Europe 2020 Programme
The Institute is fully participating in the debate about the future of the European Union, represented by the programme of meetings and seminars planned over the next year on Europe 2020.
An opportunity with historical importance has presented itself for a combination of leading figures and organisations to come together to work on maximising the benefits of Europe 2020 with the Institute for Innovative Progress (I2P) acting as the catalyst and platform for this initiative. I2P will not just seek to deliver a series of conferences but also the necessary added value to effectively fast track Europe 2020.
We intend to involve as many stakeholders as possible in the process, in a catalytic combination with other European think-tanks as well as leading institutes and figures from the academic world.
If Europe is not to be the victim of economic transformation, Europe must transform herself. Nothing less than the viability of Europe, economically, socially and politically is at stake. The Europe 2020 Programme of I2P seeks a key role in this process.
The importance of the work cannot be underestimated given the intense discussion about the perceived failures of the Lisbon Process. The ongoing and unconvincing re-launches during the Lisbon Process must be avoided at all costs. Europe 2020 is to “address the main bottlenecks constraining growth at national and at EU level, including those related to the working of the internal market and infrastructure”.
The Programme will seek to analyse the location of bottlenecks in more detail and then to produce proposals for dealing with them on an accelerated timescale. Europe 2020 must be brought closer to European citizens, fostering their active participation.
Focal points
The primary points will first be the three growth pillars of the Europe 2020 Programme
Smart Growth Sustainable Growth Inclusive Growth
The secondary points will be the seven policy areas laid out in the Europe 2020 document.
Smart Innovation Education Digital society
Sustainable Climate, Energy and Mobility Competitiveness
Inclusive Employment and Skills Fighting Poverty
Form of the Programme
The timeline expected by the Commission can be seen here. Other key dates are the delayed discussion of innovation policy by the Council in October 2010, and early in 2011 discussing energy policy. The Council during the Hungarian Presidency in the first half of 2011 will also be considering issues under the third pillar
The I2P Programme will therefore be launched with a meeting in Brussels just prior to the discussion of innovation in October with a meeting related to the first pillar. The centre piece of the start-up of the on-going I2P Programme will be a conference in Oxford, the ideal location to deliver the objectives outlined above, as well as being neutral ground for all stakeholders, generating dispassionate and ground breaking solutions.
The Conference will have seven lead speakers on the key elements of Europe 2020 which will then lead into seven seminar sessions, each with a chairperson expert in the field, who will then give a resume of the sessions in a plenary session. There will be then further break-out sessions to consider the global picture of Europe 2020, as has developed, and then a final plenary. The key to the success of the conference will be the cross-fertilisation of ideas from various specialist fields.
After the conference in Oxford results will then be presented at two further meetings associated with meetings of the Council on energy policy and social issues.
Seven working groups, based on the seven key policy areas, will be set up after the conference to consider policy implications of Europe 2020 and to make proposals for future activities. These will be dynamic and multi-national using all modern methods of communication for collaborative working.
Indicators
One important area of ongoing activity will be to ascertain the degree to which Europe 2020 is actually working rather than being dependant on evidence of anecdotal nature, often depending on political viewpoint. Work on appropriate and actionable indicators will be a key part of the programme. The Council conclusions of 25/26 March 2010 underline the importance of effective data collection and indicators.
The five targets of Europe 2020.
- 75 % of the population aged 20-64 should be employed.
- 3% of the EU's GDP should be invested in R&D.
- The "20/20/20" climate/energy targets should be met.
- The share of early school leavers should be under 10% and at least 40% of the younger generation should have a degree or diploma. .
- 20 million less people should be at risk of poverty.
Europe 2020 Discussion Forum on Linkedin.
