Irish Regions Office Website

March 10, 2010

'Europe 2020' roadmap unveiled

On 3 March the European Commission unveiled its proposals for Europe 2020, the successor to the Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs. The new document - subtitled ''a European strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth'' - sets out a vision for returning to and maintaining prosperity across the EU over the next decade. The Commission had already identified these three areas as the key drivers for growth in its earlier consultation document and has now announced that they are intended to be achieved through concrete actions at EU and national levels which foster knowledge, innovation, education and the digital society; promote more resource efficient production to boost competitiveness; and raise labour market participation and skills acquisition while fighting against poverty.

While there is unquestionably the same underlying degree of concentration on the economic bottom line as was the case with Lisbon, the design and execution of the previous strategy is now recognised as having been less than a success, due in part to its perceived unrealistic aims as well as an inherent lack of high level political 'buy-in'. This has caused the Commission to urge a renewed sense of ownership of '2020' to mobilise all relevant actors into an acceptance that Europe's economies are interlinked and can best stave off global challenges by collective and coordinated action. It is asking that progress towards these objectives over the next decade should be measured against five headline EU-level targets, which Member States will be asked to translate into meaningful and realistic national targets reflecting progress from their current positions:
- 75% of those aged 20-64 in employment;
- 3% of GDP invested in R&D;
- Achieving the '20/20/20' climate/energy targets;
- Less than 10% of youths as early school leavers while at least 40% having a degree or diploma;
- 20 million less people at risk of poverty.

In terms of effective action on the ground, the Commission expresses the wish that authorities at all levels -local/regional, national and European - should play their part in delivering upon these commitments through seven new Flagship Initiatives:
1) an ''Innovation Union'' re-focusing R&D and innovation policy on major challenges and market opportunities;
2) a ''Youth on the move'' to enhance the quality and attractiveness of Europe's higher education system through mobility and qualifications recognition;
3) a ''European Digital Agenda'' to achieve sustainable economic and social benefits from a Single Market based on ultra fast internet;
4) a ''Resource Efficient Europe'' to support the shift towards a low carbon economy;
5) an ''Industrial Policy for the Globalisation Era''to improve business and industrial performance, particularly among SMEs;
6) an ''Agenda for New Skills and Jobs'' modernising labour markets and training;
7) a ''European Platform against Poverty'' combining economic, social and territorial cohesion so that the benefits of growth are widely shared.

'Europe 2020'

Posted by iroronan at March 10, 2010 09:58 AM