Brussels, 12/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Economic and Social Committee makes a contribution to the Stockholm Summit of 23 and 24 March with the adoption during plenary last week of its latest own initiative opinion on "mid-term review of the three processes that underpin the European Employment Strategy" (Rapporteur: Jan Olsson, Sweden, Various Interests; Co-rapporteur: Ursula Engelen-Kefer, Germany, Workers), According to the Committee, the Stockholm Sumit must above all go one stage further along the road towards generally lifting the level of knowledge for everyone and tackle issues such as the ageing population in the EU (one of the priorities of the Swedish presidency) and the need for quality jobs. In Stockholm, states the Committee, the Heads of State and Government should do everything possible to increase the rate of employment in the Member States in order to achieve an overall employment target of 60% for women and 70% for men. This increase goes hand in hand with the development of a taxation and social protection system in favour of employment, mainly aimed to: increase the rate of employment of older workers and of women; integrate the more vulnerable people into the labour market; promote equal opportunities and the treatment of the disabled; improve the situation for third country nationals and other immigrants having their official residence in the EU. Such an overall approach requires the participation of civil society organisations, states the Committee, which also considers that the Stockholm Summit should serve as a springboard for new initiatives aimed at improving professional life (for example, by improving the level of qualification through a European campaign to promote lifelong learning, with the participation of companies and also of all the actors involved in education and training). Finally, the Committee calls for the adoption, this year, of a multiannual plan for the simplification of the Internal Market rules for the period 2001-2005.