National Lisbon Coordinators discuss future of Lisbon Strategy in Prague
Today the Presidency hosted a meeting of the National Lisbon Coordinators, attended by José Manuel Barroso, Günter Verheugen and Czech Deputy PM for European Affairs Alexandr Vondra.
Today the Presidency hosted a meeting of the National Lisbon Coordinators, attended by Commission President José Manuel Barroso, Enterprise and Industry Commissioner Günter Verheugen and Czech Deputy PM for European Affairs Alexandr Vondra.
The key items on the agenda of the ministers responsible for the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy at national level included an assessment of anti-crisis measures under the European Economic Recovery Plan and also the future of the Lisbon Strategy. Today’s meeting confirmed that the Lisbon Strategy should pursue its original goal beyond 2010 – i.e. continue strengthening the EU’s competitiveness by increasing its innovative potential. The ministers also discussed ways to improve communication with the public on this issue.
"The Lisbon strategy is the Union's exit strategy from the current crisis. So Lisbon post-2010 cannot be about business as usual. We should keep the focus on growth and jobs – but these must be environmentally, socially and economically sustainable growth and jobs. The National Lisbon coordinators' role is crucial in helping to design the future Lisbon Strategy as well as in implementing it, so today's meeting has made an important contribution to ensuring Europe emerges stronger after the crisis”, said European Commission President J. M. Barroso.
“It is of key importance to incorporate the short-term measures into the long-term European structural reforms which constitute the only instrument that will allow Europe to be successful in the ever-intensifying global competition. However, this does not mean pouring funds into enterprises that do not have what it takes to survive this competition”, said Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Alexandr Vondra. “After all, the crisis is also an opportunity – it should motivate enterprises to innovate. Communication of the Lisbon Strategy has been beset with difficulties for a long time. Therefore, I have suggested today, as one of the measures to improve the communication, that the Lisbon Strategy should be renamed in the future, as people still tend to confuse it with the Lisbon Treaty”, added the Deputy Prime Minister.
Contact:
- Michaela Jelínková, Spokeswoman of the Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs
- Tel.: +420 224 002 796, GSM: +420 724 258 939, E-mail: eu-media@vlada.cz
Last update: 16.8.2011 15:31
