EUKN - United Kingdom - Disappointed regions and local authorities: substantial reform of the Lisbon Strategy

Disappointed regions and local authorities: substantial reform of the Lisbon Strategy

26-11-2008

Regions and local authorities (LRAs) are not satisfied with the results of the Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs, which was re-launched in 2005. The Committee of the Regions (CoR) believes that the strategy lacks coordination and in its eighth year still takes too much of a topdown approach. For the post-2010 reform the CoR demands more precise priorities and objectives, written agreements on implementing the objectives and regular consultation between the local, regional, national and European levels.

The CoR adopted on 26 November an outlook opinion providing an in-depth analysis of the performance of the Lisbon Strategy. The opinion outlines the demands of regional and local authorities for the reform of the European strategy for growth and jobs after 2010. CoR Rapporteur on the opinion, Mr Flavio Delbono (IT/ALDE), Vice-President of the Emilia Romagna Region, indicated: "The Lisbon Strategy falls short in results as it was not able to involve and mobilise the institutional players having a key role in its own implementation: regions and local authorities."

For several years the CoR - which had been asked by the European Council to draw up an annual evaluation report on the implementation of the Lisbon strategy - has stressed that regions and local authorities are not enough involved by the European and national levels in the strategy's implementation. In a 2007 survey, only 17 percent of regions and local authorities represented in the Committee felt informed and involved in the implementation process. "This year's CoR analysis of the national reports on the strategy delivered by the national governments reveals that involvement of local and regional authorities has – once again – been sporadic." stated Delbono.

The CoR also disapproves of the failure to convert the Lisbon objectives into integrated policies at all levels of government. Since the initial launch of the Lisbon strategy in 2000 the coordination of different European, national and regional programmes to create growth and jobs has not been achieved.

The CoR strongly requests that the reform of the European Union's strategy for growth and jobs after 2010 should:

refocus the priorities of the strategy which are currently too wide-ranging. A structured set of coordinated and integrated policies should replace the too general Lisbon approach;
oblige national governments to hold "country audits" in cooperation with regional and local governments to assess the need of further policy measures. The results of the audits should be included in the National Reform Programmes (NRPs) to be submitted to the European Commission;
foresee written multi-level agreements between the European, national, regional and local government levels on the implementation of the strategy objectives including a regular consultation and coordination of policy agendas.

Source: Committee of the Regions

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