory Employment Committee (hereinafter referred 1. to as áthe committeeí) is hereby established to promote coor- dination between Member States on employment and labour market policies, in full compliance with the Treaty and with due regard for the powers of the Community’s institutions and organs. 2. The committee shall, in particular, be responsible for: - monitoring the employment situation and employment policies in the Member States of the Community; - formulating opinions at the request of either the Council or the Commission or on its own initiative, and contributing to the preparation of the Council proceeding referred to in Article 128 of the EC Treaty, without prejudice to Article 207 of that Treaty; - promoting exchanges of information and experience between Member States and with the Commission in these fields; - participating in the dialogue on macroeconomic policies at Community level. (5) A structure of working groups should allow the committee itself to determine the structure through which detailed expertise will be available to that committee; Article 2 Membership the procedure (6) The Amsterdam Resolution on Growth and Employment of 16 June 1997 called for an enhanced coordination of economic policies as to complement envisaged in the new Title on Employment in the Treaty, the Employment Committee should and requested that Policy closely work Committee; close collaboration with the Economic and Financial Committee, and with the social partners repre- sented in the Standing Committee on Employment provided for by the Council Decision of 9 March 1999 on the reform of the Standing Committee on Employment together with Economic the The Member States and the Commission shall each the committee. They may also two members of 1. appoint appoint two alternates. 2. The member of the committee and the alternates shall be selected from among senior experts possessing outstanding competence in the field of employment and labour market policy in the Member States. (1) OJ L 72, 18. 3. 1999, p. 33. (2) OJ L 6, 10. 1. 1997, p. 32. 25. 1. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 21 E/67 The committee may call on external experts where appro- 3. priate to its agenda. Article 3 Operation The committee shall elect its chairperson from among its 1. members for a non-renewable term of two years. The chairperson shall be assisted by three vice-chair- 2. persons representing those Member States which at any given time represent the Member State holding the Presidency of the Council, and those Member States which have preceded and will follow the incumbent Presidency. The Commission shall provide the analytical and organi- 3. sational support for the committee. liaise with the General Secretariat of the Council with regard to the holding of meetings. It shall chair shall be taken by either the Commission, a member or an alternate member of appointed by the committee. The working groups may call upon experts to assist them. committee, the Article 5 Liaison with other bodies The committee shall consult management and labour. It social establish coordination mechanisms with the on the Standing Committee represented on 1. shall partners Employment. The committee shall work as appropriate in cooperation relevant bodies and committees dealing with 2. with other economic policy matters. Article 6 Repeal 4. The committee shall establish its own rules of procedure. Decision 97/16/EC is hereby repealed. the committee shall be convened by the 5. Meetings of chairperson, either on his own initiative or at the request of at least half of the members of the committee. The Employment and Labour Market Committee established by the above Decision shall cease to exist upon adoption of this Decision. Article 4 Working groups Article 7 Publication The committee may entrust the study of specific questions to its alternate members or to working groups. In such cases, the This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities