Brussels, 14/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - 'The Lisbon Strategy has been crowned with success and we believe the second round will be too,' said Slovenian prime minister and acting President of the EU Janez Jansa at a press conference on Friday. The new three-year period of the Lisbon Strategy (2008-2010) was launched on Friday 14 March by the European Council, with the growth and employment policy covering broadly the same areas as previous versions. Jansa said it was an excellent working basis and provided 'new opportunities to act, modernise the European economy and adapt to future technology.'
The European economy's fundamentals remain robust, although economic growth will probably slow slightly in 2008 on its 2007 rate (2.7%), according to the beginning of the European Council conclusions document, adding that 'although cyclical factors have played a role, these developments have been aided by the structural reforms undertaken over the last years within the framework of the Lisbon Strategy and the beneficial effects of the euro and the Single Market. However, the global economic outlook has deteriorated recently' (the European Commission is forecasting growth of 2% in the EU27 in 2008, see EUROPE 9607) and 'this is why it is all the more essential for the Union to avoid complacency and sustain reform efforts through the full implementation of the National Reform Programmes and the Integrated Guidelines for Growth and Jobs,'… 'confirming that the current Integrated Guidelines (BEPGs and Employment Guidelines) remain valid and should serve for the period 2008-2010 (see EUROPE 9613 and 9614, Ed.)… endorsing the country-specific recommendations for the economic policies of the member states' set out in the European Commission's December strategy report (see EUROPE 9562) and backing the draft Community Lisbon Programme's objectives, 'which provide a strategic reform agenda for the Community part of the renewed Lisbon Strategy' (see EUROPE 9598). The new Lisbon Strategy round will focus on the four priority areas agreed in March 2006, namely knowledge (R&D and innovation); the corporate environment; investing in people and modernising the labour market; and energy and climate change (see related article).
Investing in knowledge and innovation. 'Since the launch of the Lisbon Strategy in 2005, joint efforts have led to significant achievements in the areas of research, knowledge and innovation,' explains the conclusions document, calling on member states to make further efforts to achieve the 3% GDP R&D investment target (few countries come anywhere close). The member states are urged to 'set out in their National Reform Programmes how progress towards national R&D investment targets will be achieved and how their R&D strategies will contribute to the realising and better governance of the European Research Area'. The European Council backs key projects like GALILEO, EIT, the European Research Council and Joint Technology Initiatives. High speed internet should be made available to all schools by 2010 and ambitious national targets for household access set as part of member states' National Reform Programmes. explains the conclusions document without giving any figures. The EU 'must remove barriers to the free movement of knowledge by creating a 'fifth freedom' based on enhancing the cross-border mobility of researchers, as well as students, scientists and university teaching staff; making the labour market for European researchers more open and competitive, providing better career structures, transparency and family-friendliness; facilitating and promoting the optimal use of intellectual property created in public research organisations so as to increase knowledge transfer to industry, in particular through the IP Charter to be adopted before the end of the year; launching a new generation of world-class research facilities;' etc.
Unlocking business potential, especially of SMEs. The European Council 'welcomes the progress made during 2007 on better regulation and considers that further efforts are needed'… and 'efforts on reducing administrative burdens arising from EU legislation by 25% by 2012 should be stepped up… pending 'fast track' legislative proposals should be swiftly adopted' (a new assessment is planned at the highest level in a year's time). The European Council also wants 'effective follow-up of the Single Market Review on a yearly basis with a focus on actions needed to boost growth and jobs by removing remaining barriers.' The politicians want efforts to be reinforced 'to strengthen competition in network industries (energy, electronic communications)' paying 'due attention to the social dimension and services of general interest'. 'Cross-border interoperable solutions for electronic signature and e-authentication' is required to 'improve the functioning of 'e-Single Market'. In order to encourage SMEs, the Summit wants 'swift examination by the Council of the upcoming Small Business Act' expected to be unveiled in June 2008. SMEs should be granted 'exemptions from the administrative requirements of EU legislation… a new European private company statute, further facilitation of access to finance… facilitation of increased participation of innovate SMEs in clusters and in public procurement.' On the global stage, the European Council says the EU should 'continue its endeavours to shape globalisation,' welcoming the Commission's plan 'to report annually on market access, indentifying countries and sectors where significant barriers remain,' and promoting 'free trade and openness… improve the multilateral trading system.. conclude ambitious bilateral agreements with important trading partners and further step up the efforts for integration with neighbouring countries and candidate countries… secure reliable access to energy and to strategic raw materials… and develop mutually beneficial strategic partnerships with emerging economic powers…'.
Investing in people and modernising labour markets. The European Council believes that the education element of the knowledge triangle “research-innovation-education” should be strengthened, to provide high-quality education and invest more and more effectively in human capital and creativity throughout people's lives. It is awaiting the Commission's proposal for a renewed social agenda. The Council invites the Commission to present a comprehensive assessment of the future skills requirements in Europe up to 2020, taking account of the impact of technological change and ageing populations. It calls on member states to take concrete action to: - substantially reduce the number of young people who cannot read properly and the number of early school leavers, and attract more adults, particularly low-skilled and older workers, back into education and training and further facilitate geographical and occupational mobility; - promote higher overall labour force participation and tackle segmentation in order to ensure active social inclusion; - improve policy consistency and coordination of economic, employment and social policies in order to enhance social cohesion. The European Council also calls on member states to implement common principles on flexicurity by outlining, in their 2008 National Reform Programmes, the national arrangements giving effect to those principles.
Which strategy for after 2010?
To maintain the momentum for structural reform and sustainable development, the European Council invites the Commission and Council and national coordinators to begin reflection on the future of the Lisbon strategy beyond 2010.
For Guy Verhofstadt, the Lisbon strategy must push on, must be strengthened. It is important to reflect on the process that will be applied after 2010. “For me the process has to become more binding, as was the case for the euro area with the stability and growth pact (SGP) where convergence policy applies naturally,” said the Belgian prime minister, taking part in his last European Council. According to new the Cypriot prime minister, Communist Dimitris Christofias, “the main priority should be the social dimension of the Lisbon strategy” to show the EU's more human face. It cannot be said that the social dimension is not working, but the Lisbon strategy lacks “the degree of ambition that would mean putting in place this minimum base of social rights,” said Luxemburg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker. Having minimum rules does not mean having the same rules for every country, but a level below which one cannot fall, he said, stressing the positive role played by the single currency in the creation of jobs over the last few years. “Spain has made a major contribution to this strategy with massive job creation over the last four years and given an unprecedented boost to education, research and technological underpinning,” highlighted his Spanish counterpart José Luis Zapatero. At a press briefing, the president of the Committee of the Regions, Luc Van Den Brande, welcomed the fact that local and regional communities had been taken into account in the Lisbon strategy. “It is clear that territorial cohesion and social and economic cohesion must be even more closely linked to the strategy,” in future, he said. (M.B./A.B./G.B.)