Schröder to urge economic rethink for Europe

Preview of the first day of the European Council in Brussels on 4 November 2004, at which German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder called for the European Union to back down from its goal of overtaking the US as the world's most competitive economy by 2010. EU Ministers were also due to debate a report, 'Facing the Challenge', by former Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok, on the EU's slow progress towards meeting the original target.

European Commission: Lisbon Strategy: Facing the challenge, Report from the High Level Group chaired by Wim Kok, 3.11.04 http://ec.europa.eu/comm/lisbon_strategy/pdf/2004-1866-EN-complet.pdf

---