Countries target growth and jobs

By Anna McLauchlin

Date: 20/10/05

All member states are expected to file national plans for boosting growth and jobs by next week, a European Commission spokesman said yesterday (19 October).

Eleven member states - Finland, the UK, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Spain, the Netherlands, Estonia, Austria and Greece - have now submitted their national reform programmes. These present a three-year strategy to boost growth and jobs.

The Commission originally asked member states to deliver a 30-40 page report explaining how they will create more economic growth and jobs by 15 October to allow the EU executive time to compile a report on the programmes in January.

But by the deadline - which spokesman Gregor Kreuzhuber emphasised was not a legal one - only eight member states had presented their reports. Germany and Poland, who had recently had national elections, are expected to be taking longer.

Article reports that according to the European Commission all EU Member states were expected to file national plans for boosting growth and jobs by the week ending 29 October 2005.