"Europe 2020" : Croissance verte et emplois?

Résumé

In November 2009, the European Commission launched a public consultation on the EU's future strategy to replace the Lisbon Agenda for growth and jobs, which expires this year.

The new plan, dubbed 'EU 2020', placed the emphasis on green growth and jobs through innovation (EurActiv 19/11/09).

The paper defined four key priorities for 2020:

• Innovation and knowledge: The "engine for sustainable growth" is knowledge and technology, the Commission argues, saying the EU needs to move to "a value economy". "In a fast-changing world, what makes the difference is innovation in both products and processes."
• Fighting exclusion: With unemployment set to hit double-digit figures in 2010, the Commission recommends "empowering people" in order to create new jobs. "The transformation of the EU towards a greener, knowledge-based economy will boost new job creation and help reduce high levels of unemployment," it argues. Transition between jobs and training periods will require a major effort to prevent people falling out of the system, and to ensure social cohesion, it says.
• Green growth: With higher energy prices and greater competition for natural resources, European businesses need to adapt, the Commission warns. "More efficient use of resources, energy and the application of new, greener technologies will stimulate growth, create new jobs and services and help the EU meet its environmental and climate goals," it argues.
• Digital Europe: Developing "smart, upgraded transport and energy infrastructures to improve competitiveness".

The consultation resulted in 1,500 submissions. These highlighted widespread concern about the jobs crisis, which made the need for a comprehensive roadmap to recovery even more pressing (EurActiv 02/02/10).

Enjeux

An 'economic government' for Europe?

Meeting in February 2010, EU leaders endorsed the thrust of the European Commission's plan, with a number suggesting more attention should be paid to social aspects.

Paris and Berlin took the opportunity to present a united front in responding to the 2020 vision (EurActiv 05/02/10). France has long insisted on turning the euro zone's meeting of finance ministers into an 'economic government' for Europe, a view opposed by Germany due to concerns over the independence of the European Central Bank.

But Greece's debt problems and Europe's sluggish recovery from the economic crisis have given Berlin reason to soften its stance, with Merkel now accepting references to the term "economic governance". For Berlin, greater coordination of national economic policies and reform programmes appears to be acceptable as long as the Stability and Growth Pact is respected.

Herman Van Rompuy, permanent president of the European Council, gave in to those demands, suggesting that EU countries submit their public debt management plans alongside national reform programmes next autumn.

Meanwhile, the UK published a detailed memo setting out its position on future EU growth, citing a laundry list of issues that must be resolved. These included patent reform, access to venture capital and cutting red tape for SMEs.

Closer monitoring: Carrots, not sticks

EU leaders also broadly endorsed a paper by European Council President Herman Van Rompuy which called for more rigorous implementation and monitoring procedures for the new strategy (EurActiv 11/02/10).

One major criticism of the Lisbon Strategy has been that national governments did not buy in to the process and monitoring was too loose and did not include sanctions for failing member states.

In his invitation letter to heads of state and government, EU President Herman Van Rompuy said EU 2020 "requires ownership and commitment at the highest level". "The new strategy needs to become our joint responsibility," Van Rompuy stressed.

Germany had a public falling out with Spain over whether to set binding goals for member states to ensure the 2020 agenda is met. Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who holds the Union's rotating presidency, argued in favour of setting hard economic targets for member states, but Germany rejected the idea, fearing it would create unnecessary bureaucracy (EurActiv 12/01/10).

Instead of sanctions, Van Rompuy proposed to reward governments with extra EU funding if they meet their targets under the strategy.

A limited number of EU targets…

The EU president wants a reduced number of guidelines and a maximum of five "quantitative targets with a deadline and possible immediate steps" on issues such as R&D spending, labour market participation rates, third-level education and poverty reduction.

In return, member states could get funding and loans to support national efforts. This could come in the form of European Investment Bank (EIB) support or funds from the structural and research budgets. "For instance, investing in human capital could be better matched by funds from the Research Framework Programme or the structural funds," the paper says.

Van Rompuy also suggests that EIB lending could be used as an incentive for structural reform, while the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and regional policies could also "lend more support to such reforms".

…and tailor-made targets at national level

Governments will have to agree on five targets at a summit meeting in March. National targets will be prepared for the June Council meeting, with discussions on specific policy issues – such as research and development – expected in the autumn.

National governments will then have to submit tailor-made plans specific to their stage of development in terms of research infrastructure and spending. A one-size-fits-all target has been excluded given the differences between the most and least developed member states.

A form of peer-review has also been mooted but details of this are not likely to be fleshed out until near the end of 2010. In any case, reporting – which could be public – is likely to be more frequent and rigorous than during the Lisbon Agenda process.

Despite scepticism from some, diplomats believe economic realities will give the 2020 strategy major political impetus which will lend itself to the kind of buy-in from governments that the Lisbon Agenda lacked.

Réactions

Member states' lack of determination in implementing the Lisbon Agenda frustrated business leaders, who have called for greater commitment to delivering on the objectives. "Many political leaders make European commitments but by the time they cross their own national border they forget about it," said Wim Philippa, secretary-general of the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT), a powerful lobby group.

"If Europe wants to be competitive in 2020 or in 2025 then that should not happen," he told EurActiv in an interview.

The business group underlined the urgent need to encourage young people to study mathematics, technology and the sciences – even offering to throw its financial weight behind educational initiatives in member states.

"We very much support the creation of a European coordinating body for education to promote MST [maths, science and technology], starting in primary school. We are prepared to play our part – financially – in cash and in kind," Philippa said.

Leif Johansson, president of AB Volvo and ERT chairman, said the real key to making EU 2020 work is "execution". "There was nothing wrong with the Lisbon Strategy. The problem was in the delivery by member states and the EU," he said.

Johansson said there is little point in announcing a new strategy unless progress is actively monitored.

Gerard Kleisterlee, president and CEO of Royal Philips Electronics and vice-chairman of the ERT, said Europe needs bold policy thinking if it is to face up to "megatrends" such as demographics, urbanisation, globalisation and climate change.

"Unless action is taken, our ability to provide quality employment will suffer. We want Europe to remain an attractive place to live and work in 2025 but urgent and far-reaching changes are required now," he said.

He added that Europe needs to speak with one voice in external relations and the EU should have just one seat in international economic organisations.

Former EU Commissioner Mario Monti, who is currently working on an official report aimed at reviving support for the internal market, said if Europe is to have a united position in external affairs it must avoid speaking with "a cacophony of voices" at home. European leaders, he said, have a bad habit of blaming the EU rather than accepting responsibility for joint decisions they have taken in Brussels.

However, Monti said Europe has emerged from the crisis with enhanced prestige as its social market economic model are now taken more seriously and its companies and citizens are not as indebted as those in the US.

The Commission was criticised for allowing a relatively short period for feedback on its consultation paper. A short summary of the 1,500 submissions was published by the EU executive, but social and environmental NGOs reacted angrily to claims by the Commission that they "broadly support" the draft plan (EurActiv 4/2/10). They called for a stronger social dimension to the strategy and said the Commission had presented a "rosy view" of NGOs' feedback.

In a set of recommendations for the revised strategy, the Socialist & Democrats (S&D) group in the European Parliament said the economic and financial crises had created "historic difficulties" for the EU.

"One lesson from [the global economic crisis] is that we cannot afford to separate economic strategy from a wider vision of society," the S&D group said, arguing that such a vision had in the past led to a society "reshaped in the interests of the economy," a vision which it said had "delivered less, not more growth than in previous decades".

"Europe's strategy for the next decade should focus not only on rates of growth and employment but also on how growth can help build a better, fairer society," it said.

The S&D group believes the priorities for the next decade must surely include the following:

• A new deal for sustainability.
• High-quality full employment with decent work and social inclusion for women and men.
• The fight against poverty, inequality and insecurity.
• A high-productivity knowledge economy.
• Social and territorial cohesion.

"We call for these to be the core objectives of the EU 2020 strategy," the S&D group said. 

In an open letter to EU leaders ahead of the February summit, Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the liberal ALDE group in the European Parliament, called for greater unity in the face of current challenges.

"If the current economic crisis has taught us anything, it is of the need for a common approach to economic policy, to public finances, to banking supervision and bonuses, to environmental legislation, etc.," Verhofstadt said in the letter.

"Businesses need a stable legal and macro-economic framework in which to thrive and invest. A single market and a single currency inevitably require some common approaches to broader macro-economic policy planning," he added.

Ben Butters, director of European affairs at Eurochambres, said the new 2020 plan should be more robust than the last. "The 2000-10 Lisbon Strategy was strong on ambition, but weak on action. Today, it is clearer than ever that reform is not an option, it is essential, so the EU 2020 strategy must be built on firmer foundations than its predecessor, based on strong ownership, effective implementation and robust monitoring and coordination."

He described the open method of coordination as "heavily flawed," saying it needs to be reinforced and re-branded to ensure implementation.

EU 2020 should also be endorsed by all stakeholders from Brussels down to local level, according to Eurochambres, which said an effective communication strategy will play a big role in securing support for the new roadmap.

Klaus Klipp, secretary-general of the Assembly of European Regions (AER), said the process should take a "bottom-up approach" involving regional actors in defining and implementing governance structures.

Eucomed, which represents the medical technology sector, wanted to see more incentives for innovation in the strategy. In its submission to the European Commission, the group said it applauds the objectives of the plan but stressed the need for all policies to be consistent with EU 2020.

"It is important that procurement procedures are driven to incentivise innovation and are designed to particularly help SMEs unleash their innovation potential to launch new products on the market. This also applies to reimbursement schemes, which do not always recognise the entire care process and long-term patient outcomes," said John Wilkinson, chief executive of Eucomed.

The European Builders Confederation (EBC) expressed disappointment with the consultation document published by the European Commission, which it said lacked several elements that will be fundamental to the EU policy agenda for the next decade. The EBC – which represents small firms and craft workers in the construction sector – said EU 2020 should embrace the Small Business Act (SBA) rather than adding new, unclear priorities.

"The SBA, which recently turned one year old, is set aside by new and unclear priorities. We believe that the three axes of the SBA - less administrative burden, better access to finance and better access to markets for SMEs - must be maintained and reinforced in all future EU legislation and policies, always based on the 'Think Small First' principle," said Andrea Marconi, EBC president.

The European Students' Union welcomed the attention given to education in the draft EU 2020 strategy. "ESU is, however, concerned that the document will fail to capture the essence of the strategy unless specific targets are drafted", said Ligia Deca, ESU chairperson.

The ESU wants student mobility, changing skills needs and public investment in higher education to be considered by policymakers charting a long-term course forward for Europe.

BEUC, the European consumers' association, supports the proposed EU 2020 objectives, whilst advocating a stronger focus on social inclusion and consumer rights. It also takes the view that more should be done to empower citizens. The single market should be deepened and consumer protection made a cross-cutting priority in the new strategy, it said.

Several national consumer organisations also contributed to the consultation. They share the general views expressed by BEUC on the importance of consumer policy in the new strategy. They equally underline the importance of guaranteeing adequate legal protection.

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) said the Lisbon Strategy took "too liberal an approach" and wants this to be changed by reinforcing the EU's "social profile," calling for the development of a social programme (built around deepening the social acquis and demand-side labour market policies).

It wants short-termism in corporate governance to be tackled without delay, and calls for a focus on green and smart growth. All social partners agree on improving education and developing skills.

Speaking for small businesses, BusinessEurope and UEAPME, the European small business organisation, called for the removal of the remaining internal market barriers and further reductions of the administrative burden on businesses. They want policymakers to 'think small first' when designing regulation, access to finance and 'flexicurity'.

BusinessEurope advocates far-reaching structural reforms to secure growth, jobs and viable public finances.

UEAPME highlighted the challenges SMEs face and calls for better market access (internal market and third countries' markets), fair competition and a level playing field. Referring to the Small Business Act, it emphasised the importance of implementing policy commitments effectively.

The Eurosystem, which is the monetary authority of the euro zone, submitted a contribution fully supporting the integration of social and environmental objectives into the EU 2020 strategy, while maintaining its overall focus on growth and jobs.

Particular attention should be given to a well-functioning labour market, internal market policies, competition and innovation, sound financial systems and the strict implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact, it said.

Social and environmental objectives should rely, as far as possible, on market-based instruments, according to the Eurosystem, which broadly agrees with the governance structures proposed by the Commission.

The European Centre for Development and Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) believes the EU 2020 strategy should include detailed policies on innovation and creativity and in particular on education and training, including vocational education and training. Partnerships between businesses and research bodies should include education and training authorities to help match skills with jobs.

The European Research Council (ERC) underlines the importance of generating knowledge leadership as a basis for innovation, greening the economy, competitiveness and prosperity. It calls for the development of world-class knowledge infrastructures and the retention and repatriation of top scientific talent from the EU and beyond.

European standards organisations (CEN, CENELEC, ETSI) highlight the role standardisation can play to support the objectives of the EU 2020 strategy and in particular the further development of the single market.

Miguel Sebastian, Spanish Minister for Industry, Tourism and Commerce, said structural reforms are needed in Europe given the challenge of emerging economies in China and India.

He also noted that Lisbon is not seen as a "complete failure" by member states and that some moves in the right direction have been prompted by the strategy.

However, he acknowledged that more robust accountability measures will help implement EU 2020 – the successor to the Lisbon Agenda. "Business works towards quantitative measures of progress whereas governments do not always take that approach. I think that's wrong. We should have long-term targets," he said.

Philippe Herzog, founder of the Confrontations Europe think-tank, said the 2020 strategy is too "short-termist".

Herzog, a former French MEP for the far-left GUE group in the European Parliament, said the public consultation period was far too short, and the plan fails to take a long-term view of investment.

"Concretely, you don't see any policy prescriptions for restructuring in the next two or three years," he said. What is required is "a complete review of productivity in the EU," outlining which parts of the productive sector should be sustained. 

Ann Mettler, executive director and co-founder of the Lisbon Council, said the Europe 2020 strategy marks "Brussels' return to policy and substance". In a detailed blog post, she said there was no time to waste in pressing ahead with a long-term policy blueprint.

"After a prolonged period of institutional naval-gazing and job jockeying brought about by the Lisbon Treaty, it is now high time to get back to business, and to focus on the things that really matter to citizens and voters," Mettler said.

Dates clés

• 24 Nov. 2009: European Commission launches consultation on 'EU 2020' strategy (EurActiv 25/11/09).
• 10-11 Dec. 2009: EU summit reviews priorities for EU 2020 strategy, voicing concern about worsening unemployment (EurActiv 10/12/09).
• 15 Jan. 2010: Commission receives 1,500 submissions by its deadline for feedback.
• 3 Feb. 2010: EU industry leaders demand political accountability for EU 2020 plan (EurActiv 03/02/10).
• 11 Feb. 2010: EU summit agrees broad direction for the plan, renamed 'Europe 2020', accepting a limited set of objectives for the strategy and rejecting sanctions for EU member states that do not meet agreed targets (EurActiv 11/02/10).
• 3 March 2010: European Commission expected to present formal proposal for 'Europe 2020'.
• 25-26 March 2010: EU summit to adopt main policy orientations, based on a limited set of objectives tabled by the European Commission.
• 17-18 June 2010: National governments to endorse guidelines for 'Europe 2020' and country-specific targets.
• Autumn 2010: Member states to submit stability and convergence programmes, as well as national reform programmes.

Liens externes

European Union

• European Commission:Commission launches consultation on EU 2020: a new strategy to make the EU a smarter, greener social market [FR] [FR] [DE]
• European Economic and Social Committee (EESC): The Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs [FR] [FR] [DE]
• European Council:Herman Van Rompuy
• European Commission:EU 2020
• European Commission:The World in 2025
• Committee of the Regions:Consultation Your Voice on Europe 2020
• Committee of the Regions:CoR message to the June European Council on Europe 2020
• Committee of the Regions:The Europe 2020 Strategy needs local and regional authorities if it is to fully achieve its goals

Political Groups

• The Greens/EFA:Post Lisbon Strategy - Greens call for postponement of Europe 2020 Agenda
• Socialists & Democrats: EU 2020 vision: Towards a new development strategy for the EU
• Socialists & Democrats: "Put off summit to strengthen recovery plan"
• Socialists & Democrats: Changing lifestyles in a decade: 2020 vision for Europe

Business & Industry

• European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT): Quick wins
• European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT): Vision for 2025
• European e-Skills Association:EUROPE 2020 – progress for ICT skills
• Microsoft:Cloud computing leading to growth and job creation in Central and Eastern Europe
• Microsoft:Building an innovative and competitive environment for SMEs in Europe
• Microsoft:Cloud computing brings job-hunting into the 21st century

Think tanks & Academia

• European Policy Centre (EPC):Europe 2020: better – but still not good enough
• Social Platform:Postpone the adoption of the Europe 2020 agenda to allow a genuine democractic debate to take place

Press articles

• EurActiv Czech Republic:Nová „Lisabonská strategie“ se stala terčem ostré kritiky
• EurActiv Slovakia:Turecko má plán ako oživiť prístupové rokovania
• EurActiv Turkey: AB’nin yeni ‘2020 stratejisi’ yaylım ateşine tutuldu
• EurActiv Poland:Strategia UE 2020

Blogs

• European Innovation (Blogactiv):EU 2020 Consultation Marks Brussels' Return to Policy and Substance
• Finnegan's Take (Blogactiv):Jobs crisis - growth in 'independent' employees
• European Innovation (Blogactiv):EU 2020 Proposal: The Watershed we had Hoped for?