PES Manifesto

PES Group in CoR debate: Is the Lisbon strategy still valid?

Publié jeudi 10 avril 2008 à 12h42
par Editeur (vu 844 fois et 0 commentaires)

Yes, but… a revision needs to be done. The social dimension of the Lisbon Agenda and perspectives for post 2010 EU strategy were key issues on the agenda of the seminar on the New Social Europe of the PES Group in the Committee of Regions on 7 April 2008. The seminar is part of the group’s contribution to the PES manifesto consultation.

The Lisbon strategy aims to make the EU "the most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social justice, and respect for the environment by 2010." Sounds good, but did it deliver?

Additional jobs have been created and there has been a considerable increase in growth and jobs as well as in general productivity during the last years. On the other hand, the EU clearly failed the target of devoting 3% of GDP to research and education (with Sweden and Denmark being pleasant exceptions) and – with a clear focus on economic growth – the dimension of social issues has taken a back seat. The old ideological question whether growth automatically leads to reducing social exclusion and poverty or not is still relevant. Given the persisting problems with precarious jobs, working poor, (child) poverty and social exclusion it is clear that the Lisbon Strategy has not delivered the results of social justice that we all wished it would.

All speakers of the seminar unanimously agreed that the main concern of social democrats and socialists should be to unmistakably ingrain the idea of the New Social Europe in the Lisbon Agenda of the future. For the PES Group in the Committee of Regions in particular, social solidarity is a major concern since local authorities are the part of the public authorities directly in contact with the people. It is a reasonable and necessary concern of the Group to demand that the Lisbon Strategy must be ‘regeared’ towards a strategy taking more into account social inclusion and sustainable development.

An especially interesting speech was delivered by Anna Diamantopoulou, former member of the European Commission in charge of Employment and Social Affairs. She suggested that, in order to make the Lisbon strategy a more alive program, a list of very precise targets should be created, providing member states not only with general objectives but with a real strategy and a concrete procedure. Prominent members taking part in the discussion panels were, among others, EU commissioner Vladimir Spidla and representatives from social NGOs and trade unions.

What do NGOs think about a post Lisbon-strategy? Check out their contributions to the PES manifesto consultation in the documents section of Yourspace.

Read the press release from the PES Group at the Committee or take a closer look at the  documents from the seminar.

Tags: égalité, emploi, pauvreté, travail décent