Brussels, 13/10/2003 (Agence Europe) - At a historic stage in European Union enlargement, the conference on civil society's participation in the Lisbon process, organised at the end of last week by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) at the request of European Commission President Romano Prodi, allowed the 250 officials of the networks of organisations that make up the organised civil society of the EU15 and of the ten future candidate states to take stock of mid-term review of the Lisbon strategy (see EUROPE of 9 October, p.17, in particular). All agreed in reaffirming that the aims of the strategy are valid, but that there have been delays in carrying them out. One of the reasons for this, stressed UNICE General Secretary Philippe de Buck, is the "lack of urgency felt" with regards the Lisbon goals by the Heads of State and Government. Mr de Buck warned: "2010 is not eternal. The Lisbon strategy must be achieved today, not in 2010". Participants also noted that Europeans hardly understand the Lisbon goals through lack of information and that they fear, as French adviser Bruno Vever stressed several times, that "the European social model could be thrown out and replaced by a Korean model, for example, that they do not want".
Irish European Affairs Minister Dick Roche (whose country will take on the Union Presidency on 1 January 2004) sought to be reassuring by presenting the Irish priorities for making the Lisbon process move forward. He pointed out that the Irish Presidency would insist not only on the economic imperatives but also on the social and environmental issues. Mr Roche also specified that, as far as "employment" goals were concerned in particular, the Irish Presidency would take on board the recommendations that the Employment Task Force, chaired by Wim Kok, will be making public on 29 November. The Italian minister for Community policies, Rocco Buttiglione, launched a vibrant appeal in favour of a Stability Pact for growth and not for stagnation. European Parliament President Pat Cox said he hoped there would be more enthusiasm for reform and felt that the social solidarity commitments should be renewed and redefined.
The results of the Lisbon agenda are clear, but there is still much to be done, Professor Maria Rodrigues admitted (it was she who had initiated the Lisbon strategy). In her view, the second phase of this strategy will, however, not come to anything unless there is increased involvement on the part of the civil society. Emphasis must be placed on implementing the strategy at national and local level, with future Member States being involved as quickly as possible, Ms Rodrigues stressed. In her view, "European commitments should be adjusted to the national level, involving the actors concerned at every stage and calling on the European Commission to improve its working methods in this respect and to launch an overall approach to the Lisbon strategy in its contacts with national parliaments". Finally, Ms Rodrigues stressed the importance of the link with ordinary citizens. "It is very, very important to reach the ordinary citizens, who have not yet been informed. They are still in ignorance and it is of prime importance to make a connection between European decisions and their everyday lives". It is for this that Maria Rodrigues calls for an information campaign to be launched taking "a little" inspiration from what was done for the single market. She went on to conclude: "The real key to success for the Lisbon strategy is for European organisations to work hand in hand with national organisations as together they make up the most useful tool for reaching citizens and raising the information deficit challenge. In this sense, the role of the EESC is vital for making the participation process move forward".
The Deputy General Secretary for the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), Rainer Hofmann, noted that the Lisbon strategy will only be a success "if we have the appropriate instruments which are imposed upon us by this strategy and if structural reforms are carried out". He went on to say that "the implementation of the Lisbon strategy requires a more marked commitment on the part of the social partners by bringing the different levels closer - European, national and local". Speaking for UNICE, Philippe de Buck noted that, at the present time, "Europe is caught in a vice between its R&D and academic activities which are directed towards the United States, and its industrial activities which look toward the East, not only toward the Central and Eastern European countries but also toward the Far East". In his view, this is the dilemma in which Europe finds itself and which must be resolved together. It is also, he says, the challenge raised by the Lisbon strategy. Maria Rodrigues feels the Lisbon strategy will not call on Europe to imitate the United States "but to be itself". She continued:
"The objective of the Lisbon strategy is specific to European culture, because there is a link between the economic, the social and the environmental, and because there is a more intelligent way of developing competitiveness, through knowledge". Ms Rodrigues feels that the Lisbon strategy is also a response to globalisation. "Europe must prepare to invest in new areas, whilst taking social cohesion into account. We need an active and ambitious policy in WTO negotiations- which must start again. The growth initiative is a positive signal to include in the overall context of the Lisbon strategy", she commented. The Secretary General of the European Commission, David O'Sullivan (standing in for President Prodi), pointed out that company bosses create wealth and well-being, which help to fund our European social model, and that the Lisbon Agenda puts forward the necessary options to ensure its sustainability.
Drawing conclusions from the work carried out by the three workshops (on new governance, co-ordinating European, region and local efforts in implementing the Lisbon strategy, and the exchange of best practice in the field), EESC chairman Roger Briesch highlighted a series of fundamental needs, including: 1) improved closure in the Single Market: obstacles subsist in the energy, telecommunications, public procurement and customs sectors; 2) European patent and effective legal protection accessible to all in case of conflict, especially for SMEs involved in technological innovation. Chairman Briesch also stressed the need for "an information and awareness effort for the general public, with civil society as the driving force". The conference's work also showed that the Lisbon strategy lacks transparency for the citizens. To tackle this, the European institutions and governments should, in the view of those taking part, run a campaign along the lines of the one for the single market and for the Euro.