Competitiveness minister chairs Lisbon Strategy committee

The government has implemented changes in one of its most important Cabinet committees in order to better monitor Malta's targets towards attaining the EU's Lisbon Strategy goals.

Competitiveness and Communications Minister Censu Galea has been appointed by the Prime Minister as chairman of the Cabinet competitiveness committee which has now been specifically assigned to take charge of the monitoring and national coordination of the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy.

Mr Galea said the first meeting of the committee took place at the beginning of this week. During a debate to be held in Parliament next Wednesday, he will be giving details of how the committee will step up its activity in order to ensure that Malta moves towards the Lisbon Strategy targets.

Mr Galea said that in the coming weeks he planned to meet all the constituted bodies and social partners interested in the implementation of the Lisbon agenda.

Mr Galea took over the chairmanship of the competitiveness Cabinet committee from the Prime Minister. Originally, this committee was chaired by former Foreign Affairs Minister John Dalli.

The intention of implementing such changes was first announced last month following the EU leaders' summit in Brussels during which a review of the Lisbon Strategy was agreed. The Prime Minister had said Malta will be doing its utmost to set its targets till 2010 and reach them.

The EU's Lisbon Strategy plans to make the EU the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-driven economy by 2010. Thus, every member state is required to reach very demanding targets in various economic sectors.

As a next concrete step to re-launch the Lisbon Strategy, the EU Commission yesterday approved a new working document providing guidance to member states to draw up their respective national reform programmes.

The Commission is asking member states to publish their national programmes by not later than October 15.

Commission spokesman Gregor Kreuzhuber said during a press conference that as from next month the Commission will conduct a process of clarification and dialogue with member states through bilateral meetings.

In their national programmes member states are expected to identify the key priorities for action. The Commission said that where no action is proposed in relation to particular guidelines, member states are expected to justify why no action is needed. The programme should also explain the role of the national reform programmes in the domestic context and the contributions and responsibilities of the main stakeholders involved, in particular public authorities and social partners at all levels.

The Commission said that in order to make the refocusing of the Lisbon Strategy effective, the European Council in March called for improved governance at EU and national level on the basis of a new partnership with member states and far reaching simplification.

This new cycle of governance is based on a three-year cycle starting this year and which has to be renewed in 2008. The national reform programmes presented by member states will be subsequently assessed by the Commission which will adopt in January of next year its annual progress report. It may propose updates to the integrated guidelines and possibly country-specific recommendations as the basis for continuation of the cycle next year.