What is Europe 2020 Strategy?

Rıdvan Turkoglu

 

EU STRATEGY 2020
A European strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth

LISBON STRATEGY

Before the talking about EU Strategy 2020, i need to mention about previous strategy that  came into force in 2000 during the Lisbon European Council.

This strategy was called as a “Lisbon Strategy” and aimed to make EU “the world’s leading and most dynamic knowledge based economy” . But it failed, there were many reasons of  this failure. Economic recession in 2008 was the main reason, but also after years, EU members accepted that the goals were unrealistic, too.

In 2005, the strategy’s failure were already very visible:

-An overly complex structure with multiple goals and actions,

A too weak leadership by the EC,

A lack of political engagement from MSs

The 2007 financial and eco.crisis was the final blow to the strategy.(1) (The EU 2020 strategy: analysis and perspectives )

These emerging problems made it clear that the Lisbon Strategy is not going to work and this situation obligated to Commission to re-evaluate the strategy and put reasonable goals.  After years, in order to continue to the efforts that started with the Lisbon Strategy , the Commission decided to make a new programme for the years from 2010 to 2020.

Jose Manuel Barroso, president of Commission, has stated EU Strategy 2020 in 3 of March,2010.

He recognised the necessity to  ‘move towards an economy based on creativity, knowledge and innovation’ and that ‘boosting the creative industries in Europe’s cities’ was a ‘”key element” of the European 2020 strategy’.(2)

EU Strategy 2020 emphasizes importance of ;  smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in EU. These strategic  targets are important  in order to get out of the economic crisis more stronger,finding solutions to structural problems of EU and to be more competitive in global scale.

    To fulfil these aims European Comission planned to correct the main mistakes of previous strategy and aimed to prepare a roadmap for the EU’s economic recovery and growth for the next ten years.

As it has declared after EU Summit 10-11 Dec.2009:

     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.

The time has now come to evaluate the impact of the  Lisbon strategy and, above all, to look ahead. In view of the economic and social impact of the crisis, in view also of the challenges posed by ageing populations, increasing inequalities and climate change, a new approach is needed more than ever.(3) (Council 2009-December)

In this context,

     As presented by the European Commission on 3 March and adopted by the European  Council at the Spring Summit, the main objective of the Europe 2020 strategy is to bring together the economic, social and environmental agendas of the EU in a more structured and coherent way.

Priorities of EU 2020

In order to carry out the short and long term goals, there are three priorities which are supporting each other.

}  Smart growth:  developing an economy based on knowledge and innovation.

}  Sustainable growth: promoting a more resource efficient, greener and more competitive economy.

}  Inclusive growth: fostering a high-employment economy delivering social and territorial cohesion.

The EU needs to define where it wants to be by 2020. To this end, the Commission proposes the following EU headline targets:

}  – 75 % of the population aged 20-64 should be employed.

}  – 3% of the EU’s GDP should be invested in R&D.

}  – The “20/20/20” climate/energy targets should be met (including an increase to 30% of emissions reduction if the conditions are right).

}  – The share of early school leavers should be under 10% and at least 40% of the younger generation should have a tertiary degree.

}  – 20 million less people should be at risk of poverty. (4) (Comission 2010)

These targets are interrelated and critical to achievement of goals. Because of the fact that to ensure that each Member State implements the Europe 2020 strategy to its own situation, the Commission proposes that EU goals must be translated into national targets.

The targets are important in order to reach three priorities, but they have to be supported by actions at national, EU and international levels. To provide this cooperation the Commission is putting forward 7 “flagship initiatives” to make progress easier for each priority.

The 7 EU flagship initiatives (ana girişim) proposed by the Commission are the following:
1) ‘Innovative Union’
2) ‘Youth on the Move’
3) ‘A Digital Agenda for Europe’
4) a ‘Low-carbon, resource efficient Europe’
   ‘Clean and efficient energy’
5) ‘An industrial policy for the globalization era’
6) ‘An agenda for New Jobs and skills’
    ‘New skills for New Jobs’
7) a ‘European Platform against poverty’ 

     In terms of governance, EU2020 strategy has two important innovations:

 i)  the European Council is now clearly in charge of driving the process, on the basis  of Commission’s proposals,

ii ) and the European Commission has a new capacity to issue ‘policy warnings’ if a Member State fails, after a number of notifications and at the end of an agreed time-frame, to deliver on objectives (this new European competence was introduced by the article 121.4 of the new Lisbon treaty). (5) (The EU 2020 strategy: analysis and perspectives, 25.10.2010)

There were some debates in the process of preparing EU2020. Generally all the the politicians in EU were aware of need for such a programme and they were supporting this process. In the beginning of the 2010, during the Spanish presidency of EU, PM Luis Zapatero stated that contrary to Lisbon Strategy, EU2020 strategy will be more binding for MSs and including encouraging and corrective measures for countries which are unable to carry out present goals. On the other hand, there were, and still are, different groups that criticize EU2020 for different reasons. Some business leaders have criticized the strategy and other critics ask whether a 2020 plan is really necessary, especially as the EU already has the Stability and Growth Pact, which sets fiscal targets.(6) (Heritage 2010)  Also, some people argued that politicians made all decisions, took the way on the process , but citizens and civil societies couldn’t participiate to the process , therefore EU2020 Strategy  didn’t be argued broadly by all sides of socities.

                 Milestones of EU 2020

}  24 Nov. 2009: European Commission launches consultation on ‘EU 2020’ strategy .

}  10-11 Dec. 2009: EU summit reviews priorities for EU 2020 strategy, voicing concern about worsening unemployment.

}  15 Jan. 2010: Commission receives 1,500 submissions by its deadline for feedback.

}  3 Feb. 2010: EU industry leaders demand political accountability for EU 2020 plan.

}  11 Feb. 2010: EU summit agrees broad direction for the plan, renamed ‘Europe 2020’, accepting a limited set of objectives for the strategy and rejecting sanctions for EU member states that do not meet agreed targets.

}  3 March 2010: European Commission unveils ‘Europe 2020’ proposal.

}  25-26 March 2010: EU summit to discuss the strategy’s overall approach and the Commission’s proposed headline objectives.

}  17-18 June 2010: EU summit to adopt further details of the strategy, including country-specific targets.

}  Autumn 2010: Member states to submit stability and convergence programmes, as well as national reform programmes. (7) (Euractiv.com 2010)

Bibliography

1)      The EU 2020 strategy:  Anlysis and perspectives, Culture Action Europe, http://www.cultureactioneurope.org/lang-en/component/content/article/41-general/597-the-eu-2020-strategy-analysis-and-perspectives, (access date: 25.10.2010)

2)    http://www.euractiv.com/en/opinion/brussels-readies-plans-eu-2020-strategy/article-     187450

3) European Council 10/11 December Conclusions

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=DOC/09/6&format=HTML&aged=0&l

4) Europe 2020, A European strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth

COMPLET%20EN%20BARROSO%20%20%20007%20-%20Europe%202020%20-%20EN%20version.pdf erişimi için tıklayın

5)  The EU 2020 strategy:  Anlysis and perspectives, Culture Action Europe,

http://www.cultureactioneurope.org/lang-en/component/content/article/41-general/597-the-eu-2020-strategy-analysis-and-perspectives, (access date: 25.10.2010)

6) Heritage Timothy, “EU tests its vision with 2020 strategy” ,Reuters,mar 3,2010

7) http://www.euractiv.com/en/priorities/europe-2020-green-growth-and-jobs-linksdossier-280116 (access date: 25.10.2010)

http://www.ecipe.org/blog/eu-2020-strategy

Lisbon Strategy evaluation document, COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT, Brussels, 2.2.2010, SEC(2010) 114 final