Back in 2010, the European Commission announced a ‘Europe 2020 strategy for growth and jobs’. By 2020, the EU was to achieve smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. It would get there by aiming for ambitious targets in key areas like employment, research and innovation, education, poverty reduction, environment and energy. Then came the biggest economic crisis in 70 years. So where are we now? Should we remain on the same path?

A Commission policy paper published in March takes a look at Europe’s progress, without stating what changes might be made. Instead, the Commission wants to know what Europeans think – what should the EU’s post-crisis growth strategy look like? This means setting up a public consultation and getting people and organisations to take part.

The aim of the public consultation is to learn from the first four years of the Europe 2020 strategy and to make sure it is an effective post-crisis strategy for growth and jobs in Europe. It covers the scope, nature, instruments, ownership and delivery, and will provide important evidence for the mid-term review of the strategy, scheduled for 2015.

Usually, EU consultations cover a single policy but this one is different; it covers a vast range of issues. The same goes for the people who may want to take part – everyone from employers, trade unions, NGOs, environmentalists, think tanks and politicians.

Malta, like all other EU member states, has set national targets for each of the priority areas (see box). By 2020, it targets an employment rate of 70 per cent, investment in research and development to amount to 2 per cent of GDP, greenhouse gas emissions to increase by no more than 5 per cent over 2005 levels, renewables to account for 10 per cent of Malta’s energy complement, a reduction of 0.24 million tonnes of energy consumption over 2010 levels, a reduction in the rate of early school leavers to below 10 per cent, an increase in the proportion of the population with tertiary level (or equivalent) education to at least 33 per cent, and lastly to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion by 6,560 people.

Progress on the Europe 2020 strategy is monitored during the European Semester, the EU’s calendar for coordinating economic, budgetary and social policies. The targets of the strategy are embedded in the various steps of the European Semester, integrated in the country-specific recommendations addressed to member states. These were published by the Commission this year on June 2 and approved by finance ministers on July 8.

Europe 2020 is supported by the single market, the EU’s budget framework and its trade agenda. It is also strengthened by seven flagship initiatives, which are projects in areas that are important engines for growth: a digital agenda for Europe; the Innovation Union; Youth on the Move; a resource-efficient Europe; an industrial policy for the globalisation era; an agenda for new skills and jobs; and the European platform against poverty.

Malta, like all other EU member states, has set national targets

The strategy is a partnership between the EU and its member states, and its success depends on the commitment and involvement of national governments, parliaments, local and regional authorities, social partners, stakeholders and civil society. That’s why it is crucial to get the views of all those involved in the implementation of the strategy, and learn from their experiences and best practices.

The Commission’s communication published last March, ‘Taking stock of the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’, looks closely at the implementation of the strategy at EU and national level, and lays the foundations for the public consultation.

It found that progress on the 2020 targets has been mixed. The EU is on course to meet or come close to its education, climate and energy targets, but – given the magnitude of the challenges – it is off-course on its employment, research and development and poverty reduction goals. However, the results and forecasts vary widely across member states. Country-by-country data on the Europe 2020 targets is also available in the annexes to the March Communication.

The Commission will draw on the contributions it receives during the public consultation, which is open till October 31, 2014, when it presents proposals for the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 strategy early in 2015.

This will be followed by a discussion at next year’s spring European Council.

You can participate in the Europe 2020 public consultation through the following link:

http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/public-consultation/index_en.htm

Europe 2020

The Europe 2020 strategy sets out a vision for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth for Europe by 2020. This is based on five headline targets:

• To have at least 75 per cent of people aged 20-64 in employment by 2020;

• To invest 3 per cent of GDP in research and development by 2020;

• To cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 per cent, increase the share of renewables to 20 per cent and improve energy efficiency by 20 per cent by 2020;

• To reduce school drop-out rates to below 10 per cent and increase the share of young people with a third-level degree or diploma to at least 40 per cent by 2020; and

• To ensure that 20 million fewer people are at risk of poverty or social exclusion by 2020.

Diane Spiteri is the acting head of the European Commission Representation in Malta.