“Next Spring’s meeting is a great opportunity". JosÈ Manuel Barroso, president of the EU Commission, sent a letter today to the Austrian chair on duty at the EU and to the other 24 heads of state and government that will meet in Brussels next week for the usual economic summit. The letter was inspired by the yearly report on the progress of the implementation of the Lisbon Agenda, submitted by the Executive Committee last January. The focus of the Council’s discussion will be the Lisbon Strategy (economic competitiveness, new "quality" jobs, training, social cohesion, environmental sustainability). Such strategy, developed in 2002 to turn Europe into "the economy based on the most competitive knowledge in the world by 2010", had been redrafted just at the summit of spring 2005. Barroso points out to the governments a few priorities "that must see some progress" at the meeting of March 23rd and 24th. First and foremost, "more investments in research and education are essential"; limitations on small and medium-size companies must be removed; then "employment for people of all ages must be promoted"; finally, a common journey must be started towards "sustainable, competitive and safe energy".
