Mr. Tony Gallagher:

I referred earlier in my comments to 11 indicators under the macroeconomic and balances procedure. The unemployment rate is one of those. Every year each member state’s unemployment rate is looked at and the Commission will then, if it deems it necessary, make recommendations as to how the problem could be addressed. Also, the Europe 2020 strategy has a key objective, namely, the achievement of a high employment rate for people in prime age categories, that is, aged 20 to 64 or 75% of those in employment. The major focus of the EU semester is on achieving enhanced employment growth and, therefore, reducing unemployment.