Guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States
Members exchanged views on the Guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States that provide the basis for the Country-Specific Recommendations. Given the comprehensive and forward-looking policy nature of the Recovery and Resilience Plans and since all Member States submitted such plans, the Commission did not propose in 2021 country-specific recommendations.
However, it proposed recommendations on the budgetary situation of the Member States in 2021 as envisaged under the Stability and Growth Pact.
The 2021 guidelines remain unchanged and aim to boost the demand for labour, enhance labour supply and improve access to employment, skills and competences, enhance the functioning of labour markets and the effectiveness of social dialogue, promote equal opportunities for all, enhance social inclusion and fight poverty. In 2020 the guidelines were aligned to integrate elements related to the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis, the green and digital transitions, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.