Europe 2020
Seeking to move beyond the current economic crisis and building the foundations for future prosperity and well-being, the Lisbon Council will intellectually accompany the EU 2020 strategy from its very beginning in 2010. We will contribute pro-actively to the reflection of this new policy strategy, serving as a unique platform for debate and discussion about the challenges we face – and the solutions at our disposal.
Among the highlights of our work on EU 2020-related issues are:
Blog on European Commission's Europe 2020 Communication
February 2010
Read Ann Mettler's response to the European Commission's Europe 2020 Communication here
Research Note on EU 2020
November 2009
In response to the European Commission public consultation on EU 2020, Ann Mettler published a research note, highlighting the pertinent innovations and noticable omissions.
Download research note
Editorial "EU 2020 Strategy Marks Brussels' Return to Policy and Substance"
November 2009
Writing on EurActiv, a leading EU news portal, Ann Mettler explains why the public consultation on the EU 2020 strategy marks an important turn-around in Brussels.
Read editorial
The 2009 Growth and Jobs Summit
March 2009
Meeting in the week leading up to the spring European Council, the Lisbon Council welcomed guests from around Europe for its annual Growth and Jobs Summit. Approaching the Lisbon Agenda’s 2010 deadline, this year’s gathering convened under the timely theme of Devising a Successful Strategy for the Next Decade. European Commission President José Manuel Barroso addressed the launch of The 2009 European Growth and Jobs Monitor, a publication produced jointly by the Lisbon Council and Allianz SE, along with Prof. Dr. Michael Heise, chief economist of Allianz SE. Other speakers included Žiga Turk, secretary-general of the Reflection Group on the Future of Europe, Aart de Geus, secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) and Jakub Dürr, Deputy Minister of Education of the Czech Republic, representing the current EU Presidency.
Download Žiga Turk’s presentation
Download Aart de Geus’ presentation
Download Michael Heise’s presentation
The 2008 Board of Economists Summit
October 2008
Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, delivered The 2008 Ludwig Erhard Lecture, the Lisbon Council’s flagship event on economic modernisation. Under the timely theme of Growth and Inflation in the Euro Area: The Importance of Productivity in the Services Sector, he made a compelling case for how a better functioning service market can contribute to growth and jobs. In a separate session, Marco Buti, acting director-general, briefed the economists on Europe’s economic outlook for 2009, and beyond.
Download Mr. Bini Smaghi’s Lecture
The 2008 Growth and Jobs Summit
March 2008
In the week leading up to the spring summit of EU leaders, the Lisbon Council hosted its fifth Growth and Jobs Summit. Convening under the theme Leading the Way, Managing the Risk, some 200 participants from 12 European countries spent the day discussing the state of the European economy and explored issues ranging from climate change to human capital. The Slovenian EU Presidency was represented by Žiga Turk, minister and national coordinator for the Lisbon Agenda. The highlight of the summit was an address by José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission. His remarks took place at the launch of The 2008 European Growth and Jobs Monitor, a leading competitiveness ranking developed jointly by the Lisbon Council and Allianz SE. Another highlight was a presentation on Measuring the Progress of Societies, an ambitious and innovative initiative spearheaded by the OECD to make the world of statistics more reflective of 21st century realities. Enrico Giovannini, chief statistician at the OECD, was on hand to lead the discussion.
Download President Barroso’s remarks
Download Žiga Turk’s remarks
Download presentation by Enrico Giovannini
Download presentation by Bart van Ark, Conference Board
The 2007 Jean Monnet Lecture
June 2007
In the week of the G8 summit in Heiligendamm and in the morning of a Eurogroup meeting, Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the European Central Bank, delivered The 2007 Jean Monnet Lecture. Under the headline “The Need for Structural Reforms in Europe,” President Trichet called on governments not to be complacent and to use times of economic growth and receding unemployment to lay the ground for a successful, prosperous future.
Download Jean-Claude Trichet's remarks
The 2007 Growth and Jobs Summit
February 2007
On the eve of the spring European Council on 8-9 March, the Lisbon Council convened its annual reform summit. Dubbed The 2007 Growth and Jobs Summit, the gathering focused on human capital, consumer policy and the way forward on the Lisbon Agenda. Highlights included interventions from Michael Glos, minister of economy and technology of Germany and chairman of the Competitiveness Council; Meglena Kuneva, European commissioner for consumer protection, and Angel Gurría, secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). Together with Allianz SE, the Lisbon Council also launched a new policy brief, The European Growth and Jobs Monitor.
Download the European Growth and Jobs Monitor
Download Angel Gurría’s remarks
Download Meglena Kuneva’s remarks
Download Michael Glos’ remarks in German, English or French
Leszek Balcerowicz delivers The 2006 Robert Schuman Lecture
January 2006
The Lisbon Council invited Leszek Balcerowicz, president of the National Bank of Poland and one of Europe’s most respected and successful reformers to deliver The 2006 Robert Schuman Lecture on “The Lessons of Catching Up.” One and a half years after Europe’s historic enlargement to the East, Professor Balcerowicz later met privately with the Lisbon Council Board of Economists to discuss the progress of convergence and the policy lessons to be drawn in the old and new EU.
Download Professor Balcerowicz’ presentation slides
IMF chief economist discusses “Getting Europe Moving Again”
December 2005
Raghuram Rajan, chief economist and director of research at the International Monetary Fund, delivered The 2005 Ludwig Erhard Lecture and briefed the Lisbon Council Board of Economists. In a wide-ranging talk on “Getting Europe Moving Again: Concrete Proposals for Reform, Prosperity and Renewal,” Professor Rajan brought a vital message to the Lisbon Council, explaining in detail – and comparing across continents – how successful reforms can be brought about.
Download Professor Rajan's presentation slides
Jobs of the Future
November 2005
Building on its earlier work on jobs, growth and employment, and after high-level brainstorming sessions in Brussels and London, the Lisbon Council and Accenture published a landmark study on Jobs of the Future – an effort to chart a course for the European economy towards the forefront of 21st century global economic developments. The study especially examines the role that high value-added work can play in restoring equilibrium to Europe’s job market, where our researchers estimate that as many as 14 million jobs can be created and sustained in the next decade – provided that regulatory and investment policies are properly conceived and well executed.
Download the report
Ageing and Employment: Unleashing an Untapped Resource
October 2005
The Lisbon Council hosted a lunch debate on Ageing and Employment which featured Martine Durand, deputy-director, directorate for employment, labour and social affairs, at the OECD and her colleague Mark Keese, senior economist, employment analysis at the OECD. The session served as a kick-off platform for the OECD’s Ageing and Employment Synthesis report, which was officially introduced at the High-Level Forum on Ageing and Employment Policies later that month. Participants at the lunch debate discussed ways of ending workforce discrimination against Europe’s mature workers.
Download the presentation slides
European Central Bank Vice-President on Structural Reform
December 2004
Twenty top economists, strategists and thought leaders convened in Brussels for the first Structural Reform Initiative, an intensive brainstorming on the policies it will take to make our society “fit for the future,” and the timing and scope of successful reform strategies. Lucas Papademos, vice-president of the European Central Bank kicked off the debate with The 2004 Ludwig Erhard Lecture. In his remarks, Mr. Papademos eloquently describes the challenges facing European society – and the measures that need to be taken to raise competitiveness and preserve the European social model.
Download Vice-President Papademos’ speech
Download Vice-President Papademos' presentation slides
Wim Kok on Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
January 2004
Wim Kok, former prime minister of the Netherlands and chairman of the employment taskforce of the European Commission, delivered The 2004 Robert Schuman Lecture. In a fascinating presentation, he detailed the conclusions of his authoritative report Jobs, Jobs, Jobs and called on EU member states to recognize the inherent social value in policies that create jobs. Following Mr. Kok’s address, a group of senior economists met for a workshop, analyzing comparative policy lessons of labour market reform, as well as global labour market trends.
