"Reforms on a community and national level may guide the economy. However, employees and entrepreneurs are in the control room. They are the real engine of growth and employment". José Manuel Barroso, president of the Commission, made this first comment to the three-party social summit (EU institutions, unions and entrepreneurial associations) taking place in Lisbon this morning, alongside the summit of the heads of state and government in the European Union. The centre of the debate is the definition of a "common strategy" and of a "shared vision" on how to re-launch competitiveness and the work market, with "flexisecurity" (flexibility and security) as guideline. For the first time, the interlocutors of community institutions found a joint analysis by the representatives of employees and enterprises (there were several organizations: CES, BusinessEurope, CEEP, UEAPME). The analysis takes into consideration subjects such as active policies for work market, education, macroeconomic policies, and the accomplishment of a favourable environment for enterprises, mobility and contractual conditions. According to the participants in the three-party summit, "an agreement to make flexisecurity become real throughout Europe is at hand". (To be continued)
