Brussels, 29/11/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 4 December, the ECOFIN Council will adopt conclusions on implementing member states' national reform programmes in 2007. While a decision on the next three-year plan under the Lisbon strategy will be taken at the spring European Council in 2008, the EU's finance ministers will next week make a fairly positive assessment of the first three year period (2005-2008) of the renewed Lisbon strategy. A number of Lisbon objectives will not be met without further effort, point out the draft conclusions document agreed by the Economic and Financial Committee. Momentum must be kept up and work should focus on areas which experienced limited progress in 2007, particularly the service sector, energy, incentives for work and flexicurity, recommends the report.
The development of innovation policy is a key element in all member states' programmes for 2007, note the ministers, calling for further improvements to be made in access to funding for SMEs. Several countries still have their work cut out for them to reach their national targets, particularly in terms of R&D. Good progress has been made on Better Regulation but some countries still have to establish targets and take further measures. Obstacles to competition in the services sector remain in place, particularly for professional services and retail trade, explains the conclusion document, noting that a limited number of member states have made the necessary steps to create a genuinely competitive and inter-connected single energy market. Labour markets have recorded good performance in recent years, benefiting from pay moderation, good economic conditions and reforms. Some 60% of women being in the labour force by 2010 is therefore feasible. Further reforms are expected, however, to achieve the EU's overall employment rate of 70% because little progress has been made in terms of reforming job protection legislation, adds the document. It recommends improvements in existing incentives in social welfare systems to encourage people to stay in employment or join the labour market. (A.B.)