Brussels, 05/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - At the General Affairs Council on Monday, Foreign Ministers approved the broad lines of the rather positive and encouraging conclusions on the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy, which heads of state and government are likely to adopt on Friday at the European Spring Council. “The revised Lisbon Strategy is beginning to deliver results,” it says in the draft conclusions prepared by the German presidency. The measures and projects implemented as part of this strategy are already making their contribution to the current positive economic development, the draft text goes on, noting that economic growth in the EU is forecast to be 2.7% in 2007 and that “seven million” new jobs are expected to be created in 2007-2008. Member states “are making real efforts” to take forward their national reforms “although the performance varies by member state policy areas covered”.
With a view to giving additional impetus to these reforms, on Friday, the European Council will approve the Commission's specific (country by country) recommendations and will call on the Commission to present an interim report in autumn 2007, prior to preparing its proposals on integrated guidelines for growth and jobs (2008-2011). According to the draft conclusions prepared by the German presidency, the European Council will also ask the Commission to present “an ambitious and comprehensive” proposal for the review of the internal market as soon as possible in the course of the second quarter of the year. “Strengthening the four freedoms of the internal market will reinforce the EU's international competitiveness,” it is stressed in the draft conclusions. (hb)