In a binomial

The terms “strategy” and “program”, are those which most recur in European Union vocabulary. In Brussels and Strasbourg, the cities of Barcelona, Lisbon, The Hague and Stockholm are identified with a related strategy or program or process which in turn refers to specific EU measures in the areas of Mediterranean cooperation, economic competitiveness, justice, citizenship and much more. These are only a few examples, since the complete list is much longer. These terms probably bear no special meaning to the public opinion. However, at institutional level they refer to wide-ranging commitments, which often produce concrete results to the benefit of EU citizens and in other cases only triggered promises that remained on paper. Long-term lines of action. During the latest European Council, namely the summit of the heads of government and state of the European Union held in December, five “strategies” were most frequently mentioned in the official summit “conclusions”, three of which of economic nature (referring to “exit”, to “2020” and to “sustainable development”), one concerned the “Baltic region development” while another focused on justice, security and migration questions (the “Stockholm Program). The exit strategy refers to the phase beyond EU recession measures. Once the crisis will have been overcome, it will be necessary to decrease financial support to banks and to certain areas of production in order to resume a “virtuous” public budget cycle. Indeed, the Sustainable Development Strategy calls for climate change mitigation and adaptation, decreasing high-energy consumption in the transport sector and reversing the current loss of biodiversity and natural resources energy, and shifting to low-carbon economy. Five years after the Hague Program, EU-27 also set the basis for “the further development of an area of freedom, security and justice serving and protecting EU citizens and those living in this area”, adopting the 2010-2014 Stockholm Program, while urgent action in the areas of the economy, infrastructure and the environment is planned in Countries bordering on the Baltic sea.“A new approach is needed”. As relates to the economy, the “EU 2020 Strategy” is bound to take off. The special summit of next February 11 will address this theme along with economic recovery. “The EU faces important structural challenges. This is why the Lisbon strategy was launched ten years ago. This strategy has been useful in setting a framework for strengthening European competitiveness and encouraging structural reform”, EU-27 leaders declared at the 2009 summit. In reality, such strategy was intended to transform the Community into a “highly competitive economy, based on knowledge, research, quality and full employment”. Such ambitious objectives were practically ignored by Member States’ governments. “The time has come to evaluate the impact of the Lisbon Strategy and develop a new strategy”. Considering the economic and social impact of the crisis and the challenges posed by ageing population, “increasing inequalities and climate change, a new approach is needed more than ever”, “a new, ambitious and revamped strategy”. Job market, green economy. Indeed there is no want of “ambitious projects” in the EU seat, but it appears that too often such projects are forgotten after European politicians return to their respective capital cities. Nonetheless, the December summit established, “the time leading up to the Spring European Council should be used to define the elements of such a strategy for EU 2020 and to examine how to ensure sustainable public finances whilst preserving investment and social welfare, how to establish inclusive and efficient labour markets, how to further strengthen the internal market and how to fully exploit the reciprocal benefits of external trade and openness”. New commitments and more ambitious proposals will be advanced in the February meeting and in the summit of March 25-26. The document states, “Other important issues to be examined relate to the benefits offered by a greener economy, the improvement of the business climate, in particular for SMEs and the industrial base, and the enhancement of the knowledge base in our economies, including research and innovation”.