The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) stipulates in Article 145 that Member States and the Union shall work towards developing a coordinated strategy for employment and particularly for promoting a skilled, trained and adaptable workforce as well as labour markets that are responsive to economic change and with a view to achieving the objectives defined in Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU).

That is the purpose pursued, on the basis of the current Treaties, by the Communication on implementing The Hague programme: the way forward, which accompanies this report.

Emphasises that all players, including both public and private interest representatives, outside the EU institutions falling within that definition and regularly influencing the institutions, should be considered lobbyists and treated in the same way: professional lobbyists, companies' in-house lobbyists, NGOs, think-tanks, trade associations, trade unions and employers' organisations, profit-making and non-profit-making organisations and lawyers when their purpose is to influence policy rather than to provide legal assistance and defence in legal proceedings or to give legal advice; stresses also, however, that regions and municipalities of the Member Stat ...[+++]es, as well as political parties at national and European level and those bodies which have legal status under the Treaties, do not fall within the scope of these rules when they are acting in accordance with the role, and carrying out the tasks of such bodies, as provided for in the Treaties;

Member States and the Union shall, in accordance with this Title, work towards developing a coordinated strategy for employment and particularly for promoting a skilled, trained and adaptable workforce and labour markets responsive to economic change with a view to achieving the objectives defined in Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union.

(1) Whereas the institutions and the Member States attach great importance to the protection of the Communities' financial interests and to the fight against fraud and any other illegal activities detrimental to the Communities' financial interests; whereas the Commission's responsibility in that connection is closely bound up with its duty to implement the budget pursuant to Article 274 of the Treaty; whereas the importance of action to that end is confirmed by Article 280 of the EC Treaty;

(1) Whereas the institutions and the Member States attach great importance to the protection of the Communities' financial interests and to the fight against fraud and any other illegal activities to the detriment of the Communities' financial interests; whereas the importance of action to that end is confirmed by Article 209a of the EC Treaty, Article 78i of the ECSC Treaty, Article 183a of the Euratom Treaty as well as by Article 280 of the EC Treaty as formulated by the Treaty of Amsterdam;