Brussels, 15/09/2005 (Agence Europe) - At a time when the EU is attempting to relaunch the Lisbon Strategy and discussions on European competitiveness tend to focus on the choice between the traditional, Continental model and the more liberal, Anglo-Saxon model, a Brussels think-tank, the European Policy Centre has published a Working Paper entitled: 'The Nordic model: A recipe for European success?' highlighting the advantages of a remarkably successful 'third way' - the Nordic model, which has managed to combine a liberal attitude towards markets with a high degree of security for individuals. The EPC Paper includes articles by leading policy-makers, including Nick Clegg, British MP and former MEP; David O'Sullivan, Secretary General of the European Commission; and Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, President of the Party of European Socialists, who examine the reasons for the success of the Nordic model and consider why the Nordic countries consistently top international indices of competitiveness. The EPC Paper indicates that the Nordic model fits well with the age of globalisation and the demand for a high degree of flexibility in the labour force. At the same time, it has given its citizens a high degree of confidence in the future, which seems to be lacking in larger continental European countries like France and Germany. The Paper also points out that the large public sector in the Nordic countries does not appear to harm competitiveness, not least because it is linked closely to the citizens, and is modern and virtually corruption-free. This suggests that it is the quality of the public sector - and not the size - which matters in relation to competitiveness. The authors encourage other Member States to learn from many elements of the Nordic model, but warn that not all these elements can be transferred from one country to another. It also warns that the present success of the Nordic model should not be taken for granted. Two decades ago, the Nordic countries were in crisis, and this could happen again if not enough attention is paid to constantly updating the model to meet new challenges, like the ageing population.