Brussels, 12/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Lisbon Special Summit, in March 2000, had set three aims - full employment by 2010, develop an economy based on knowledge and have greater social cohesion in the EU - and these three aims must be considers to be "the three sides of an equilateral triangle". As for the new "method of open coordination" launched in Lisbon, it insists on the preparatory role of the Commission and gives the Council a core responsibility, but the "legitimacy" and "democratic support are necessary prerequisites for the success of the Lisbon process and its follow-up." It is in these terms that Hans-Udo Bullmann (Social Democrat, German) presented to the press, his report for the Stockholm European Council, which will be debated in plenary on Wednesday.
To achieve these aims, according to Udo Bullmann, he underlined that it is necessary, in particular, to: (1) achieve a European investment policy in human resources and to develop systems for the social protection of an ageing population; (2) develop an analytical basis that can be revised and present up to date statistics. The Commission's annual summary report must take into account the limited number of 28 structural indicators and 7 general economic indicators, though, in the near future, it should present more qualitative indicators (for example, public and private investments, quality of employment, poverty); (3) define "road maps" outlining the ambitious interim objectives which should be reflected in the future Broad Economic Policy Guidelines (BEPG) and the guidelines for employment; (4) include the environmental dimension into all the policies concerned, in order to develop a strategy of sustainable development integrated into the Lisbon strategy; (5) develop private and public investments providing high value infrastructures; (6) target a better coordination of the main economic and political instruments (for example the BEGP, the report on the functioning of the internal market called "Cardiff report" and the guidelines for employment), including by granting a reinforced role and to coordinate the European Council; (7) guarantee the full and complete participation in the Lisbon process both by the Member States, the social partners and civil society. For this reason, the report invites the Commission and Council to negotiate an inter-institutional agreement in the matter.