Brussels, 19/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - As Europe enters the new millennium, it must define a new strategic objective for the next ten years aimed at making the EU the most competitive and most dynamic region of the world, based on innovation and knowledge and able to boost economic growth levels with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. Such is the essential message of the 22-page document forwarded this week by Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres to the ministers of the Fifteen as well as to President of the European Commission Romano Prodi, a document that will serve as the basis for deliberations of the extraordinary summit on employment and reforms (see EUROPE of 18 January, p.16).
Given the good economic recovery in progress , the Council Presidency considers it is time for the EU to proceed to necessary reforms, mainly for regaining the conditions of full employment geared to the needs of the emerging society, which must be more open to the options of European women and men. It must be able to face up to serious social problems: unemployment, social exclusion and the risks of future imbalance in social security systems. Difficulties are heightened by the unavoidable challenges posed by globalisation, technological change and an ageing population. In order to achieve this, the Presidency gives a target figure: an average annual growth rate of at least 3% is needed for the EU as a whole over the next decade.
Strong growth may be the basis for initiatives to: - foster a culture of dynamism and entrepreneurship and a culture of strengthened social cohesion; - ensure better coordination of macro-economic policies, structural reforms and policies, and active employment policies; - introduce new applications of technologies in products and services with a view to their modernisation (education, aid to the elderly, public services, etc.); - connect all schools to the Internet; - strengthen trans-European telecommunications networks; - play a proactive role in the organisation of cyberspace (hence the importance of international negotiations on e-commerce).
As far as the European social model and modernisation of its structure is concerned, the Presidency document recalls this comes within the context of the European employment strategy which consists of fighting against unemployment and increasing the employment rate, which requires:
The creation of jobs in the services sector where Europe is in particular deficit.
The reversal of the current tendency to an early retirement from active life by promoting employment of older people.
Higher female employment, fostering equal opportunities between men and women.
These measures require the involvement not only of relevant authorities but also of actors concerned at every level, and more especially social partners, with a specific role for European social dialogue. All these measures should make it possible to develop a European social agenda, the major lines of which would be defined in the second half of the year under the French Council Presidency.
The document also proposes that: - the financial markets should support innovative companies; - a European invention patent should be established; - child poverty should be eliminated; - there should be better coordination of taxation policy, which is more favourable for employment and innovation.
Essential role of research and diffusion of scientific knowledge
The Presidency document affirms that Europe must aim at being in the forefront of the development of scientific knowledge, and notes that this is an indispensable conditon for renewing the economic basis of employment. From now on, the Presidency considers that the European Council of Lisbon should, on the basis of the new Commission communication on "European research area", specify the common aims at medium term and prepare decisions on the new Community initiatives in the field of science and technology as well as arrangements and instruments for the coordination of national policies in this field.
At this point, the Presidency notes four priorities: (1) stepping up European coordination between all resources and all organisations; (2) creating a high-speed, low-cost trans-European data transmission network (the Presidency specifies that this broad-band network will have to support not only the development of European S&T cooperation, but also cooperation between schools and training centres, libraries and science centres and museums); (3) creating conditions for encouraging mobility of S&T staff and opening up European systems to exchange with the outside world; (4) promoting the scientific and technological education of European citizens, making careers in science and technology more attractive.
These guidelines match the objectives outlined by the European Commissioner for research Philippe Busquin (see EUROPE of 18 January, page 12) and the aforementioned Commission communication (see yesterday's EUROPE, page 6).