EU 2020: Can we afford another failed Lisbon Strategy?

Summary:

On 3rd of March 2010, the European Commission will publish its final proposal for the new EU 2020 strategy, which will replace the Lisbon Agenda. A few days ahead, we may ask: were lessons drawn from past mistakes? Does the current commission draft look different?

While the Commission remains focused on drafting a new agenda, little has been said about the almost complete failure of the Lisbon Strategy. The 2000 Lisbon declaration stated that the EU should become the "most competitive and dynamic knowledge based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth together with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion". Yet in 2010, the Lisbon agenda did all but accomplish its promises.