
This year’s report provides an assessment of Lisbon Strategy. It asks whether the EU is really moving in the direction of knowledge-based growth, examines whether the EU has witnessed the creation of more and better jobs and considers whether the Union is succeeding in attaining greater social cohesion.
The report highlights:
- The discrepancy between the initial targets set in 2000 and the results achieved so far. There has been only limited progress in the areas of lifelong learning, school drop-out rates and investment in research and development.
- Employment creation has risen… but mainly through part-time and temporary jobs.
- The wage share of workers has significantly declined.
The report concludes that raising social and environmental standards could assist in ensuring sustainable growth and a healthier, more cohesive society.