at issue in the main proceedings must be regarded as directly imposing less favourable treatment for workers who had reached that age as compared with all other persons in the labour force. Such legislation therefore established a difference in treatment directly based on age, as referred to in Art.2(1) and (2)(a) of the Directive. [49]-[51] But there was a justification based on Article 6(1) Article 6(1)(1) of the Directive provided that such inequalities would not constitute discrimination prohibited under Art.2 "if, within the context of national law, they were objectively and reasonably justified by a legitimate aim, including legitimate employment policy, labour market and vocational training objectives, and if the means of achieving that aim were appropriate and necessary". [52] The single transitional provision was adopted, at the instigation of the social partners, as part of a national policy seeking to promote better access to employment, by means of better distribution of work between the generations. It was true that that provision did not expressly refer to an objective of that kind. However, that fact alone was not decisive. Placed in its context, the single transitional provision was aimed at regulating the national labour market, in particular, for the purposes of checking unemployment. [53]-[62] The legitimacy of such an aim of public interest could not reasonably be called into question. In accordance with the first indent of Art.2(1) EU and Art.2 EC, the promotion of a high level of employment was one of the ends pursued both by the European Union and the European Community. Furthermore, encouragement of recruitment undoubtedly constituted a legitimate aim of social policy. That assessment must evidently apply to instruments of national employment policy designed to improve opportunities for entering the labour market for certain categories of workers. [63]-[65]. Therefore, an objective such as that referred to by the legislation at issue must, in principle, be regarded as "objectively and reasonably" justifying "within the context of national law", as provided for by Art.6(1)(1) of the Directive, a difference in treatment on grounds of age laid down by the Member States. [66] The means of pursuing these legitimate aims were furthermore held "appropriate and necessary". As Community law stood, the Member States and, where appropriate, the social partners at national level enjoyed broad discretion in their choice, not only to pursue a particular aim in the field of social and employment policy, but also in the definition