About: Lisbon strategy
The Commission’s innovation confusion
Unless the European Commission changes its attitude, the innovation gap between Europe and the US will likely increase, and it could be overtaken soon by China, with dire consequences for living standards, warns Philip Stevens.
EU leaders split over 2020 economic targets
EU heads of stateand government are meeting in Brussels today (25 March) to discuss the European Commission's proposed 'Europe 2020' strategy for green growth and jobs. But several countries have already questioned some of the objectives of the plan.
BusinessEurope: EU strategy ‘should be more focused on the short term’
As European leaders prepare to meet in Brussels this week to discuss long-term economic plans (25-26 March), Jürgen R. Thumann, president of EU employers' lobby group BusinessEurope, warns that discussions need to have a greater sense of urgency.
EU leaders to push eurozone ‘economic governance’
As the Greek debt crisis continues to haunt the euro zone, EU leaders are meeting this week (25-26 March) to agree closer coordination of their economic policies, according to draft summit conclusions obtained by EURACTIV.
Brussels readies plans for EU ‘economic governance’
The European Commission wants to strengthen economic policy coordination between the 27 EU member states by linking national fiscal stabilisation programmes to expenditure in "growth-friendly" areas such as R&D and education, according to a draft proposal seen by EURACTIV.
Industrialist: 1.2 million engineers needed to make EU competitive
Realistic targets, shared commitments and scientific education are the three ingredients which Wim Philippa, secretary-general of the European Round Table of Industrialists, believes are needed to make the EU fit for the challenges which lie ahead.
EU 2020 seeks to balance green growth and jobs
Governments, industry and stakeholders have weighed into the debate on the EU's new growth strategy, urging a stronger social dimension and the completion of the internal market.Germany, Spain divided over EU 2020 ‘sanctions’
German Economy Minister Rainer Brüderle reacted negatively against what he described as plans by the Spanish EU Presidency to "sanction" member states who do not comply with the European Union's growth objectives. EURACTIV Spain reports.
‘Wise men’ discuss EU’s 2020 strategy
Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero hosted a meeting with prominent EU 'wise men' in Madrid yesterday (5 January) to discuss Europe's economic and social strategy for the next decade. EURACTIV Spain reports.The EU must learn from its mistakes over the past decade
"The EU needs new thinking. After eight years of stop-start negotiations, the Union finally has a new rulebook, the Lisbon Treaty. But, despite Europeans' shared anxieties about economic growth, government debt, the stability of the euro, immigration and the environment, there is not yet a clear sense of what the EU's priorities for the next five years should or will be," writes Hugo Brady, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, in a December commentary.
Special EU summit to focus on economy, jobs
On his first day as president of the European Union, Herman Van Rompuy called a special summit to seek a way out of the current crisis and start mapping the EU's economic and social agenda for the next decade.
Barroso pledges ‘to fight’ for EU social agenda
European Commission President José Manuel Barroso this week (16 December) faced accusations from MEPs that his draft EU 2020 strategy for economic and environmental renewal lacked a sufficient social dimension.
EU’s 2020 strategy ‘too short-termist’
The EU's 2020 strategy to build a sustainable future beyond the current economic crisis is too short-termist and fails to address the fundamental problems of the current growth model, Philippe Herzog, founder of the Confrontations Europe think-tank, told EURACTIV in an interview.
Think-tank leader: EU’s 2020 strategy ‘too short-termist’
The EU's 2020 strategy to build a sustainable future beyond the current economic crisis is too short-termist and fails to address the fundamental problems of the current growth model, Philippe Herzog, founder of the Confrontations Europe think-tank, told EURACTIV in an interview.
EU summit to call for ‘ambitious’ social plan
The European Union should equip itself with an "ambitious" social plan by spring 2010 in order to fight growing unemployment, EU leaders are expected to state at the conclusion of a two-day summit which opens in Brussels today (10 December).EU 2020: Why skills are key for Europe’s future
"As longevity and access to education improve around the globe, Europe can no longer count on a large lead in scientific know-how, education and innovation to give us an automatic edge on the rest of the world," writes Paul Hofheinz, president of the Lisbon Council, in a December paper.Delors: I could be more critical of the Lisbon Treaty
In an exclusive interview with EURACTIV, former European Commission President Jacques Delors explained that there are parts of the Lisbon Treaty which he disagrees with or is less than favourable towards.
EU hails ‘new era’ as Lisbon Treaty goes into force
The European Union hailed the start of a new era on Tuesday (1 December) after its Lisbon reform treaty went into force, carrying with it the bloc's hopes of becoming a more powerful force on the world stage.
Growth and jobs: Reshaping the EU’s ‘Lisbon Strategy’
As the recession bites, the European Commission and national governments have begun to reflect on replacing the EU's overarching strategy for growth and jobs, known as the Lisbon Strategy. 'Green growth', innovation and education are likely to feature highly among the strategy's new priorities.
EU’s new ‘2020 strategy’ comes under fire
Plans for a new ten-year strategy to replace the Lisbon Agenda for growth and jobs, due to be unveiled by the European Commission today (24 November), risk being agreed behind closed doors between member states without proper consultation of civil society, social NGOs have warned.
Brussels readies plans for EU ‘2020 strategy’
The European Commission will propose plans for a wide-ranging strategy to lift the EU out of recession next week, inviting member states to lead Europe towards a green, knowledge-based economy by 2020, according to a draft paper seen by EURACTIV.
MEP: ‘We need to reform global governance’
A special European Parliament committee set up to advise the EU on the road to economic recovery should have different priorities to those of the European institutions, its rapporteur insists. The committee needs a long-term view to tackle global imbalances, unemployment and the EU's role in global governance, French Socialist MEP Pervenche Berès told EURACTIV in an interview.