EU pulls back from Lisbon goal

The European Commission has quietly dropped a five year old EU pledge to make Europe the world’s most competitive economy by 2010.

An internal Brussels paper drops the target and instead calls for a simplification of economic goals which have ballooned into an increasing number of unrealistic social and economic targets.

The pledge was first made at a Lisbon economic summit of EU leaders in 2000 – with the city giving its name to a sweeping agenda aimed at boosting growth and research investment.

Speaking on Tuesday a spokesman admitted that the commission “never made a mystery of what it wanted to achieve,” but that there were “too many priorities,” in the agenda.

EU policy chiefs now want to reign in their ambitions by focusing on three main aims, and ten lesser goals.

The draft document, seen by FT Europe, sets out the top three priorities as creating more and better jobs, boosting knowledge and innovation and ensuring the EU is an attractive location for business.

The secondary streamlined priorities focus on developing greater flexibility in labour markets, enhancing R&D investment and modernising social protection.

The draft paper also reveals that Brussels will aim to boost member state activity in implementing the goals by appointing a ‘Mr Lisbon’ to coordinate national activity.

The commission’s  mid-term review of the ‘Lisbon agenda’ will take place on February 2.

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