Lisbon Strategy

Politics of the European Union The Lisbon Strategy, also known as the Lisbon Agenda or Lisbon Process, is an action and development plan for the European Union. Its aim is 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 cohesion, and respect for the environment by 2010". It was set out by the European Council in Lisbon in March 2000.

Between April and November 2004, Wim Kok headed up a review of the program and presented a report on the Lisbon strategy suggesting how to give new impetus to the process. One of the main conclusion of the Kok report was that "the promotion of growth and employment in Europe is the next great European project". [ European Union web site, [http://ec.europa.eu/growthandjobs/pdf/kok_report_en.pdf "Facing The Challenge. The Lisbon strategy for growth and employment. Report from the High Level Group chaired by Wim Kok"] , November 2004, Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, ISBN 92-894-7054-2, (the Kok report). ]

The European Commission used this report as a basis for its proposal in February 2005 to refocus the Lisbon Agenda on actions that promote growth and jobs in a manner that is fully consistent with the objective of sustainable development. The Commission's report stated that "making growth and jobs the immediate target goes hand in hand with promoting social or environmental objectives." [ European Union web site, [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2005/com2005_0024en01.pdf The Commission's report] . ]

In its resolution on the mid-term review of the Lisbon strategy in March 2005, the European Parliament expressed its belief that "sustainable growth and employment are Europe's most pressing goals and underpin social and environmental progress" and "that well-designed social and environmental policies are themselves key elements in strengthening Europe's economic performance". [ European Parliament web site, [http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+TA+P6-TA-2005-0069+0+DOC+PDF+V0//EN ] ]

Background and objectives

The Lisbon Strategy intends to deal with the low productivity and stagnation of economic growth in the EU, through the formulation of various policy initiatives to be taken by all EU member states. The broader objectives set out by the Lisbon strategy are to be attained by 2010.

It was adopted for a ten-year period in 2000 in Lisbon, Portugal by the European Council. It broadly aims to "make Europe, by 2010, the most competitive and the most dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world".

The Strategy

The main fields are economic, social, and environmental renewal and sustainability. The Lisbon Strategy is heavily based on the economic concepts of:

* Innovation as the motor for economic change (based on the writings of Joseph Schumpeter)
* The "learning economy"
* Social and environmental renewal

Under the strategy, a stronger economy will create employment in the EU, alongside inclusive social and environmental policies, which will themselves drive economic growth even further.

An EU research group found in 2005 that current progress had been judged "unconvincing", so a reform process was introduced wherein all goals would be reviewed every three years, with assistance provided on failing items.

Translation of the Lisbon Strategy goals into concrete measures led to the extension of the Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development (FPs) into FP7 [ [http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/understand_en.html] European Commission - Publications Office: Understand FP7] and the Joint Technology Initiatives(JTI). [ [ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/fp7/docs/jtis-brochure_en.pdf] European Commission brocure on JTIs ]

Key thinkers and concepts

Contemporary key thinkers on whose works the Lisbon Strategy is based and/or who were involved in its creation include Maria João Rodrigues, Christopher Freeman, Bengt-Åke Lundvall, Luc Soete, Carlota Perez, Manuel Castells, Giovanni Dosi, and Richard Nelson.

Key concepts of the Lisbon Strategy include those of the Knowledge Economy, Innovation, Techno-Economic Paradigms, Technology Governance, and the "Open Method" of Coordination (OMC).

Further reading

*Maria Joao Rodrigues (2003), "European Policies for a Knowledge Economy", Edward Elgar.(2001, with Peter Herrmann) Globalization and European Integration. Huntington NY, Nova Science. ISBN 1-560729295.
*Tausch, Arno (2001, with Gernot Köhler) Global Keynesianism: Unequal exchange and global exploitation. Huntington NY, Nova Science. ISBN 1-59033-002-1. Paperback edition 2001
*Tausch, Arno (2007), ‘The City on a Hill? The Latin Americanization of Europe and the Lost Competition with the U.S.A.’ Amsterdam: Rozenberg and Dutch University Press
*Tausch, Arno (2007), '‘From the “Washington” towards a “Vienna Consensus”? A quantitative analysis on globalization, development and global governance’'. Hauppauge, N.Y.: Nova Science Publishers
*Tausch, Arno (2007, Editor, with Almas Heshmati), '‘Roadmap to Bangalore? Globalization, the EU’s Lisbon Process and the Structures of Global Inequality'’ Hauppauge, N.Y.: Nova Science Publishers

References

See also

* Science and technology in Europe
* Community patent
* Sapir Report
* Aho report
* Economy of the European Union
* Knowledge triangle
* European Institute of Technology (EIT)
* Innovative Medicines Initiative

Lobbying around the strategy

* Euroscience
* European Trade Union Confederation, ( [http://www.etuc.org/r/206 ETUC update on the Lisbon strategy] )
* Transatlantic Business Dialogue, which took part in the report for a new restart of the agenda
* Union of Industrial and Employers' Confederations of Europe (UNICE)

External links

* [http://europa.eu/scadplus/glossary/lisbon_strategy_en.htm Official EU summary on the Lisbon Strategy]
* [http://europa.eu.int/growthandjobs/index_en.htm Official Website for the Lisbon Strategy]
* [http://www.lisbonstrategy.net/ Portuguese Official Website on the Lisbon Strategy]
* Sapir, André (2003): An Agenda for a Growing Europe, Making the EU Economic System Deliver. Report of an Independent High-Level Study Group established on the initive of the President of the European Commission. [http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/policy_advisers/experts_groups/high_level_study_group_index_en.htm] [http://www.euractiv.com/nbdtext/innovation/sapirreport.pdf]
* [http://www.euractiv.com/en/future-eu/lisbon-agenda/article-117510 Euractiv background article about the Lisbon Agenda]
* [http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/id/ipa/05294.pdf Stefan Collignon, "Forward with Europe: a democratic and progressive reform agenda after the Lisbon strategy", Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Internat. Politikanalyse, April 2008.]