21.3.2000 Official Journal of the European Communities L7215 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COUNCIL COUNCIL DECISION of 13 March 2000 on guidelines for Member States' employment policies for the year 2000 (2000/228/EC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 128(2) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament ('), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (3), Having regard to the opinion of the Employment and Labour Market Committee, Whereas: (1)  Employment remains the top priority of the European Union. Coordinated action must be pursued in a sustained manner to combat unemployment and raise the present levels of employment on a lasting basis. (2)  The Luxembourg process, based on the implementation of the coordinated European Employment Strategy, was launched by the extraordinary European Council meeting on employment on 20 and 21 November 1997. The Council Resolution of 15 December 1997 on the 1998 Employment Guidelines (4), confirmed by the European Council, has launched a process with high visibility, strong political commitment and a wide- ranging acceptance by all parties concerned. (3)  The Council resolution of 22 February 1999 on the 1999 Employment Guidelines (°) has allowed consolida- tion of the Luxembourg process through compliance with those guidelines. (*) Opinion delivered on 4 November 1999 (not yet published in the Official Journal). () () O] C 57, 29.2.2000, p. 17. () O] C 30, 28.1.1998, p. 1. () O] C 69, 12.3.1999, p. 2. (4) (10) The contribution of the social partners in the framework of the Standing Committee on Employment, the social dialogue and the contacts established with the Heads of State or Government and the Commission should be taken into account. The opinion of the Employment and Labour Market Committee was drafted jointly with the Economic Policy Committee. The 1999 Joint Employment Report, drawn up by the Council and the Commission, describes the employment situation in the Community and examines the action taken by the Member States in implementing their employment policy in line with the 1999 Employment Guidelines. On 14 February 2000 the Council adopted recommen- dations on the implementation of Member States' employment policies. In Cologne on 3 and 4 June 1999 the European Council took the initiative for a European employment pact which provides a basis for a sustained and compre- hensive strategy for more growth and employment and has added macroeconomic dialogue (Cologne process) as a third pillar to the coordinated employment strategy (Luxembourg process) and economic reform (Cardiff process). Consistency and synergy between the employment guidelines and the broad economic policy guidelines must be ensured. In Helsinki on 10 and 11 December 1999 the European Council adopted conclusions on Employment Guidelines for the year 2000, introducing a limited number of changes to further sharpen the guidelines' focus and aims.