744^th meeting – 7 March 2001

Item 6.3

Regions and employment: contribution to social cohesion in Europe –
Recommendation 52 (1998) of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
of Europe (CLRAE) – Draft reply

Decision 

The Deputies adopted the following reply to Recommendation 52 (1998) on the regions and employment: contribution to social cohesion in Europe of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE): 

“The Committee of Ministers has considered carefully Recommendation 52 (1998) on the regions and employment: contribution to social cohesion in Europe of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE). 

It recognised the value of the proposals put forward in this text, focusing on the local dimension of employment creation and the need for effective partnerships and delivery of services at local level.  In taking such an approach, programmes developed at both local and national levels can reflect local labour market conditions and the needs of the local population. 

The Committee of Ministers also agrees on the importance of action in favour of the creation of employment at local level, where innovative partnerships can be established to provide supportive exchange networks, the pooling of resources and the provision of employment opportunities particularly in SMEs, especially for often marginalized groups such as poorly qualified youth.  However, the Committee of Ministers wishes to emphasise that for effective co-ordination, the policy framework for measures to combat unemployment should generally be co-ordinated at national level.  Indeed, this is an important element when ensuring that principles of non-discrimination and equal opportunity apply to employment programmes and policies. 

Consequently, the Committee of Ministers has communicated Recommendation 52 (1998) to the governments of member states.  It also transmitted the text to the European Commission and to the Development Bank of the Council of Europe as well as to the European Committee for Social Cohesion (CDCS), to the Steering Committee on Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR) and to the European Population Committee (CAHP), for them to take account thereof when organising their work. 

The Committee of Ministers wishes to inform the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe of the work undertaken in this respect by the European Committee on Social Cohesion (CDCS), with the CLRAE's active participation, in the framework of the Committee of Experts for Promoting Access to Employment (CS-EM) which is drawing up proposals for guidelines on how local employment initiatives can help resolve long-term unemployment, with an emphasis on effective partnership at local level.”