Brussels, 22/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - The EU Council of Ministers had adopted a decision setting out new guidelines for member states' employment policies, thereby taking an important step in the implementation of the EU 2020 strategy for growth and employment. The decision was taken at the meeting of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council in Luxembourg on Thursday 21 October 2010.
The Council points out that the employment policy guidelines are one part of the integrated guidelines, the other part being the broad guidelines for the member states' economic policies that were adopted by the Council in July 2010. The integrated guidelines contain five EU headline targets, three of which belong to the guidelines for the member states' employment policies on labour market participation, the fight against social exclusion and the quality and performance of education and training systems.
The Council points out that for the labour market, the headline target aims to increase to 75% by 2020 the labour market participation for women and men aged 20-64 through greater participation of youth, older workers and low-skilled workers and better integration of legal immigrants. The headline target on social inclusion and combatting poverty aims to ensure that at least 20 million people are removed from the danger of poverty and exclusion. The headline target for improving the quality of education and training systems and increasing their performance is to reduce school drop-out rates by at least 10% and to increase to at least 40% the proportion of young people aged 30 to 34 having tertiary or equivalent education.
The other two headline targets in the integrated guidelines cover the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines (BEPG) for the member states, aiming to increase total public and private investment in research and development to 3% of GDP by 2020 and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020 on the 1990 levels, ensuring the share of renewable energy sources in total energy consumption increases to 20%. Energy efficiency must rise by 20% in the EU.
The Council notes that the five headline targets for the member states must be translated into national targets, taking account of each individual member state's starting points and national circumstances; the member states must submit their draft national reform programmes (NRP), including their national targets, by 13 November 2010; and by mid-April 2011, the NRPs should be finalised. Each year, the European Council will assess progress by the EU and its member states towards achieving the EU 2020 strategy. (G. B./transl.fl)