EPU, Alm.del - 2009-10 - Bilag 79: Henvendelse af 26/11-09 fra Europaudvalget, vedr. anmodning om udtalelse vedr. Kommissionens oplæg til EU 2020

COMMISSION WORKING DOCUMENTCONSULTATION ON THE FUTURE "EU 2020" STRATEGY(Text with EEA relevance)This is a time of deep transformation for EuropeThe worst economic and financial crisis in decades has hit Europe hard with a sharp economiccontraction. The unemployment rate is set to rise to double digit figures in 2010, a level notseen for a decade.Collective action to save the financial system and to boost demand and confidence throughpublic intervention has helped to prevent an economic meltdown. However, the crisis hasweakened our resilience. The EU now needs to make a stronger effort to work together tomake a successful exit from the crisis and to shape the next generation of public policies in avery different set of circumstances.The exit from the crisis should be the point of entry into a new sustainable social marketeconomy, a smarter, greener economy, where our prosperity will come from innovation andfrom using resources better, and where the key input will be knowledge. These new driversshould help us tap into new sources of sustainable growth and create new jobs to offset thehigher level of unemployment our societies are likely to face in the coming years. However,we will only succeed if we design and implement a bold policy response. Otherwise the risk isa period of low growth which can only make it harder for Europe to tackle the majorchallenges we face today.Delivering this sustainable growth requires agreement to an agenda that puts people andresponsibility first. The efforts of a decade which resulted in a reduction of unemploymentfrom 12% to 7% in the EU risk being undone by the crisis. We need new sources of growth toreplace the jobs lost in the crisis.This new approach needs to take advantage of a world of globalisation and interdependencewhich the crisis has underlined still further. The EU needs to work both at home an ininternational fora like the G20 to seize the new opportunities essential to reach our 2020objectives.EU 2020 is being designed as the successor to the current Lisbon Strategy, which has been theEU's reform strategy for the last decade and has helped the EU to weather the storm of therecent crisis. EU 2020 builds on its achievements as a partnership for growth and job creation,and renewing it to meet new challenges. It also draws on the benefits that have flowed fromthe coordinated response to the crisis in the European Economic Recovery Plan. TheCommission considers that EU 2020 should focus on key policy areas where collaborationbetween EU and Member States can deliver the best results, and on improved deliverythrough better use of the instruments at hand.The purpose of this consultation paper is to seek the views of the other Institutions andstakeholders on a new approach. The Commission intends to adopt a formal Communicationaddressed to the Spring European Council early in 2010. The successful delivery of the 2020

vision relies on a partnership for progress, combining Member States' commitment to takeaction at national level, and the harnessing of Community instruments to make the most of thepotential at EU level. In its Communication, the Commission will therefore set out both theaction it considers needs to be taken at national level, and the detailed proposals for actionthat it will propose at Community level.Recognising constraints and facing new challengesA successful EU 2020 strategy must be built on a good analysis of the constraints facingpolicy makers in the coming years, and on the correct identification of the challenges to betackled.The financial and economic crisis has taken a heavy toll on public finances, businesses,employment and households. At all levels, public policy makers will have to find ways oftriggering economic dynamism with limited budgetary margin for manoeuvre. As publicsector deficits are brought back under control, public expenditure needs to be reshaped inways that enable us to reach the 2020 vision. Cutting spending in forward-looking areas suchas education and research would make this more difficult to achieve.In developing a new vision and direction for EU policy, we need to recognise that conservingenergy, natural resources and raw materials, using them more efficiently and increasingproductivity will be the key drivers of the future competitiveness of our industry and oureconomies.We also need to recognise the challenge presented by European demography: even prior tothe crisis, the change in our demography, with a lower proportion of young people in theoverall population, was expected to result in a substantially reduced potential growth by 2020.The crisis has exacerbated the long-term social challenges Europe faces today, such as theintegration of an increasing immigrant population, social exclusion and child poverty, andsolidarity between generations in the context of an ageing society. In order to meet thesechallenges, employment rates of both men and women will have to rise rapidly and socialprotection systems will have to be modernised so that they provide an affordable response tothe future needs of our society.This implies that new policies must demonstrably contribute to social cohesion, tacklingunemployment and fostering social inclusion while securing well performing labour markets.This requires rethinking education systems and labour markets, enhancing mobility andboosting Europe’s dynamism to unleash our innovative and creative potential.The challenge of becoming a smarter, greener economy will require increased policycoordination to make the economy more competitive. Our social, economic andenvironmental objectives must go hand in hand if we are to deliver on our thematic prioritiesfor 2020. In this paper, the Commission is seeking views on how the EU can set its prioritiesin a ten year horizon that will allow the EU and national levels to work together to movebeyond the current crisis and to mobilise new sources of growth, ensuring social andterritorial cohesion, in line with the basic principles of the new Lisbon Treaty.Key priorities for EU 2020To achieve a sustainable social market economy, a smarter and greener economy, Europeneeds to promote key, agreed priorities and to work on delivering them over several years. Nosingle Member State can successfully address these challenges alone. Nor is EU policy simply

the addition of 27 national policies. By acting together on a common vision, we can make thewhole more than the sum of its parts. This is an agenda for all Member States, large andsmall, old and new, highly developed and still developing: the enlarged EU consists ofdifferent levels of development and therefore different needs. But the EU 2020 vision isrelevant to all of them and can be adapted to different starting points and different nationalspecificities so as to promote growth for all.Huge opportunities exist for people and for businesses if they are equipped to take them. TheCommission's aim is for Europe to lead, compete and prosper as a knowledge-based,connected, greener and more inclusive economy, growing fast and sustainably, creating highlevels of employment and social progress. To achieve this, Europe needs a strengthened andcompetitive industrial base, a modern service sector and a thriving agriculture, rural economy,and maritime sector. As ‘first mover’ in building this society of the future, Europe can deriveimportant benefits by developing competitive, innovative products, rolling out theinfrastructures of the future, entering new markets and creating new, high-quality jobs.But the benefits go much wider. A Europe that is open to the world will continue to be amodel for others to follow, projecting its values and fostering stronger labour, environmental,and safety standards around the globe. In this way, the EU can show global leadership indemonstrating that – with the right policy framework in place and making full use of the newactors and structures offered by the Lisbon Treaty – it is possible to combine the opennessneeded to ensure ongoing economic dynamism with respect for the social and environmentalconcerns of our citizens.The Commission considers that the key drivers of EU 2020 should be thematic, focused onthe following priorities:(1)Creating value by basing growth on knowledge.Opportunity and social cohesion willbe enhanced in a world where innovation makes the difference in both products andprocesses, harnessing the potential of education, research and of the digital economy;Empowering people in inclusive societies.The acquisition of new skills, fosteringcreativity and innovation, the development of entrepreneurship and a smooth transitionbetween jobs will be crucial in a world which will offer more jobs in exchange forgreater adaptability;Creating a competitive, connected and greener economy.The EU should competemore effectively and increase its productivity by a lower and more efficientconsumption of non-renewable energy and resources in a world of high energy andresources prices, and greater competition for energy and resources. This will stimulategrowth and help meet our environmental goals. It will benefit all sectors of theeconomy, from traditional manufacturing to new hi-tech start ups. Upgrading andinter-connecting infrastructure, reducing administrative burden and accelerating themarket uptake of innovations will equally contribute to this goal.

Knowledge is the engine for sustainable growth. In a fast-changing world, what makes thedifference iseducation and research, innovation and creativity.Strengtheningeducationis one of the most effective ways of fighting inequality and poverty.The high number of low achievers in basic skills (reading, mathematics and science) needs tobe addressed urgently to enhance the employability of young people and to bring them intothe world of work after school. Preventing early school leaving reduces future exclusion fromthe labour market and the threat of future social exclusion. A greater emphasis on vulnerablegroups, gender equality and social cohesion is needed to ensure that no one is excluded fromknowledge.Europe has some of the best universities in the world. But our ambition should be to havemany more and turn them into a true engine for knowledge and growth. This will not onlyrequire investment but also reforms and where necessary consolidation, closer co-operation,including with business, and a more open attitude to change. To assist in this process ofchange, European universities should be benchmarked against the best universities in theworld. Raising the quality of Europe's universities and of their research should go hand inhand with greater mobility of students to acquire new knowledge and languages, gainingexperience living and studying abroad and building networks. A new phase in the existingprogrammes Erasmus, Leonardo and Erasmus Mundus should be considered, complementedby national initiatives, giving all young people in Europe the possibility to spend part of theireducational pathway in other Member States.An efficient, effective and well-resourced EuropeanResearchArea is an indispensible part ofthe EU 2020 vision. The EU needs to increase its research efforts by pooling resources, jointlydeveloping major research infrastructures across the EU and raising research quality to world-leading standards. It also needs to maximise and accelerate the practical benefits of researchfor Europe's businesses and SMEs - including through major public-private partnerships. Theattractiveness and performance of Europe as a research location also depends on creating aninternal market and attractive career prospects for researchers. The way forward is a researchpartnership between the EU and Member States which maximises synergy with other policyareas especially innovation and education. The EU needs to provide more attractiveframework conditions forinnovation and creativity,including through incentives for thegrowth of knowledge-based firms. Access to credit is a particular problem, not only in theaftermath of the crisis but because some new sources of growth such as the creative industriesneed new types of financing adapted to their business models. Innovative firms should be ableto have access to pooled public and private sources of growth capital, for example venturecapital; this needs to be coupled with administrative simplification and technical support topromote the incubation and growth of small innovative firms.A well-functioning system of intellectual property rights, which allows for efficient and cost-effective protection, enables innovative business start-ups, provides authors with a transparentmanagement of their rights, and helps universities and research institutions to raise capitalthrough the commercialisation of their ideas and inventions is needed to develop thecreativity, knowledge and research capacity in Europe.Building on its strengths in technology and knowledge, Europe should tap fully the potentialofthe digital economy.The digital economy offers great opportunities for SMEs, both in theproduction and services sectors, in their own right and as suppliers to larger companies. Newinnovative start-ups generate new, often high value jobs right across the EU. They can play animportant role in regional development. That is why an ambitious European Digital Agenda

that takes concrete steps towards the completion of an Online Single Market will be a keyelement in Europe's sustainable economic recovery and social development. The productivitygains involved will stimulate innovation and creativity; make government services easier andmore efficient to deliver, and increase the opportunities for participation and democraticexpression. Internet access is becoming necessary for citizens to play a full part in daily life.Europe needs effective policies on digital inclusion and skills, and to encourage activeparticipation and expression over the net.The aim for 2020 is to achieve a genuine European Knowledge Area, underpinned by aworld-class knowledge infrastructure, in which all actors (students, teachers, researchers,education and research institutions and enterprises) benefit from the free circulation of people,knowledge and technology (the 5thfreedom).2.Empowering people in inclusive societies

In the post-crisis economy, many of the jobs that have been destroyed will not be replaced.The transformation of the EU into a smarter, greener, more competitive economy will boostnew job creation and respond to high levels of unemployment. But while this transition takesplace, major efforts will be essential to prevent people falling out of the system, beingexcluded, and to ensure social cohesion. In fact, new patterns are emerging where there areseveral entries in and exits from the labour market during a working life, instead of thetraditional sequence (education, work, and retirement), offering more opportunities to people.This requires a framework to organise these transitions and support them, possibly buildingon some of the measures adopted during the crisis (e.g. short time work combined withtraining).New jobs requiring new skills will be created. Transition between jobs, between training andjobs will have to be managed. This is whereflexicurityshould be deployed to the full. Thechallenge is to find the best way to enhance on the one hand, the flexibility of labour marketsboth on work organisation and on labour relations, and on the other hand, the securityprovided by lifelong learning and appropriate social protection. Life long learning needs to bemuch more accessible and universities should be more open to non-typical learners.Skillsare the key element for Europe's economic and productivity growth and for jobcreation. Life long learning is the key element to ensure good transition between jobs andoccupations, and in avoiding long-term unemployment leading to loss of human capital. Thedigital economy also offers new opportunities for distance learning as part of a lifelongapproach to learning and for forms of communication that are changing the world of work,shrinking distances and making long distance work a real possibility in an increasing numberof jobs.Ensuring that our workers have the skills to contribute to the knowledge-based economy is anecessary, but not sufficient condition. Supply and demand need to be matched better. Labourmobility must be promoted to ensure that people can take up new opportunities by moving towhere their skills are most needed. We should look ahead and match future skills better tofuture needs, particularly for new types of jobs such as "green" jobs and other growth areas,such as in the health sector. Finally, despite its substantial contribution to growth, thepotential of migration is not fully factored into policy making at EU or national level.Employment rates of immigrants can be improved, particularly for specific categories such asimmigrants with low levels of education, women and those recently arrived.

Having a job is probably the best safeguard againstpoverty and exclusion.But alone it doesnot secure a reduction in poverty levels or social inclusion. Modern social security andpension systems, adapted to the crisis and to the ageing of the European population, will beneeded to provide an adequate level of income support and coverage to those temporarily outof work. Tackling inefficient labour market segmentation is also one way of enhancing socialjustice.In order to create more jobs, a more entrepreneurial culture needs to take hold in Europe, witha more positive attitude towards risk-taking and a capacity to innovate.Self-employmentshould become a real option for those who may have recently lost their job. But this willrequire removing disincentives, such as the unequal treatment of the self-employed undermost social security systems and disincentives to move to other Member States because oflack of portability of social and pension rights.The aim for 2020 is more jobs, higher employment rates of the working age population, betterjobs, with higher quality and increased productivity, and fairness, security and opportunities,through a real chance for everyone to enter in the labour market, create new companies, andmanage labour market transitions through modern and financially sustainable social andwelfare systems.3.Creating a competitive, connected and greener economy

Europe needs to remain competitive in the future world of relatively high energy prices,carbon constraints and significantly greater resource competition. More efficient use ofresources, including energy, and the application of new, greener technologies will stimulategrowth, create new jobs and services and help the EU both to maintain a strong manufacturingbase and a vibrant services sector and to meet its environmental and climate goals . Securingwell functioning product, services and labour markets are a pre-condition for success.Greening the economy is not only about the creation of new industries. It is just as importantto accelerate the modernisation of Europe's existing industrial sectors, many of which willalready be restructuring in the wake of the crisis. Achieving these objectives will be essentialif the EU is to compete in a world where all countries will be looking for solutions to thesechallenges.This means using the material inputs in the economy more efficiently, becoming moreproductiveby reducing pressure on resources. This means shifting our economy, throughtargeted regulation (e.g. promoting energy-efficient products and systems), through emissiontrading, tax reform, through grants, subsidies and loans, through public investment andprocurement policies, and through targeting our research and innovation budgets to this end.Upgrading and inter-connecting infrastructures and ensuring effective competition of networkindustries in the single market is key, to improve competitiveness and at the same time delivertangible benefits for consumers. It is crucial that Europe invests in sustainable high-speednetworks. Europe needs 100% broadband coverage as soon as possible, and needs to achievethe roll-out of high speed internet through a massive programme of investment fibre networksand wireless broadband.Together with the roll-out of high speed internet, the development of smart, upgradedtransport and energyinfrastructures contributes to multiple objectives includingdecarbonisation, transport safety, energy security, and the competitiveness of our networkeconomy.

A rethink of transport policy will be needed in order to achieve such a comprehensive shift.Better integration of transport networks, developing alternatives to road transport, promotingclean technologies, and upgrading infrastructure will be essential elements. Big Europeanprojects such as Galileo, GMES, and smart road, rail (ERTMS), and air traffic management(SESAR) will play a key role in the integration of transport networks.By 2030 the EU will have to replace half of its existing electricity plants. If we take the rightstrategic investment decisions now, two third of our electricity generation could be both lowcarbon and more secure by the early 2020s. In this context, the development of a Europeanelectricity super-grid will enable a considerable increase in the share of renewable electricityand decentralised generation. Improving energy efficiency will also be vital as it is thecheapest way to reduce emissions and, at the same time, to increase the energy independenceof Europe.Because of its important contribution to growth and jobs creation, and to the development ofinnovation, a fresh approach toindustrial policyis necessary to support industry by puttingthe emphasis on sustainability, innovation and the human skills needed to keep the EUindustry competitive in world markets. Stable and foreseeable framework conditions shouldhelp industry tackle the competitive challenges of the future. In the aftermath of the crisis,firms in several sectors will need to tackle structural excess capacities and the EU will need tofacilitate restructuring in a socially acceptable way whilst maintaining a level playing field.This calls for an integrated industrial policy that promotes competitive market mechanismsand develops new sources of sustainable growth with an emphasis on innovation capacity,eco-innovation, new enabling technologies and skills. This transformation will also provide anopportunity to improve the regulatory environment, increase territorial cohesion and promotebetter conditions for entrepreneurship, foster the development of SMEs and support theirgrowth potential and internationalisation.In a period of industrial restructuring, state aid policy will play a key role in supporting thetransition to a smarter, greener economy. The state aid rules have been overhauled in recentyears. European companies have increased productivity and reaped economies of scale bytaking up the opportunities offered by the Single Market – now that adjustment is needed insome sectors the Commission will be attentive to ensuring that the Single Market continues tobe the basis of EU growth and to combating the risk of national retrenchment.The aim for 2020 is to meet our agreed objectives on climate change and energy, strengthenour industrial base, fully unlock the potential of SMEs, and respond to the needs of the future,by raising productivity and reducing pressure on resources.Making it happen: starting with a successful exit from the crisisThe first task for the EU is obviously to make a successful exit from the crisis, promotingoverall exit strategies designed to secure balanced and sustainable growth and sound fiscalpolicies. The recession and financial strains have had a bigger impact on those countrieswhich were already suffering from major imbalances or policy weaknesses at the onset of thecrisis. This diverse situation calls for a differentiated response, raising co-ordination issues.The spill-over effects of the different responses across countries and policy areas call foreffective coordination in the EU. In particular, a level playing field needs to be preserved inthe financial and business sectors, and macroeconomic spill-over effects should be consideredin the EU coordinated exit strategy.

Financial resources have come under pressure as a result of the crisis. The remainingproblems in the financial system therefore need to be solved swiftly in order to support therecovery. Access to credit and efficient financial market supervision will be crucial for therecovery and the transition to the value economy will depend on the availability of capital tofinance innovation. New priorities need to be reflected in budgetary policies.The key challenge is how to balance the continued need for fiscal support to demand in theshort run with the need to restore sustainable public finances and macroeconomic stability.There is a risk that the recovery will be slow, and will not generate sufficient employmentgrowth to bring down high unemployment levels.Making it happen: Harnessing existing instruments in a new approachTo make a successful exit from the crisis and deliver our EU 2020 objectives, theCommission considers that we need a strategy for convergence and integration whichrecognises more explicitly the advanced interdependence of the EU:– Interdependence between Member States in the form of (positive or negative) spill-overeffects of national actions, particularly in the Euro-zone;– Interdependence between different levels of government (EU, Member States, regions,social partners - multi-layer governance);– Interdependence between different policies, between policies and instruments and theimportance of policy integration to deliver the overall objectives;– Interdependence at global level – none of our Member States is large enough to keep pacewith the emerging economies or to undertake this transformation alone.The challenge of becoming a sustainable social market economy, i.e. an inclusive, smarter,greener economy, will require increased policy co-ordination, better synergies througheffective subsidiarity, and strengthened partnership between the EU and Member States in thedesign and delivery of public policies. The integration of different policy instruments isnecessary, linking institutional reforms, better regulation, new initiatives and publicinvestment.Fully exploiting the single marketThe framework of thesingle marketgives us the size and the scale necessary to achieve theseobjectives. It is the central tool which ensures that citizens reap real benefits from increasedcompetition and that companies operate on a level playing field – provided that the rules ofthe single market are correctly implemented, including in sectoral policies. But the EU is stillnot tapping all the benefits of its single market, conceived more than twenty years ago:obstacles to cross-border activity remain, which in turn reduce consumer choice, pricecompetition and potential productivity. To gear the single market to serve the EU 2020 goals,the EU needs well functioning markets where competition and consumer access stimulategrowth and innovation. Empowering people also means making markets work for people.Citizens must be empowered to play a full part in the single market. This requiresstrengthening their ability and confidence to buy goods and services cross-border, inparticular on-line.

The single market has evolved considerably since its original launch. It was conceived beforethe arrival of Internet, before ICT became the one of the main drivers of growth and beforeservices became such a dominant part of the European economy. The emergence of newservices (e.g. on-line services, such as e-health) shows huge potential. The Commissionconsiders that to achieve the EU 2020 priorities, there is a pressing need to overcome thefragmentation that currently blocks the flow of on-line content and access for consumers andcompanies, and that the single market should be updated to respond to the demands oftomorrow's economy.Setting EU 2020 in a global contextThis new agenda is set in the context of globalisation which will remain one of the maindrivers for European dynamism in the next decade. The EU is not alone in recognising theopportunities of a smart and green economy for enhanced competitiveness and prosperity;other countries have identified similar priorities and are investing massively in greentechnologies, ICT and smart grids. To stay ahead, the EU needs to be quick in seizingopportunities and in anticipating and adapting to future trends. The crisis has underlined theextent of interdependence in the European and global economies. To reach our objectives for2020, we must act decisively in the G20 and international forums to promote the principlesunderlying the sustainable social market economy in the global context.International trade is one of the motors of growth, employment and investment in the EU. Weshould act both under the WTO and via bilateral cooperation to ensure that barriers tointernational flows of trade and investment are reduced, and to promote open and rules-basedglobal trade. We should also deepen our economic and political relations with key strategicpartners, placing particular emphasis on market access, access to energy and raw materials,and progress on environmental and social objectives.Supporting growth through full use of the Stability and Growth PactThe Stability and Growth Pact, in conjunction with other multilateral surveillanceinstruments, will play an important role in guiding budgetary policies to achieve fiscalconsolidation and at the same time delivering the budgetary means to achieve sustainablegrowth and jobs. While consolidating public finances, Member States will need to redirectpublic expenditure towards the thematic objectives of EU 2020 so that the necessaryinvestments in Europe's future can be made. At a time of important fiscal constraints, it is allthe more important to invest scarce resources in sustainable growth. Investments andstructural reforms designed to deliver a smarter, connected and greener economy will generatemore revenues and will ease the consolidation of public finances.At the same time, achieving a major transformation cannot be done without investment inpeople and productive capacity. To develop the potential of the economy, structural reformsshould be fully implemented to create new sources of growth. A reinforcedstructuralreform agendabased on measures that raise potential growth and enhance productivity willalso benefit from coordination at EU level, in design and implementation, not least to fullyexploit the functioning of the single market.Even in a time of necessary fiscal consolidation, the Stability and Growth Pact allows roomfor investing in the future. This includes prioritising investments in R&D and newtechnologies, in innovation, in high-quality education and skills development, and in 'smart'

networks; this means combining investments with modernising existing structures, includingenhancing the efficiency of public administration and by regulatory reform.Reflecting political priorities in our public budgetsOnce agreed, these new priorities need to be reflected in budgetary policies. The Commissionintends to take them up in the budget review it will publish next year and in its proposals forthe next multi-annual financial framework. Similarly, Member States should also review theirpublic expenditures to improve quality and efficiency and, despite important fiscalconstraints, find room to invest in sustainable growth. At the same time, new financingmodels (such as PPPs, leveraging EU or EIB funding) also need to be explored to poolresources between the public and the private sectors and maximise impacts.Establishing clear governance to make the new strategy effective.The strategy will be pursued through a partnership approach to deliver a limited set of keyobjectives. Only through partnership can its specific actions and objectives be achieved sinceaction is essential at the EU, national and regional levels, and the interplay between theselevels which will allow the strategy to deliver its full potential. On the Council side, the focalpoint of the future strategy should be the European Council since it is the body which ensuresthe integration of policies, and manages the interdependence between Member States and theEU. Drawing on the new provisions of the Lisbon Treaty, it should therefore steer thestrategy, making the key decisions and setting the objectives. Council formations like theECOFIN Council as well as the relevant thematic Councils would then implement thesedecisions in an integrated way, each acting within its area of competence to deliver on thelonger term goals of the EU 2020 vision.The Commission would like to see the European Parliament play a significantly greater rolein the new governance structure. Beyond its traditional role on the employment and integratedguidelines, Parliament could be encouraged to express views on the EU 2020 strategy beforethe Spring European Council.The EU 2020 vision will need the active support of stakeholders such as the social partnersand civil society. Its take up across all the regions of the EU will also be crucial to its successand the Commission would like to see national parliaments taking a particular interest in thisnew strategy as it is developed.The Spring European Council in 2010 should set the strategy on its course for the next 5 yearson the basis of a Commission proposal to be tabled in early 2010. The European Councilshould fix a small number of headline objectives, and define the corresponding policy actionsto be pursued at EU and Member State level in partnership. The European Council'sconclusions, with the corresponding orientations for EU and Member States policies, wouldthus become anchor for the integrated guidelines provided for under the Treaty.For each of these objectives, Member States would be invited to set national objectives for 5years corresponding to their different situations and their starting points. The Commission andthe European Council will monitor progress every year in Member States and at EU level.CommentsThe Commission invites comments and suggestions on the ideas outlined in this paper. Theyshould be sent to[email protected]by 15 January 2010.