On 24 April 2002, the Commission adopted its recommendation for the 2002 Broad Economic Policy Guidelines (BEPGs) for the economic policies of the Member States and the Community, in line with article 99(2) of the Treaty. Covering both macroeconomic and structural policies, the BEPGs are at the centre of the EU economic policy co-ordination process, and constitute the reference for the conduct of economic policies in the Member States.

The 2002 BEPGs extend the strategy set out to meet the objectives of the Lisbon and Stockholm European Councils, to take account of the results of the Barcelona European Council of March 2002. In addition, the BEPGs are based upon the Report on the Implementation of the 2001 BEPGs.

The BEPGs for 2002 recommend that action concentrates on four areas:

• safeguarding macroeconomic stability;
• promoting more and better jobs, raising labour force participation and employment, as well as addressing persistent unemployment;
• strengthening conditions for high productivity growth; and
• promoting sustainable development in the interest of current and future generations.

The BEPGs consist of two parts. The first part comprises horizontal recommendations which are general and apply to all individual Member States. The second part consists of country-specific guidelines that take into account the particular circumstances of each Member State and the different degree of urgency of measures.