Press Release: Celebrating 10 years of the European Employment Strategy: common objectives for more and better jobs

8 October 2007 is the tenth anniversary of the EU's main policy tool for creating improved work for all. The European Employment Strategy (EES) – which establishes common EU objectives and priorities, and ensures coordination of employment policies across the EU – has helped raise the EU employment rate from 60.7% to 64.3% since 1997 and cut long term unemployment from 5% to 3.6%. The anniversary is being marked by a major conference organised by the European Commission and the Portuguese EU Presidency, a follow-up to the successful event on Flexicurity the previous month.