Europe is Planning to Become the Leading Economic Force in the World

In 2010 to become the leading economic force in the world! It is clear that the Lisbon Strategy slogan remained unfulfilled. Will Europe be able to do so over the next decade?

70 percent of active European Union (EU) citizens should have had work, 3 percent of gross domestic product should have been given to researches, while the economy should have grown 3 percent. These were the main objectives of the Lisbon Strategy, launched in 2000 and to achieve them the EU had a decade. However, this great European project is now quietly forgotten and instead of it the 27 EU countries will develop a new growth model in the next decade.

However, the optimism is gone. Europe has to face the reality. And it is not fun. Currently in Europe, unemployment has increased significantly and the money which is granted for education is under half of what was planned. Average economic growth is just 0.8 percent. The problem is that, remarkably, what was wanted to reach Europe, China has already reached it. However, the EU does not intend to give up. The new is plan called "Strategy 2020" or sometimes simply as "2020" and it has to boost European growth and competitiveness in a decade. The draft of this plan must be submitted to EU leaders in February during their informal meeting. The debate will last until the summit in March and finally, in June, a plan must be approved by the Council of Europe.

But now, not everything is running smoothly. European business organizations sharply criticized the "Strategy 2020" process, during which they also had to have their say.

According to the preliminary draft document, the new development plan is based on three priorities: knowledge (education, science, digital economy, and innovation), flexibility (the spirit of enterprise and lifelong learning for creativity and balance in society); "greener", more competitive and integrated economy.

Lisbon strategy failed not because the targets were incorrect, but because their implementations were not mandatory to the new Member States.

Will the new "Strategy 2020" determine the EU's policy guidelines and avoid this error? Many do not think so. If so, then plan for that, whatever new term is created, remain only good as a good intention.

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisbon_Strategy

http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/2020-vision/66873.aspx