Whilst additional human resources will be necessary to cope with future enlargements, a better allocation of human resources will be achieved by discontinuing smaller budget lines (which are resource-intensive) and regrouping existing programmes into a single, coherent and streamlined programme.

Whilst additional human resources will be necessary to cope with future enlargements, a better allocation of human resources will be achieved by discontinuing smaller budget lines (which are resource-intensive) and regrouping existing programmes into a single, coherent and streamlined general programme.

There are three points on which the guidelines for the reform of personnel policy and management are based: firstly, we intend to guarantee the pay and pension levels necessary for an independent, high-level European civil service; secondly, we want to improve working conditions to enable our staff to work to the best of their abilities, progressing professionally and having their rights recognised, with the aim of ensuring the right balance between job satisfaction and private commitments; thirdly and lastly, we want to introduce a more modern career structure to allow our staff to adapt to new tasks, removing the rigidities which hav ...[+++]e become established over the years and increasing responsibility and rewarding merit at all levels.

7. Calls on the Member States to join with their social partners in implementing all the European employment guidelines and to see the forthcoming reform of the European Social Fund as an opportunity to give financial support to the employment strategy and the training of human resources and to achieve equality of opportunity; is vehemently opposed to the Council Presidency's idea of reducing the financial volume of the Social Fund in the context of the financing of Agenda 2000; advocates instead that the Social Fund be endowed with a minimum of EUR 36 billion;

- the employment guidelines should reinforce their priorities and concrete targets at national and European level for an active labour market policy, investment in human resources, lifelong learning and gender equality;

The European Social Fund is particularly suitable for supporting the training of human resources that is needed and implementing the employment guidelines.