Outlook opinion of the Committee of the Regions on The Lisbon Growth and Jobs Strategy
Date: 2008-11-26
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: EU employment policy, EU programme, competitiveness, economic growth, environmental protection, innovation, job access, research

C 76/14

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

31.3.2009

Outlook opinion of the Committee of the Regions on ‘The Lisbon Growth and Jobs Strategy’

(2009/C 76/03)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

— Reiterates the importance of a European strategy which can support economic growth and jobs, based
on innovation, research and competitiveness, especially in view of the current crisis on financial
markets and its likely impact on the real economy. The strategy must at the same time become
increasingly sustainable by both safeguarding the principles of cohesion and mutual support and
protecting the environment

— Notes that, despite its call for a European partnership, the Strategy for Growth and Jobs relaunched in
2005 by the Spring European Council has not succeeded in involving to the necessary extent the insti-
tutional players with a key role to play in its implementation; and points out that the Spring European
council recognised ‘the role of the local and regional level in delivering growth and jobs’ and that
‘increased ownership of the growth and jobs agenda at all levels of government will lead to more
coherent and effective policy-making’

— Notes that this deficit of the above-mentioned ownership of the growth and jobs strategy is at the
root of failure to convert the Lisbon objectives into integrated policies at all levels of government, and
that this has led to processes which are not always the most effective as regards use of the production,
financial, human and social resources earmarked for the achievement of the objectives of economic
growth and better jobs

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Rapporteur:

Flavio DELBONO (IT/ALDE), Regional councillor and vice-president of the Emilia Romagna
Region

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

1.
Takes note of the growing disparity between European
and world economic growth, particularly as a result of changing
conditions brought about by globalisation of markets;

2.
Reiterates the importance of a European strategy which
can support economic growth and jobs, based on innovation,
research and competitiveness, especially in view of the current
crisis on financial markets and its likely impact on the real
economy. The strategy must at the same time become increas-
ingly sustainable by both safeguarding the principles of cohesion
and mutual support and protecting the environment;

3.
Notes that, despite its call for a European partnership, the
Strategy for Growth and Jobs relaunched in 2005 by the Spring
European Council has not succeeded in involving to the neces-
sary extent the institutional players with a key role to play in its
implementation; and points out
the Spring European
council recognised ‘the role of the local and regional level in
delivering growth and jobs’ and that ‘increased ownership of the
growth and jobs agenda at all levels of government will lead to
more coherent and effective policy-making’;

that

Points out in particular that the work of the Lisbon Moni-
4.
toring Platform has revealed a ‘Lisbon paradox’:
local and
regional authorities (LRAs) play a major role in the growth and
jobs strategy (education, innovation, research at a local/regional
level), but in many cases do not perceive this to be part of the
Lisbon Strategy (lack of economies of scale/scope), nor do a
majority of them feel that the Lisbon Strategy is really useful for
them;

flexible

Assumes

that efficient

implementation of

and multidimensional

5.
the Lisbon
Strategy can only be achieved if local and regional areas have
the robust capacity to generate, attract and harness human
trained
skills,
resources,
researchers and high-level specialists;
if they are governed by
models for behaviour, values, trust-based relations and organisa-
tional ability facilitating interaction and cooperation between
officials and businesses, an effectively operating market and
quality of
if they are properly and sufficiently equipped
with tangible and intangible infrastructure; and if they have
credible and efficient institutions;

life;

6.
Notes that this deficit of the above-mentioned ownership
of the growth and jobs strategy is at the root of failure to
convert the Lisbon objectives into integrated policies at all levels
of government, and that this has led to processes which are not
always the most effective as regards use of
the production,
financial, human and social resources earmarked for the achieve-
ment of the objectives of economic growth and better jobs;

7.
Reiterates the statements recently made by the Committee
of the Regions in a number of opinions on the Lisbon Strategy,
as regards:

— coordination between Structural Funds and other relevant
European programmes, such as the Competitiveness and
Innovation Programme (CIP), the 7th Research Framework
Programme and the Lifelong-Learning Programmes (LLL), to
maximise European added value and involve regional and
local authorities (Resolution of 7 February 2008 to be
submitted to the 2008 Spring European Council);

— new types of links between public administrations, universi-
ties, research centres and businesses (Opinion of 18-19 June
2008 on Clusters and cluster policy;

— improving SME access to funding and participation in Com-
munity programmes (Opinion of 13-14 February 2007 on
Financing SME growth);

— integrated

implementation of

inclusion policy
measures at local, regional, national and EU levels (Opinion
of 18-19 June 2008 on Active inclusion);

active

— improvement and enhancement of education and training
systems, which are key factors in developing the long-term
competitiveness of the EU (Opinion of 9-10 April 2008 on
Full involvement of young people in society);

— the role of local and regional authorities in implementing
flexicurity policy (Opinion of 6-7 February 2008 on Flexi-
curity);

implementing

— the role of social services of general interest (SSGI) and their
Lisbon objectives
contribution to
(Opinion of 6 December 2006 on the Communication from
the Commission — Implementing the Community Lisbon
programme — Social services of general
in the
European Union);

interest

the

— a more integrated Single Market as a dynamic instrument for
European social and economic growth (Opinion of 23 March
2007 on The future of the single market and stocktaking of
European society);

— reforming the budget, changing Europe

(own-initiative

opinion of 10 April 2008, CdR 16/2008 fin);

— new prospects for creating and consolidating a European

Research Area (CdR 83/2007 fin);

— support for research and innovation in the EU's regions

(CdR 263/2007);

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8.

Therefore stresses the need for:

— better coordination of growth and jobs policies at different

levels of governance;

— integrated growth and jobs policy at all

levels (integrated

into all policy activities);

— multi-level governance

agreements: written agreements,
regular consultation and coordination of policy agendas
between the different levels of governance;

RECOMMENDATIONS
2008-2010

FOR

THE GOVERNANCE

CYCLE

Having regard to the current partnership between the
European Commission and Member State governments on
implementing the Lisbon Strategy, the Committee of the
Regions

Advises that,

if the Strategy is to succeed, the different
9.
levels of government need to put into practice their decisions
laid down in the Spring European Council's guidelines, coordi-
nating their agendas in the relevant policy areas to achieve a
more integrated approach and make policy-making more effec-
tive. In this context, multi-level governance agreements should
be encouraged;

(e.g. Lisbon Regions Network)

Encourages EU LRAs and associations and networks
10.
thereof
to step outside their
formal remits and, in the context of the Strategy, launch tangible
policies and initiatives to give direction to economic and social
operators and support
them in pursuing the objectives of
growth and jobs;

and regional authorities has been sporadic. This situation
therefore needs to be stressed in the Commission's annual
report;

Calls on the Commission to review more exhaustively
12.
the state of play in its annual report
to be published in
December 2008, carrying out a systematic, country-by-country
analysis of the role and participation of LRAs in governance of
the Strategy;

Calls on the 2009 Spring European Council to encourage
13.
the widest possible dissemination of integrated policy-making
and multi-level governance tools as a permanent policy-making
feature throughout the EU, from now to 2010 and beyond;

14.
Renews its commitment to contribute to the success of
the Strategy both by monitoring its implementation at regional
and local level and by actively supporting national audits, not
least through its national delegations;

15. Moreover, calls on the Commission and the institutions
at all
levels to step up communication endeavours, both to
inform local and regional authorities about policies and
programmes developed, not least with the aim of funding initia-
tives and programmes which are in line with the Lisbon objec-
tives, and to inform the public about
the
Strategy for Growth and Jobs can have on daily life, raising
awareness of what European initiatives can do;

the impact

that

PERSPECTIVES POST-2010

Ongoing international change and the fact

16.
the
Lisbon Strategy has not been fully implemented call for a broad
reflection on the approach that future Community initiatives for
more growth and better jobs should take;

that

11.
Calls upon the national governments of the EU 27 to
involve their country's regional and local authorities in the
implementation of the Lisbon Strategy more effectively from the
beginning to its final period. This could be achieved by:

17.
Views prompt and coordinated action by the European
Union to safeguard and regulate financial markets as a key
prerequisite for growth and employment.

level

‘country audits’ at national

— making national ‘Mr Lisbons’ responsible for holding a series
of
in cooperation with
regional and local governments and their associations, to
review the state of play, exchange good practices and assess
the need for further policy measures; they would also iden-
tify areas for action and instruments in the area of govern-
ance to further enhance participation by local and regional
authorities in implementation of the Lisbon strategy. Results
from these audits should be included in the National Reform
Programmes (NRPs) to be submitted to the Commission;

The Committee of the Regions

18.
Calls for a broad reflection and debate to be opened
involving in a practical way all stakeholders, whose contribution
is decisive for the achievement of the objectives, on:

— the priorities of the Strategy, which is currently too wide-
ranging and therefore too vague as regards its objectives: the
large number of objectives requires clear prioritisation. How
many objectives should there be?

— viewing the National Progress Reports that each Member
State is to submit to the European Commission by mid-
October as an opportunity to assess the involvement of
local and regional authorities in the implementation of the
Lisbon Strategy.
the
national reports carried out each year by the Committee of
the Regions has thus far revealed that involvement of local

In this connection,

the analysis of

— the most effective and efficient procedures,

initiatives and
measures for achieving these objectives, given the current
including
remits of
the Structural
methods used for other programmes (e.g.
Funds
framework
research and development
programme). How to pursue them successfully?

levels of government,

the various

and the

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— the Strategy's costs and how to optimise use of environ-
mental and economic resources, thus protecting the environ-
ment and the climate. How to deal with trade-offs?

— the need to reconcile more competitiveness initiatives with
the European project's fundamental objective of supporting
economic, social and territorial cohesion, which is a winning
factor. How to achieve both competitiveness and cohesion?

renewed efforts

23.
Aware of the importance of the single market as a pre-
requisite for a genuine, effective competitiveness strategy, calls
for
to implement all measures aimed at
completing the single market; moreover, calls for the local and
regional dimension to be highlighted with a view to giving
SMEs greater competitive capacity through competitive harnes-
sing of local and regional diversity;

For its part, the CoR

Notes the need to focus implementation of the European
19.
Strategy for Growth and Jobs on research and innovation-based
competitiveness, which is the key to making the EU economic
and trade area genuinely competitive internationally and to rede-
fining the internal job market in terms of quantity and quality
of work. At the same time, measures to promote SME competi-
tiveness and achieve better lawmaking must be continued. The
social and environmental, in addition to economic, sustainability
of growth must remain the main parameter in establishing
arrangements for pursuing the competitiveness objective;

20.
Suggests developing the Community approach no longer
as a broad strategy but as a structured set of coordinated, inte-
grated policies, which would give it greater, further-reaching
impact;

21.
Stresses the need for more effective Community deci-
sion-making, as regards drawing up, coordinating and imple-
menting the policies and programmes that will make up the
new competitiveness agenda. At the same time, national compe-
tences must be preserved, in compliance with the subsidiarity
principle. In this connection, it is to be hoped that the review of
the Community budget will
include major decisions that will
facilitate competitiveness policies, both looking at the amounts
earmarked and ensuring close coordination between the policies
themselves. Where this would fall within Member States' remits,
the European Union and its Member States must introduce
effective tools for decision-making and coordination between
different
the
policies;

levels of governance to ensure the success of

24.
In implementing a genuine, effective competitiveness
strategy, particular efforts must be made to reduce the number
of work accidents;

25.
Stresses the need for an active European energy policy in
the areas of production, consumption and supply by gradually
reducing energy dependence on third countries; this is essential
to support the competitiveness of Europe's businesses, especially
SMEs, and to maintain an appropriate quality of
life for its
people;

26.
Highlights the need to be proactive and use a variety of
methods to promote new jobs for women, bearing in mind that
the measures adopted in this area must be shaped by the
Member States or by local and regional authorities, in accord-
ance with their responsibilities. Empirical evidence suggests that
female labour is more sensitive to net salary than male labour
and that in some circumstances some form of incentives for
new jobs for women might help to bridge the substantial gap
that persists in many countries with regard to the Lisbon
objectives;

27. Warns that,
in addition to combating the impact of
population decline in many regions, action is urgently needed to
address the demographic problem caused by the ageing popula-
tion in the EU, which requires a new welfare deal for families as
immigration policy which also takes into
well as a careful
account human and social needs.
Immigration policies are
required which encourage immigration not just of executives
and professional and managerial staff but also, where necessary,
of unskilled workers who can support SME production,
depending on the needs of individual Member States and/or of
local and regional authorities. Social and economic globalisation
leaves no room for the sort of attitudes that have often led to
unlawful practices in the labour market;

In this connection, in particular

in applied research. All

Points out the need for assiduous measures to increase
22.
and enhance investment
levels of
government must work together to stimulate and support the
myriad of SMEs in their quest for investment procedures which,
while safeguarding the competitiveness of businesses in the
springboard them onto international
internal market, will
markets. Public investment in basic research must go hand in
hand with substantial private investment in applied research
into product and process innovation;

Points out the importance of high-level scientific educa-
28.
tion, but also of primary, secondary, vocational and further
education, which is essential for opening paths to subsequent
high-level training and creates the conditions and opportunities
for increased participation, also for women,
in working and
productive life. To this end, efforts should be stepped up to
bring about real reductions in early school-leaving;

29.
In view of the above, stresses the need for the funda-
mental values of the European project to remain a point of
reference;

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30.
Therefore draws attention to the importance of the Euro-
pean social model and the European Social Agenda, together
with the Bologna Process and the Copenhagen Process in the
the
field of education and training. Despite their diversity,
national systems share common foundations and principles
which shape a shared understanding of social progress, and
within this shared notion of social progress the social actors,
local communities, groups,
local and regional authorities and
civil organisations play an increasingly important role;

Recalls the commitment

31.
to environmental protection,
through both local measures and global initiatives, particularly
in connection with the Kyoto Protocol on climate change;
in
this regard, stresses the importance for local and regional stake-
holders of the Commission's ‘sustainability package’, and in par-
ticular the Communication on the sustainable industrial policy
action plan as an integrated strategy to help the EU economy
become not only more competitive but also more environmen-
tally sustainable;

32.
Points out, moreover, that local knowledge is crucial for
adapting the Lisbon objectives for local and regional implemen-
tation, and that a shared statistics system and a facility for inter-
preting indicators must therefore be developed at local and
regional level as well;

33.
Suggests that the Strategy be implemented post-2010 on
the basis of
improved governance which can give European
fresh
endeavours
to promote economic growth and jobs
impetus and vigour. This governance must be able to surmount

Brussels, 26 November 2008.

the difficulties of current mechanisms (open method of coordi-
nation, agreement of benchmarks, structural indicators and addi-
tional technical improvements;

34.

This governance should be based on:

— better evaluated, better differentiated, clearly worded and

better targeted objectives;

— a timetable synchronised with that of the next European

legislature (2009-2014);

— clearer and more sustainable mobilisation of EC legal and

financial tools;

— more vigorous incentives for Member States to act, and

greater involvement of national political leaders;

— an active role for LRAs in all phases of the policy cycle
(identification of needs, plans, implementation, monitoring
and evaluation), whereby they can ensure integration and
adaptation between local and regional bodies, different local
and regional policies and European Union objectives;

The Committee of the Regions will make further contri-
35.
butions to the debate with a view to the decisions that will have
to be taken regarding future European growth and jobs policy
after 2010. To this end, the Committee of the Regions will also
look into the possibility of setting up a CoR working group to
exchange views with the Community institutions on these
matters.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Luc VAN DEN BRANDE