Albane DemblansSecretariat-General of the European Commission

PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON THE EUROPE 2020 STRATEGY

Towards the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 strategy

The Europe 2020 strategy: main milestones

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Launch of the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growthMarch

2010

March 2014

Commission's Communication taking stock of the Europe 2020 strategy

What is next

Public consultation on the Europe 2020 strategy feeding into the mid-term review

Employment, R&D, climate/energy, education and

poverty/social exclusion

7 FLAGSHIP INITIATIVES

Innovation, digital economy, employment,

education/youth, industrial policy, poverty and resource efficiency

WHERE

HOW

WHY

The public consultationon the Europe 2020 strategy

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What are the purpose and the ambition of the public consultation on the Europe 2020 strategy?

How can you contribute to the public consultation on the Europe 2020 strategy?

What are the next steps towards the further development of the Europe 2020 strategy?

The public consultation on the Europe 2020 strategy: why?

To draw lessons from the first years of implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy…

… and further develop it to make it an effective post-crisis growth strategy for Europe.

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The Europe 2020 strategy over 2010-2014: a mixed picture (1)

• A number of encouraging developments…

• High levels of sovereign debt, expected to decline as of 2015

• A gradual recovery gaining ground after a deep recession

• Slow decline in the elevated levels of unemployment expected as of 2014

• After sharp credit tightening, first signs of relaxation

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The Europe 2020 strategy over 2010-2014: a mixed picture (2)

• … but the persistence of challenges

• A range of long-term challenges• Ageing• Rising inequalities• Globalisation• Digital economy• Productivity challenge• Pressure on resources and environmental concerns

• Need to maintain the momentum of reforms

Uneven progress towardsthe Europe 2020 targets

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•The EU is on course to meet or closely approach the targets on education, climate and energy.

•This is not the case regarding employment, research and development and poverty reduction.

•Performance towards the targets also shows increasing differences across Member States, and sometimes within them, in several areas.

The Europe 2020 targets: some limitations but a number of strengths

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LIMITATIONS STRENGTHS

Not exhaustive Easy to monitor

Divergent levels of ambitions and commitments among Member States

Self-reinforcing: progress in one area feeds into progress in other areas

Qualitative assessment necessary Key catalysts for actions that have shaped Member States' reform agendas

Impact of the flagship initiativesto be assessed more in-depth

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•Most of the initiatives envisaged have been presented by the Commission and many have been adopted.

•Yet, it is too early to be able to assess their follow-up and impact.

LIMITATIONS STRENGTHS

Obstacles to visibility and awareness Generated mutual learning

Umbrella frameworks instead of operational programmes

Inspired policy action in Member States and several regions

Lack of focus: collection of measures Guide for the use of EU funds

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The implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy: some achievements but a number of challenges

• European Semester• Credible framework for policy implementation• Integrated surveillance reconciling economic and

budgetary priorities• Reinforced contacts EU-Member States• Close monitoring of progress

• Remaining challenges• Buttressing policies with a clear long-term vision• Enhancing awareness and ownership by all relevant actors• Improving clarity on the process and role of actors

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Questions

What has been the added value of the seven action programmes for growth? Do you have concrete examples of the impact of such programmes?

• Nature of the Europe 2020 strategyFor you, what does the Europe 2020 strategy mean? What are the main elements that you associate with the strategy?

• Impact of the Europe 2020 strategyOverall, do you think that the Europe 2020 strategy has made a difference? Please explainHas the knowledge of what other EU countries are doing in Europe 2020 areas impacted on the approach followed in your country? Please give examples.

• Involvement in the Europe 2020 strategyHas there been sufficient involvement of stakeholders in the Europe 2020 strategy? Are you involved in the Europe 2020 strategy? Would you like to be more involved? If yes, how?

• Europe 2020 targets

Do the current targets for 2020 respond to the strategy's objectives of fostering growth and jobs? Among current targets, do you consider that some are more important than others? Please explain.Do you find it useful that EU-level targets are broken down into national targets? If so, what is, in your view, the best way to set national targets? So far, have the national targets been set appropriately/too ambitiously/not ambitiously enough?

• Flagship initiatives

Making the Europe 2020 strategy an effective post-crisis growth strategy for

Europe

• Conjunction of procedural, economic and institutional factors• Procedural: halfway to the 2020 deadline

• Economic: European economies are gradually recovering from historically deep recession of the last years

need to strengthen and sustain the emerging recovery

• Institutional: to provide the new Commission with an assessment of the early years of the Europe 2020 strategy and ideas on how to further develop it in the coming years

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Questions

• Nature and scope of the strategyDoes the EU need a comprehensive and overarching medium-term strategy for growth and jobs for the coming years?What are the most important and relevant areas to be addressed in order to achieve smart, sustainable and inclusive growth?What new challenges should be taken into account in the future?How could the strategy best be linked to other EU policies?What would best be done at EU level to ensure that the strategy delivers results? What would best be done at Member State level?

• Involvement in the strategyWhat would improve stakeholder involvement in a post-crisis growth strategy for Europe? What could be done to increase awareness, support and better implementation of this strategy in your country?

• Enforcement of the strategy

What type of instruments do you think would be more appropriate to achieve smart, sustainable and inclusive growth?How can the strategy encourage Member States to put a stronger policy focus on growth? Are targets useful? Please explain.Would you recommend adding or removing certain targets, or the targets in general? Please explain.What are the most fruitful areas for joint EU-Member State action? What would be the added value?

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The public consultation on the Europe 2020 strategy: how?

To be successful, the Europe 2020 strategy needs to have impact on the ground.

Replies to the public consultation will help harvest ideas and collect concrete experiences on the functioning of the strategy.

The involvement of relevant actors and stakeholders is thus key for the success of the public consultation and the mid-term review of the strategy.

Modalities of the public consultation

• Target groups: all actors, stakeholders and organisations that have an experience with and/or a view on the Europe 2020 strategy

• Access to the public consultation• Your Voice in EuropeOr• Europe 2020 website

• Dates of the public consultation: 5 May-31 October 2014

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How you can contribute

• A whole range of tribunes for discussion• Seminars• Round tables• Thematic sessions• Debates• Conferences…

• A single channel to contribute to the mid-term review of the strategy: replying to the public consultation

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The public consultation on the Europe 2020 strategy: where?

The public consultation will feed into the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 strategy, which should take place in 2015.

Next steps

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• 5 May-31 October 2014: public consultation on the Europe 2020 strategy

• After the closure of the public consultation: synthesis of the outcome and main messages emerging from the public consultation

• Early 2015: policy conclusions and proposals from the Commission for the pursuit of the strategy

• Spring 2015: discussion of the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 strategy at the European Council

For more information

On the public consultation•Your Voice in Europe and the public consultation's website•Mailbox: SG-EUROPE2020-CONSULTATION@ec.europa.eu

On the Europe 2020 strategy•Europe 2020 website•European Semester website•Eurostat indicators and publications

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Albane DemblansSecretariat-General of the European Commission

PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON THE EUROPE 2020 STRATEGY

Towards the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 strategy