A good strategy” “

To those who don’t believe in the Lisbon Strategy, the President of the European Commission has sent an unequivocal message: “Ten years ago who would have dreamt that Ireland would become one of the most prosperous States in the European Union or that productivity in Poland would have overtaken that of South Korea? We can and must go even further along the road of growth and employment”. JOSÉ MANUEL DURAO BARROSO last week presented the annual report on the progress made in the implementation of the EU strategy defined in the Portuguese capital in 2000. After its comprehensive reform last year, it is aimed in essence at giving rise to a partnership between the European Union and the member states “for economic growth and for the creation of better and more numerous jobs”. THREE CHAPTER, FOUR OBJECTIVES. The report is composed of three main chapters: first, an analysis of the national programmes of reforms presented by member states in October 2005; second, an underlining of the “strong points of the various national programmes”, to promote the exchange of valid ideas; and third, an indication of the shortcomings and possible corrections to be made. The huge documentation ought to be examined by the Council of the heads of state and of government on 23-24 March, before passing to the phase of application in 2007. “The general tenor of the message is clear – said Barroso, who has worked in close contact with the Commissioner for industry Günter Verheugen -: the time has come to go into top gear”. Four “sectors of priority action” are identified by the Executive: “investing in education, research and innovation”; eliminating the red tape that hampers small and medium businesses, mainstays of the continental production system; “increasing the active population”; and “guaranteeing the secure and sustainable provision of energy”. MORE MATHS AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES. According to the report, “knowledge” is the prime resource with which the EU must endow itself. “Investments in higher education ought to rise to 2% of gross domestic product by 2010, in comparison with the current 1.28%”, and steps taken to “eliminate obstacles to enable universities to receive complementary private funding”. Each government will be asked, following the March summit, to define a precise objective for the total funds to be invested in research and development. For its part the EU pledges to create a European Institute of Technology by the end of next year. The report also gives a particular indication for school curricula: with a view to “improving the basic professional qualifications of all citizens, greater priority should be given to the teaching of mathematics and foreign languages in schools”. SINGLE AGENCY FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM FIRMS. The Commission considers it essential to “release the business potential” especially of small and medium firms. To this end, “by 2007 each member state ought to establish a single agency to provide assistance to future entrepreneurs and to enable firms to complete all the administrative formalities in a single office”. Moreover, “the average time needed to set up a business ought to be reduced by half by the end of 2007 and then be further reduced to one week”. Courses in “business management” ought to become part of the syllabus for all pupils. INCREASING THE WORKING POPULATION. In view of the “demographic factor”, the growth of the average age of the population and the financial burden of social security systems and welfare, the Commission considers it essential to increase the rate of employment. “Each young person who fails to find a job after leaving school or university should be offered a job, an apprenticeship or supplementary training within a six month period after the end of 2007 and within 100 days by 2010”. The goals are ambitious, bearing in mind the fact that the level of youth unemployment in some countries and regions is still very high. The report also devotes attention to “family policies”: it calls for the creation of “low cost and high quality infrastructures for child care”. Further objectives in the report include greater parity between the sexes at work” and “the promotion of a balanced relationship between work and private life”. Lastly, measures should be taken to “enable people to age while remaining active, by boosting training for those over the age of 45 and offering financial incentives to prolong working life”. SECURE AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY. The Barroso Commission is also committed to “encouraging Europe to tackle the challenges represented by the continuous increase in the price of petrol and gas and the need to drastically reduce pollution”. Energy, according to the head of the Commission, “is a global problem that requires a European response”. Also in this area a common effort is requested of the 25 member states and candidate countries.