EMPLOYMENT : COREPER CLEARS COMPROMISE ON NETWORK OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT SERVICES.

The Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper) gave the green light, on 7 February, to the future European network of public employment services (PES). A qualified majority of member states supported the compromise negotiated during three-way talks with the European Parliament and Commission, despite the over-subtle formulation of the difficult question of member states' participation.

Recital 2 of the text says that "This decision formalises and enhances informal cooperation between public employment services via the current network of heads of services in which member states have agreed to participate". The compromise does not take either Parliament's position (the EP is calling for obligatory participation for member states) or that of the Council (which is calling for voluntary participation), leaving each of the two parties free to choose. Nonetheless, currently all member states are committed to...