Europe 2020

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Europe 2020 is a ten-year economic program of the European Union that was officially proposed by the European Commission on March 3, 2010 and approved by the European Council in June 2010 . The aim is "intelligent, sustainable and integrative growth" with better coordination of the national and European economy. Europe 2020 is the successor program to the Lisbon Strategy , which was pursued from 2000 to 2010.

Focus

The focus of the program is on promoting research and development as well as higher education and lifelong learning to increase economic growth , on better social integration and on promoting environmentally friendly technologies . These goals are very similar to the main goals of the Lisbon Strategy.

Goals and Initiatives

The objectives of the proposed strategy formulated in detail for 2020 include:

These goals are to be achieved in particular through seven flagship initiatives:

  • Innovation Union : improving conditions and funding for R&D investment in the private sector,
  • Youth on the move : improving education systems and promoting the international attractiveness of higher education in Europe,
  • Digital agenda : Expansion of broadband Internet and promotion of a common market for Internet-related services, as well as general access to faster network access,
  • Resource-efficient Europe : decoupling economic growth from the consumption of natural resources by promoting renewable energies, modernizing the transport sector and promoting energy efficiency ,
  • Industrial policy for the age of globalization : improving the economic environment, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises , developing a globally competitive , sustainable industrial sector,
  • New Skills and Jobs Agenda : Modernize the labor market by promoting labor mobility and lifelong learning to better match labor demand and supply,
  • European Platform Against Poverty : Ensure social and territorial cohesion so that growth gains are widely shared and people living in poverty have the opportunity to live in dignity and actively participate in society.

Elaboration and political discussion

A first draft of the Europe 2020 strategy was published by the Commission for citizens' consultation in November 2009; the official proposal followed in early March 2010. The strategy is one of the priorities of the Spanish EU Council Presidency in 2010 and was approved on June 17, 2010 by the European Council approved. The Commission's proposals met with criticism in advance from various quarters: They were accused of being too long-term oriented and of offering few approaches for overcoming the international financial crisis in the short term .

It was also criticized that Europe 2020 did not set any significant differences to the priorities of the Lisbon Strategy , which, however, had not been very successful in implementing its goals. It was therefore controversial how better compliance with the goals pursued by the nation states could be achieved. At the beginning of 2010, the Spanish EU Council Presidency therefore called for the introduction of sanction mechanisms against member states that did not meet the objectives of the strategy. This proposal met with fierce opposition, especially from the German federal government. She emphasizes that there would be no fundamental change to the Lisbon strategy, but rather a "consistent application and monitoring of the existing regulatory framework". In February 2010, the President of the European Council , Herman Van Rompuy , suggested introducing financial rewards for the successful states instead of sanctions for those states that did not meet the objectives.

In German civil society, Europe 2020 was discussed as old wine in new bottles. The German Federation of Trade Unions underlined: "Competitiveness and the market should not be the focus, but sustainability, solidarity , cohesion and equality ."

In its statement, the Federation of German Industries criticized the inadequate focus on energy policy issues . But youth associations also criticized the strategy. They fear cuts in the funding of youth programs.

literature

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ EurActiv , March 4, 2010: Criticism of Europe 2020: Goals too long-term .
  2. ↑ Europe 2020. (No longer available online.) Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology , archived from the original on May 4, 2012 ; Retrieved March 19, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bmwi.de
  3. ↑ EurActiv 11/02/2010 : Europe 2020: No penalties foreseen .
  4. ↑ EUD: Old wine in new bottles? Europa-Union debates EU strategy "Europe 2020". European Movement Germany , April 27, 2010, accessed on March 19, 2012 .
  5. ↑ Trade unions position themselves on Europe 2020 Michael Sommer: “If not now, then when?” EurActiv , June 16, 2010, accessed March 19, 2012 .
  6. ↑ BDI on the EU Commission's 2020 Energy Strategy. European Movement Germany, March 28, 2011, accessed on March 19, 2012 .
  7. ↑ crushing? Without us! Actors in youth work demand that YOUTH IN ACTION be preserved. Youth for Europe , April 3, 2011, accessed March 19, 2012 .