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The European Commission has published a communication on the results of the public consultation on the Europe 2020 as part of the mid-term review of the strategy, eliciting mixed feelings from Social Platform.

There are a number of positive elements of the communication, including the acknowledgment of the headline targets of the Europe 2020 Strategy being equally important, interdependent and mutually reinforcing as well as the need for better involvement of civil society. The results of the consultation are also showing a lack of ambition at national level to reach the EU targets and the need to improve the delivery and implementation of the strategy. Despite this, the communication seems to mirror the apparent mantra of the European Commission: investment and structural reforms for jobs and growth. The Commission considers the review of the strategy as an opportunity to align it with the priorities of the new Commission, instead of adapting the Commission’s priorities to complement the goals of the strategy.

While we agree that jobs and growth are indeed important for the EU, they should not be the blind goal of the European Commission in spite of their social impact. Instead, the Commission should place emphasis on the need for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth which includes supporting social cohesion and social inclusion beyond employment, as per the original intention of the Europe 2020 Strategy.

Another concern raised by the communication is the future of the flagship projects launched under the auspices of the Europe 2020 Strategy, such as the European Platform Against Poverty and Social Exclusion (EPAP). While we do not argue that the visibility and impact of the flagship projects have been unsatisfactory and they certainly need reworking, the communication indicates that they have “served their purpose.” Clarification is needed on this point as the communication currently suggests that the flagship projects could be abolished altogether and replaced by more coherently organised overarching policy programmes. However, what this would encompass is unclear.

Based on the outcome of the public consultation as well as contributions from the European Parliament and the Council, the Commission says it will present proposals for the review of the Strategy before the end of this year.

For further information please contact Herlinde Vanhooydonck, Policy & Advocacy Officer.