– This was a crucial report and I am glad the EP has adopted it, mainly because it points out the gendered nature of precarious employment and recalls the shift in the labour market from standard to non-standard types of employment, making it necessary to prevent non-standard types of employment from becoming precarious work; considers that, in order to combat these problems, the Member States and social partners must be asked to align to a large extent their legislative and contractual rules on standard work and atypical work, so as to prevent the most convenient and least expensive forms of work from taking precedence, taking into acc ...[+++]ount, however, the risks of a possible increase in undeclared work; and urges the Council and the Commission to identify the characteristics of precarious employment in the guidelines for the Member States’ employment policies and in the new gender equality strategy.

I should like, by way of conclusion, to thank Parliament for its work on these guidelines and to assure it that this work will be taken into account.

Prevent diseases so as to reduce the cost of labour and deficits in state health services with a view to reducing the incidence of early retirement due to permanent invalidity and the number of pensions resulting from industrial accidents or occupational disease (Integrated guideline No 19a).

The report before us is, I feel, a major synergistic work. The guidelines for 2001 on equal opportunities in the world of employment are starting to become better defined, more specific and more effective.

In general, beneficiary NGOs have accomplished most of foreseen activities and final reports clearly specify the output of their work" (The Evaluation of the Budget Line B4-3060, page 104)

The Commission, in consultation with the Member States and assisted by the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work, has prepared the Guidelines set out below.