"The economy of Europe is moving on. Our growth and employment strategy is working". The comments of the EU Commission on the European economic situation are imbued with optimism. But the favourable trends "must be stabilised", and "we must take the opportunity to revive the key factors of the Lisbon Strategy": employment, training, social cohesion, research. The Executive submitted yesterday to the EU Parliament in Strasbourg the yearly report on the progress made in the area of economic reforms: a long report that adds to general comments a number of recommendations for each state, which will be implemented by the EU Council in March 2007. Comments are spreading in the EU headquarters. Günter Verheugen, in charge of enterprises and industrial policies, explains: "Entrepreneurship and innovation are gaining ground, and we are just starting to implement structural changes for our economies. If we reduce bureaucratic-administrative procedures by 25% before 2012, we can further boost the European economy". According to the EU Commission, "the current economic trend offers now a great window of opportunities to speed up the pace" of growth, provided the member states adopt the reforms required to promote competitiveness.
