EU 2020 website and Youth on the move: Nul points !

The Europe 2020 strategy is the raison d’être of the Barroso II Commission, so preparation and communication of the seven flagship initiatives must be highly visible, and they have to go hand in hand.

Is this theory or practice?



Youth and education



In the blog entry Europe 2020 flagship initiative Youth on the move (EU Commission Work Programme 2010) we saw the high rates of youth unemployment, indicating that the European labour markets are dysfunctional, despite the demographic challenges of ageing populations. The Commission Work Programme (CWP) 2010 promises the Europe 2020 flagship initiative Youth on the move in the third quarter of 2010, and a communication on Youth and Employment has been promised in the fourth quarter.



Europe 2020 website

Given the defining importance of the Europe 2020 strategy for the whole term of the Barroso II Commission, in terms of aims, action, positioning and communication, the central Europe 2020 website should be a vibrant well of constantly updated information, well structured and thematically arranged.



Exaggerating ever so slightly, we called the central Europe 2020 website “dead as the dodo”, when we looked at it 28 June 2010.



This is the evidence today: According to the Europe 2020 web page, it was last updated 6 May 2010. This cannot be true, because the text says that the Europe 2020 strategy “will be formally adopted in 17 June 2010”. The date is actually a link to the conclusions adopted (not to be adopted) by the European Council on that day (without saying so; document EUCO 13/10).

The links in the margin look even more abandoned. The latest news link is from 26 March, and the most recent documents from 6 May 2010.

Nothing has happened in almost two weeks, since our last look.

Forsaken, deserted ... If this is the level of care and commitment shown to the defining strategy (raison d’être) of the current Commission, what can we expect in other policy areas?

Naturally, we gained no new knowledge about the preparation of the flagship initiative Youth on the move, either.

Commission europénne, nul points !




Ralf Grahn

Gender balanced Commission

It is difficult to contemplate the new EU Commission for five years with fewer women than at present. A better gender balance should evolve naturally, without forcing matters, but the known nominations by the member states put this development at risk.



Jon Worth, Maria Weimer, Eurosocialiste, Julien Frisch and other eurobloggers have started the Gender balanced Commission petition and web site.

The goal is modest: at least one woman Commissioner more, which means at least one third of the next Commission.

Sign the petition and spread the word. You can propose realistic candidates to achieve the objective.



Ralf Grahn



P.S. Do you find EUSSR myths fascinating? Are we EU citizens worth a better European Union? Read the Euroblogs aggregated on multilingual Bloggingportal.eu, and discuss our common European future.

Finland proposes Olli Rehn for EU Commission

Nice or Lisbon rules, the European Union needs a new Commission soon (in principle from 1 November 2009). Every member states needs to put forward a candidate, although one or more may be left outside, if the Treaty of Nice applies.



The international edition of the Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat reports that the government of Finland has now officially proposed Olli Rehn to become member of the next EU Commission.

Currently Dr Rehn is Commissioner responsible for enlargement.

The announcement comes as no surprise, as it only officially confirms what members of the Finnish government have said for a long time.

Rehn is known as a competent Commissioner, but it remains to be seen if he has chances to become the new High Representative or to grab a high profile portfolio in the Barroso II Commission.


Ralf Grahn