EU/women" "
What are the priorities of the employment policies of EU member States? This is the question that inspired the Commission for employment and social affairs in its examination of the report by Herman Schmid concerning guidelines for the employment policies of member States. The objectives are three in number: full employment, the quality and productivity of work, and social cohesion and engagement. According to the European Parliament a fourth objective should also be added: equality between men and women, considered to be a key element that calls for supplementary measures. Although recognising full employment as being one of the principal objectives, the members of the European Parliament insist on the need for a considerable decrease in levels of unemployment, something which is considered to be partially independent from an increase in the rate of employment. The European MPs ask that general objectives be established, not only for full employment, but also for the rate of unemployment. The report also makes insistence on promoting job creation and a spirit of business enterprise, but highlights that it is not enough simply to create jobs, the quality thereof must also be increased.
