Growth and Employment
Job creation and economic growth on a national as well as on EU level are the major tasks of European politics. Facing the huge challenges Europe has to deal with – the actual global economic situation, unemployment, ageing of the population, increase of global competition and faster technological change – determined and common action of the European Union is an absolute necessity.
After finalizing the “Lisbon Strategy” in the year 2000 and its termination in 2010 the European Council of June 17, has adopted a new EU-strategy on growth and employment “Europe 2020”. Therefore it has been agreed on targets at EU-level such as research and development, energy and climate protection, education and social inclusion:
- Increase of the employment rate of the population aged between 20 and 64 up to 75%
- Increase of investments in research and development up to 3% of GDP
- Preservation of the EU climate targets (reducing green house gas emissions by 20%, increasing the share of renewable energy sources up to 20%, increase in energy efficiency up to 20%)
- Enhancement of the educational level by reducing the rate of early school leavers to 10% and increasing the share of population aged 30-34 having completed tertiary or equivalent education to 40%
- Promotion of social rehabilitation especially by poverty reduction, intending to lift 20 million of people out of poverty and social exclusion
In consideration of these EU-wide targets member states will determine national targets in dialogue with the European Commission.
The European Council is going to evaluate annually the implementation of the strategy; furthermore there will be regular debates of the European Council on the most relevant issues of the Europe 2020 strategy, as on research and development in October 2010 and energy policy at the beginning of 2011.
