Resolution of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘the Lisbon Strategy’
Date: 2003-12-10
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: EC recommendation, European social policy, economic policy, social dialogue (EU), vocational training

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Official Journal of the European Union

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II

(Preparatory Acts)

EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE

404TH PLENARY SESSION, 10 AND 11 DECEMBER 2003

Resolution of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘the Lisbon Strategy’

(2004/C 112/01)

In a letter from Vice-President Loyola de Palacio the Commission invited the European Economic and
Social Committee in accordance with Article 262 of the Treaty establishing the European Community to
draw up an exploratory opinion on the overall impact of the Lisbon Strategy to date tied in with the long
term outlook and offering a qualitative assessment of progress made in implementing the strategy.

In considering its position the Committee organised a major conference to collect together the views of
organised civil society in Europe on progress to date and what needs to be done in future (Appendix I).

At its 404th plenary session held on 10 and 11 December 2003 (meeting of 10 December), the European
Economic and Social Committee adopted the following Resolution by 116 votes to 37, with 7 abstentions.

1. Resolution

— more effective dialogue between the EU institutions, the
Member States, economic circles and the social partners;

1.1
The Committee would stress that the Lisbon Strategy
will not achieve its objectives of international competitiveness,
economic, social and environmental progress and sustainable
development without a comprehensive review of the method,
the institutional and political arrangements and the cooperation
instruments tasked with their delivery.

— better division of

responsibility in implementing the
reforms between, on the one hand, the European, national
and regional level and, on the other, the public, private and
associative sector.

The EESC particularly recognises

1.1.1
the Lisbon
strategy is more complex, more multi-dimensional and more
diffuse in its implications than any previous specific ambition
in terms of achieving results for the European Union.

that

1.2
In order to address this, the Committee proposes a more
dynamic approach, which, at institutional level, would take the
form of reinforced coordination to secure renewed economic
growth in Europe, based on adequate regard for economic,
social and environmental concerns, with a constant interplay
between these factors, i.e. on sustainable development and a
competitive European system.

1.3

The Committee suggests:

— a macroeconomic policy conducive to such a strategy,
through greater coordination between the Member States
and the Community institutions;

1.4
This reinforced coordination, which does not require the
Treaties to be amended, presupposes cooperation and emula-
tion between Member States on the Lisbon Strategy objectives,
a responsible innovative commitment to macroeconomic poli-
cies, and a cooperative approach to individual implementation
policies for the structural reforms.

the

single

currency,

In addition to the need to comply with the Stability Pact,
1.5
which is based on the reliability of the Member States in
defending
an integrated European
economic growth policy remains a priority. This will require a
means of applying the Stability and Growth Pact for the euro-
the Lisbon
zone,
Strategy. Moreover, tax policies will have to be brought closer
in line to secure the competitiveness an open economy needs,
whilst ensuring social sustainability.

to encourage better

implementation of

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The first concern of

1.6
this integrated economic policy
must be to create the conditions for a major relaunch of
economic activity in Europe. The Committee supports the
objective – already the subject of several recent proposals – to
create a European growth initiative to encourage trans-Euro-
pean investment, particularly in infrastructure (energy, trans-
port and ICT), research and training, to improve labour market
performance, and also social protection systems, within a
framework of sustainable development.

2.5
To succeed, the Lisbon strategy must not only secure the
genuine commitment of the European institutions and Member
States, but must also:

— be properly understood and accepted by the public, which

means raising its profile and improving its credibility;

— involve the socio-occupational players

in participatory

democracy.

The Committee would reiterate the need to speed up the
1.7
completion of the single market, in tandem with enlargement.
This particularly applies to public procurement, various types
of services, and legislative and administrative simplification.
to develop a genuinely independent growth
The aim is
capability which Europe currently lacks, by making full use of
the potential of this extensive and technologically advanced
integrated economic area.

3. Committee recommendations

3.1 at European level:

2. The role of civil society

The Committee would stress that dialogue with and
2.1
amongst the social partners at European and national level is
crucial to delivering the reforms, particularly those designed to
improve education and training,
labour market performance,
and also social protection systems, whilst ensuring they are
sustainable.

From the outset, the Lisbon European Council mandate
2.2
for the implementation of the multi-annual strategy emphasised
the priority role that fell to private sector initiatives and a new
partnership between the State and civil society. Civil society
organisations should participate fully in the open method of
coordination set out in this strategy.

2.3 With preparations under way for the new treaty on
European integration, which will follow enlargement in 2004,
the Committee has strongly supported the European Conven-
tion's insertion of a reference to the role of participatory
democracy, facilitated by civil society players, to complement
but not replace representative democracy.

2.4
The vertical view of subsidiarity (distinguishing between
European, national, regional and local competences) should be
complemented by a horizontal or functional view (distin-
guishing between issues that are mainly the preserve of govern-
ment authorities and others that concern the direct, and at
times autonomous,
involvement of civil society, namely the
private sector, the social partners, socio-occupational groups
and non-profit associations).

interest groups and the social partners,

— improving the European institutions' consultation of socio-
occupational
in
order to develop a permanent European dialogue on the
Lisbon strategy's various joint guidelines and action plans,
and ensuring better consideration and reconciliation of the
imperatives of economic competitiveness, social progress,
and sustainable development;

— actively involving the social partners in the implementation
of the multiannual social dialogue programme they agreed,
with a view to their drawing up European agreements in
fields relevant to the Lisbon strategy;

— highlighting this

and the
contribution of the European social partners in the Euro-
pean Commission's annual report to the Spring summit;

socio-occupational dialogue

3.2 at national, regional and local level:

— developing socio-occupational consultation and dialogue in
parallel with the launch of a public information campaign
and a debate on the whys and wherefores of the reforms set
in motion under the Lisbon strategy;

— securing a dialogue and the contractual involvement of the
social partners in their areas of responsibility, in line with
the various cultures and economic and social backdrops, to
produce national action plans;

— highlighting the contributions of civil society, and in par-
ticular those of the social partners, in the Member States'
annual reports to the Spring summit; this would facilitate
wider dissemination of best practice in these areas;

— establishing a real dialogue at regional and local levels. This
is the best way of ensuring effective participation by
economic and social actors in order to make the most of
local potential in terms of human resources, entrepreneurial
spirit, cultural heritage and natural resources.

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3.2.1
Governments and other official agencies can contribute
to enhanced competitiveness by stepping up those policies and
services that help to enhance the performance of businesses
and other organisations.

3.2.2
The EESC endorses the need for more focused efforts,
including the use of fiscal incentives, with the following objec-
tives:

— enhancing the supply of young people with ‘knowledge

industry’ skills;

— promoting retraining opportunities to the new skills for all

adults;

— expanding the R&D capacity of institutes of higher educa-
tion and research departments of business organisations;

— incentives to reduce the risk and enhance the gains from

innovation;

— incentives to minimise waste and encourage recycling;

— incentives to reduce gaseous emissions or other pollutants;

Brussels, 10 December 2003.

3.3 regarding the EESC's role

For its part, the Committee intends to keep a watching brief on
progress in the implementation of the Lisbon strategy, in par-
ticular by:

— helping to develop public dialogue, directly involving civil

society representatives in the evaluation process;

— holding close consultations on implementation of

the
strategy with the national economic and social councils and
similar organisations. At their meeting in Madrid on 28
November 2003, the Presidents of the Economic and Social
Councils of the Member States and of the EESC decided to
initiate joint discussions in order to make a joint contribu-
tion to the 2005 European Spring Council under the
Luxembourg Presidency;

— promoting the dissemination of European and national
initiatives from the socio-occupational domain and the
social partners that have contributed to the successful
implementation of the Lisbon strategy;

— on this basis, continuing to submit an evaluation report
every year for the Spring summit on progress in the imple-
mentation of the Lisbon strategy.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Roger BRIESCH