The Lisbon Strategy: the European route to globalisation 

The Lisbon Strategy, adopted in 2000, aims to help Europe to "become the most competitive and dynamic growth economy in the world, able to sustain growth with both qualitative and quantitative improvements in employment and greater social cohesion."

Even though the Lisbon Strategy remains the source of much debate among specialists, it is still relatively unknown to the general public and economic and political decision-makers, outline the authors. 

However, it encompasses most of the economic and social policies undertaken by European governments, they add.

Regarding the economic results achieved by the EU's main competitors the USA and Japan, the Lisbon Strategy outlines the challenges that face EU member states. It promotes two types of structural reform: 

• The first traditionally implies increased liberalisation of European markets; and; 
• the second calls for the support of production factors that generate endogenous growth, these notably being research and development or education. 

Although the results appear to be average given the two main objectives for growth and employment levels established by the strategy, they seem more positive when compared with the other objectives established by the European Council since 2000, observe the authors. 

Several member states are already demonstrating extremely encouraging results with regard to the Lisbon Strategy objectives and others, including France, are able to show significant progress, they conclude.