Brussels, 17/03/2005 (Agence Europe) - Assembling data from a whole range of studies carried out over the last ten years, the Commission estimates that the Lisbon strategy will bring between 0.5% and 0.75 points to EU growth. Over ten years, the surplus in growth could reach 7%-8%. On the other hand, the Commission concludes that in the absence of reforms, the rate of growth potential (currently between 2%-2.25%) is expected to deteriorate due to the ageing populations and fall to around 1.25% in the decades to come. survey of this literature allows the Commission services to estimate the costs of not introducing the Lisbon structural reforms. The investigation focused on measures which remove the remaining barriers to the efficient functioning of the Internal Market, further integrate financial markets, encourage investment in knowledge and innovation, modernise labour market policies, increase social cohesion and improve the environment.
In 2002, the Commission estimated that after ten years of the single market the level of growth was 1.8% and employment had grown by 1.5%. In 2004 a study by the Copenhagen Economics, considered that implementation of the services directive would allow increases in growth and jobs by 0.6% and 0.3%. Another example from Commission studies shows that liberalisation of electricity and telecommunications markets will lead to a growth in GDP of a 0.6 percentage point. According to another recent study, simplification of legislation and a reduction in company administrative costs of 25% would lead to increases in growth of around 1%. (http: //europa.eu.int/growthandjobs/index_en.htm).