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The Committee took note of the Government's report and of the information which it contains in response to the previous request, together with extracts from the Romania Human Development Report attached to it. With reference to its previous requests, the Committee observes, however, that the information provided does not enable it to assess fully the way in which effect is given to the provisions of the Convention. It would be grateful if the Government would provide, in its next report, complete information in response to the questions in the report form. In this regard, the Committee recalls that the preparation of a complete report on the Convention may require the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection to consult other ministries or bodies concerned with employment policy, and it requests the Government to indicate the provisions made for this purpose. In addition, please provide information on the following points.

1. The Committee notes the general statistics which indicate a significant reduction in the rate of registered unemployment from 10.9 per cent in 1994 to 7.7 per cent in the second quarter of 1996. It observes, however, that by itself the data do not enable it to conclude that the employment situation in the country has improved. In this regard, the Committee notes that a system of employment information should soon enable more detailed statistics to be collected on the number of people becoming unemployed and of those finding jobs. It can only emphasize the need to have available detailed information on the level of and trends in labour force participation, employment, unemployment and underemployment, as a basis for the decisions to be taken on employment policy. The Committee hopes that the measures taken for this purpose will enable the Government to provide, in its next report, more detailed data on employment, underemployment and unemployment by sex, age and activity sector.

2. The Committee notes the brief information relating to the privatization process and the principles regulating the Government's activities in this area which appear in the Human Development Report. With reference to the requests it has made for several years, the Committee again asks the Government to describe the anticipated or perceived effects on employment of the implementation of privatization measures and structural reforms, and to indicate the way in which the decisions taken on general economic policy are guaranteed to make an effective contribution to the pursuit of the aims of full, productive and freely chosen employment, in accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention.

3. The Committee notes the information on the results achieved by the funding programme for the establishment of small and medium-sized enterprises, and by the subsidy mechanism for the employment of young graduates. Please continue to provide as detailed information as possible on the implementation of these programmes, by specifying to what extent they contribute to the effective and lasting integration of their beneficiaries into the labour market. Please provide information on the implementation of the programmes for the employment and vocational retraining of the disadvantaged groups referred to in the Human Development Report. Please also continue to provide information on the progress made in the area of vocational training for employment.

4. The Committee notes that the social partners are represented within the national and regional committees for the development of vocational and technical education. It observes that the project to establish a National Vocational Training Council also provides for the participation of representatives of the social partners in this body. The Committee also notes that the Bill establishing a national employment agency provides that the agency will be governed by a tripartite administrative council; in this connection, it refers to the relevant provisions of the Employment Service Convention, 1948 (No. 88), and to its comments under that Convention. While noting with interest the projects designed to establish tripartite structures in the areas of vocational training and employment services, the Committee recalls that the consultations required under Article 3 of the Convention should not be limited to managing labour market policies but should be extended to all aspects of economic and social policy influencing employment. The Committee invites the Government to describe, in its next report, the procedures adopted or envisaged to give full effect to this important provision of the Convention.