eu4journalists

Growth and Jobs

2. Lisbon Strategy

The EU's current action plan for economic, social and environmental renewal is the Lisbon Strategy, agreed in March 2000. Also known as the Lisbon Agenda or Lisbon Process, it aims to make the EU "the most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs, greater social cohesion, and respect for the environment by 2010".

Between April and November 2004, former Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok led a review of the programme and presented a report suggesting how to give new impetus to the process. One of the main conclusions of the Kok Report was that "the promotion of growth and employment in Europe is the next great European project".

The European Commission used this report as the basis for its proposal in February 2005 to refocus the Lisbon Strategy on actions that promote growth and jobs in a manner that is fully consistent with the objective of sustainable development. The Commission's report stated that: "making growth and jobs the immediate target goes hand in hand with promoting social or environmental objectives".

Despite higher inflation and sluggish growth in recent months, the EU remains committed to the strategy. "The Lisbon strategy is working, let's now focus on delivery," that was EU President José Manuel Barroso's message to EU leaders at the close of the March 2008 summit in Brussels. The next phase of the strategy, until 2010, will focus on making sure Europe is resilient enough to withstand economic turmoil and flexible enough to adapt to globalisation, Barroso added.