Lisbon Strategy achieves ’limited progress’ for European workers

Background on the Lisbon Strategy and Benchmarking Working Europe Reports

In March 2000, the European Union launched a "Lisbon Strategy" aimed at making the EU the most competitive economy in the world and achieving full employment by 2010. A list of targets has been drawn up with a view to attaining the goals set in 2000. The mid-term review held in 2005 lead to a refocus of efforts on the creation of more and better jobs.

Since 2000, the ETUC/ETUI has each year examined the state of working Europe and established the progress made in selected areas of importance to workers and to the development of Social Europe.

Findings of the Report

This year’s report provides an assessment of the different facets of Lisbon Strategy. It asks whether the EU is really moving in the direction of knowledge-based growth, examines whether the EU has witnessed the creation of more and better quality jobs and considers whether the Union is succeeding in attaining greater social cohesion.

The report highlights:

 The discrepancy between the initial targets set in 2000 and the results achieved so far. There has been only limited progress in the areas of lifelong learning, school drop-out rates and investment in research and development.

 Employment creation has risen, mainly through part-time and temporary jobs.

 The health status of workers is still worrying. 35% of workers (EU27), on average, perceive that work affects their health. This rate goes up to 50% in 11 of these countries. Low back pain has for many years been the classical complaint followed by muscular pain, fatigue, and stress: all of these are mentioned by more than a fifth of the workers. [1]

EPHA Comment

Through this Report it appears evident that the target of ’better jobs and social cohesion’ by 2010 set by the Lisbon Strategy is far from being achieved. The economic crisis should not be an excuse to decrease effort. When drafting the Strategy for the next decade, the EU must remember that a healthy population is essential for economic recovery and continued growth. The EU has a unique opportunity to develop a better Strategy based on more citizens-centred objectives and supported by comprehensive tools to achieve them.

For further information

 ETUI Report

EPHA related articles

 Updated: The Lisbon Strategy - a brief introduction
 The Kok report outlines what went wrong with the Lisbon Strategy