Transcript The Lisbon Strategy - National Centre for Research on Europe

The Lisbon Strategy
Background, development and
future perspective
Objectives of European Integration
• Lisbon can be seen as an extension of
integration’s initial objectives
– Peace and stability (political)
– Economic growth and socio-economic
modernization (economic)
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Coal and Steel Community
Common Commercial Policy
Agricultural Policy
Regional Policy
Re-launch of integration (mid-80s
onwards)
• Internal Market Programme and the Single European Act
• Development of internal policies (environment , social
regional, consumer etc.) through new instruments:
structural funds, mutual recognition
• EMU and the single currency (1992) with the Stability
Pact and the European Central Bank
resulting in deeper economic interdependence, re-regulation on
European level, Europeanization of national administrations, loss of
national independence in monetary policy and restricted room for
manoeuvre in national economic policy.
The Lisbon Summit, March 2000
• “turning Europe into the world’s most competitive and
dynamic knowledge-based economy, capable of
sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs
and greater social cohesion” within 10 years
• A three-pronged strategy aimed at
– A transition to a knowledge-based economy by improving policies for the
information society and R&D, pursuing structural reform for competitiveness and
completing the internal market
– A modernization of the European social model by investing in people and
combating social exclusion
– Sustaining the economic outlook and favourable growth perspective by applying
an appropriate macro-economic policy mix
• Quantifiable targets in a variety of areas (R&D, education, employment etc)
• Making use of existing processes and reporting instruments: the BEPG (Stability
Pact), the Employment Guidelines (the Luxemburg process) and structural
reform (the Cardiff process)
• Governance based on the Community method, the Open Method of Coordination and political commitment
The Lisbon objectives widened
• The summits of Nice (December 2000),
Stockholm (March 2001) and Gothenburg (June
2001) added new objectives to Lisbon
– The European Social Agenda: structural reform of labour
markets, job creation and measures against social exclusion,
poverty and discrimination
– Sustainable social protection systems (pension and health care
systems), promotion of frontier technologies (f.i. biotechnology)
– Sustainable development – making the environment Lisbon’s
third pillar
Running out of steam?
• The summit of Barcelona (Match 2002): agreement on
liberalizing electricity and gas markets for non-household
consumers; a go-ahead for Galileo; political commitment
on an increase in public R&D spending (3% of GDP),
spreading broadband technology, implementation of the
‘Single Sky’ by 2004 and a host of measures to boost job
creation
• Brussels I summit (March 2003) overshadowed by the
war in Iraq and the beginning of the unraveling of the
Stability Pact. First warnings about member states’
dismal implementation record and lack of national reform
Faltering implementation
• Brussels II summit (March 2004) overshadowed
by terrorist attack and the break-up of the
Stability Pact
• European Action for Growth (package for
investment in infrastructure – physical and
digital)
• Commission warning on faltering implementation
of Lisbon objectives, both on European and
national levels, indication that EU members
would not fulfill the Lisbon objectives in 2010
A re-launch of Lisbon?
• Brussels III (March 2005) agreed on re-focusing priorities
on economic growth and employment by investing in
innovation and knowledge and making Europe an
attractive place to invest and work
• Improving governance by making the setting of priorities
clearer, enhancing member states’ commitment (national
action programmes, a national Lisbon coordinator and
strengthen the involvement of national parliaments) and
improving monitoring by the Commission
• A reinforced policy process based on an integrated 3yearly policy cycle based on strategic priorities and
integrated policy guidelines followed-up by an annual
Community Lisbon programme and national
programmes
What is Lisbon?
• A political commitment to socio-economic renewal based
on a series of on-going policy processes in the area of
employment, social affairs, market integration,
sustainable development, sustainability of public
finances, good governance etc.
• A mixed policy process based on the traditional
Community method in areas linked to the Internal
Market, the environment etc. and voluntary alignment of
national policies such as social security, employment,
pension and public health, education, innovation and
R&D against jointly defined objectives
• A diffuse institutional structure and multiple
administrative processes governed by hard and ’soft’
policy instruments in an uneasy relationship.
Institutional set-up
• The European Council provides leadership, political commitment
and arbitration
• Different council formations fight for supremacy: EcoFin, the
Competitiveness Council, the GAERC, and sector councils
(employment, social affairs, environment etc)
• Council committees : the Economic and Financial committee, the
Economic Policy Committee
• Commission produces annual reports and monitors progress
• European Parliament: few institutional points of access
• EESC and the Committee of the Regions
• European social partners meet in the Tripartite Social Summit for
Growth and Employment
• National administrations (influential) and national parliaments (thus
far little involvement)
Decision-making and instruments
• The traditional community method
• A variety of processes (about 10) governed by the OMC
with various reporting instruments
• OMC = coordination of national policies towards the
fulfillment of jointly agreed targets, no European
legislation
– Peer pressure, naming and shaming
– Joint learning and dissimilation of best practices
– Good governance and improved national administrative
practices
– The Commission in the centre of national administrative
networks
– National implementation
– No formal Community procedures to deal with non-compliance
Weaknesses of the Lisbon process
• Lack of coherence – too many objectives, some working
at cross-purpose
• Lack of coherence with other policy processes and
instruments (Stability Pact, sustainable development, EU
budget/structural funds)
• Lack of political will and leadership on behalf of national
leaders
• Policy-framework too loose (can OMC deliver the
intended result?)
• Lack of national involvement (parliaments and social
partners)
• Democratic deficit
Reforms and future challenges
• Reform of the Stability Pact
• EU budget negotiations
• Member States’ unwillingness to implement,
weak enforcement
• Future policy reform and transfer of
competences
• Institutional and procedural reform
• Democratic deficit?
• National ownership?
• Leadership? A collective European executive?