Tag: Lisbon Agenda

The Slovenian Presidency will focus on Western Balkans relations, energy and climate change, and the implementation of the new Lisbon cycle for growth and jobs when it takes over the EU helm from 1 January 2008.

The Lisbon Strategy is a challenge for both France and Europe. In France, new presidential and parliamentary cycles are favourable to economic and social reform, argue Yves Bertoncini and Vanessa Wisnia-Weill in this publication from the Robert Schuman Foundation, released in September 2007.

Breathing fresh life into Europe's Lisbon Agenda for economic renewal is a top priority for Portuguese Prime Minister José Socrates, as he takes over the reigns of the Union for the next six months. However, his first challenge will be to convince France to stick to the EU rules on fiscal discipline that French President Nicolas Sarkozy appears determined to breach.

The different aspects of 'the workplace' will be in the spotlight during the annual Employment Week event, with labour-market policies the main focus of the two-day conference.

With business confidence back at a high, now is not the time for complacency, Commission President José Manuel Barroso told the European Business Summit, announcing that talks on a transatlantic single market will be launched at an EU-US meeting in April.

EU leaders agreed to cut Community bureaucracy by 25% at their summit on 9 March 2007, but, to the disappointment of business leaders, they refused to commit their administrations to the same target and few other pledges were made to speed up economic reforms.

The Commission has adopted a concrete plan for immediately reducing unnecessary administrative burdens on Europe's businesses. The aim is to give the European economy a €150 billion boost by 2012.

Simplifying and improving the EU regulatory environment will be top of the German presidency’s agenda, in hopes of saving business billions of euro.

In its last meeting under the Finnish Presidency, the Competitiveness Council has agreed on a detailed agenda to stimulate innovation in Europe.

Some countries are “courting disaster” by allowing their human capital to stagnate through chronic underinvestment in education and high workforce exclusion, states a new study.

Turkey should develop a National Lisbon Reform Programme, says an expert report. Other reforms should tackle the issues of employment of women and trade union rights.

Mr. Leif Fagernäs, Director General of the Confederation of Finnish Industries EK, comments on the reasons behind Finland's strong economic performance, R&D policy and flexicurity.

The EU first formulated its sustainable development strategy during the 2001 Gothenburg European Council. Although sustainable development is enshrined in the EU Treaty, its implementation remains a problem. In February 2005, the Commission took stock and confirmed that a number of unsustainable trends continue to worsen. One controversial issue is the relationship with the Lisbon reform agenda for growth and jobs. The June 2006 European Council adopted a revised strategy.

Despite having delivered on growth, modernisation and membership of the EU and NATO, the Slovakian government is expected to lose elections on 17 June. Is being a "Lisbon champion" an electoral liability or is there more to it?

In an attempt to increase employment rates among older people, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin wants to introduce new schemes for older workers.

French Prime minister Dominique de Villepin announced in a public address on the morning of 10 April 2006 the withdrawal of the contrat première embauche (CPE).

In an interview with Die Zeit, French social movements expert Alain Touraine delivers a scathing criticism of the student protests in France, which he sees as being led by a desire to "defend acquired rights" and by "fear of the future".

At a public hearing organised by the EESC on 20-21 March, most stakeholders spoke out in favour of a better integration of the the Lisbon reform agenda into the EU's overarching sustainable development strategy.

Member states' National Action Plans for growth and jobs put different degrees of emphasis on strategies for creating jobs. EurActiv has taken a closer look at the plans of a number of key countries.

The Commission has presented details of its new Globalisation Adjustment Fund. The fund will provide support for workers that have been laid off because their companies were affected by globalisation. Economic experts question the logic and size of the new fund.

The Commission has nominated the high-level group on Competitiveness, Energy and the Environment. Its composition was contested as being too industry-oriented by the European Parliament, which refused to nominate its four representatives.

In preparation for the March Spring Summit, EU finance ministers, meeting today (14 Feb), will look at the key challenges and opportunities for 2006. Implementation of the reforms for growth and jobs will be the number one priority.

Strikes in two of the EU's biggest economies are directly linked to core measures planned by the French and German governments to meet Lisbon targets. They put a question mark on their ability to implement painful socio-economic reforms.

This issue of "EU-25 Watch" addresses key issues and challenges to European integration.  The internet study was published by Barbara Lippert and Timo Goosmann of the Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP)  in Berlin within the framework of EU-CONSENT a "Network of Excellence". It  sheds light on key issues like the "Lisbon process" or the "role of the EU in the World".  The analysis is based on reports by institutes from all 25 EU members states as well as from the four acceeding/ candidate countries Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Turkey.