The depth of the jobs crisis that continues to grip the EU, coupled with the perceived failure of the Lisbon Agenda to deliver a more competitive Europe, has ratcheted up the pressure on politicians to produce an effective new roadmap for growth.
This tension has already exposed differing views between political leaders and other stakeholders, as well as amongst member states.
The German and Spanish governments played out a very public spat over whether member states should be punished if they do not comply with the vision set out in the new strategy (EurActiv 12/01/10).
German Economy Minister Rainer Brüderle accused the Spanish EU Presidency of seeking to impose "sanctions" on those who do not toe the line, warning against adding excess bureaucracy to the process.
This provoked a swift response from Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Morantinos, who said there was no official plan to include sanctions in the EU 2020 but that a range of options would be on the agenda when leaders meet in Brussels on 11 February.
France
The French government submitted a detailed position paper to the EU executive last month (January 2010) insisting that hard lessons be learned from the failures of the Lisbon Agenda.
National leaders have a key role to play in defining and driving the new strategy forward, says Paris.
The proposal puts a strong emphasis on creating employment through greater coherence between EU policies. The need for a new EU industrial policy was also stressed, along with the importance to research infrastructure, eco-industries, information technology and renewable energy.
The sustainable use of raw materials will be a central part of a new greener economy, according to Paris, in line with the promise to foster sustainable growth.
The French submission says protectionism should be avoided, despite the ongoing economic difficulties.
Ending the crisis and preserving social cohesion must be a priority, according to France, which points to the social clauses of the Lisbon Treaty.
UK
Gordon Brown set out the UK's view on the EU 2020 strategy in a detailed document designed to provoke debate ahead of an EU summit this month (EurActiv 20/01/10).
The long-standing need for patent reform is at the heart of innovation, according to the document, which stresses the need to establish a single patent litigation system.
The UK also puts considerable emphasis on the role of small businesses in the new economy but access to venture capital – possibly through the European Investment Fund (EIF) – is required if Europe is to take the lead on high-risk research and development in the life sciences, digital manufacturing and low-carbon industries.
In addition, Brown wants the EU executive held to account if it adds to the administrative burden foisted on the business sector.
Notably, London also acknowledges the need for reform of the financial services sector, although it says this should be achieved without strangling the City of London.
Poland
European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek has articulated his perspective on how Poland views the EU 2020 strategy. He said his home country has much to do in terms of cultivating innovation, encouraging public-private partnerships, and channelling funds to research and development projects.
However, leading Polish economist Professor Jan Winiecki disagrees. He is against increased state support for research, saying he is sceptical that Warsaw can "build a silicon valley in Europe".
Winiecki says innovation in the business sector will be helped more by removing bureaucracy and cutting taxes than by direct state funding of R&D.
Poland's economic strategy has been built at least partly on low labour costs – something that has helped the country to weather the worst of the crisis. "Will they change their approach towards innovation when the crisis is over?" asked Malgorzata Starczewska-Kszysztoszek from the Polish Confederation of Private Entrepreneurs.
She added that the Polish business environment remains at the early stages of becoming a free market economy.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic believes the EU should not broaden the scope of goals set in the EU 2020 strategy. A draft submission obtained by EurActiv.cz suggests Prague would prefer not to see the breadth of the plan grow beyond that set down in the Lisbon Strategy, for fear that this would make it more difficult to implement and communicate.
The Czech government wants EU 2020 to stick primarily to the growth and jobs agenda. Demographic, macroeconomic and structural challenges must be taken into account, says the document.
"The key factors here are population ageing, insufficient growth of labour productivity and the growth of global competition, which now includes the market for high value-added goods and services – once the domain of developed economies," it says.
Prague is critical in its assessment of the procedures set down in the draft EU 2020 plan, adding that there is "insufficient coordination and communication between the working bodies" and a high degree of "reporting burden" placed on member states.
Moreover, the Czech government is suggesting improvements to the communication element of the plan, particularly in dealing with the public.
"The agenda is too complex and incomprehensible to citizens, it's […] highly bureaucratic. A common communication strategy is necessary," the paper claims.
