Denmark in EU theme collected

Here is a compilation of posts on my three Euroblogs regarding Denmark in the European Union.

Eurooppaoikeus (in Finnish)

Tanska Euroopan unionissa

Eurooppa-päivänä: Tanska ja kansalaisen EU-tieto

Grahnblawg (in Swedish)

Danmark för nordbor: 117 frågor och svar om EU  

Intern EU-samordning mellan Bryssel och Köpenhamn

Grahnlaw (in English)

European Semester 2017 start: Denmark

European Semester: Country Report Denmark 2017  

Grahnblawg (in Swedish)

Integrerade riktlinjer för Europa 2020-strategin

Danmarks nationella reformprogram och konvergensprogram 2017

Danmarks Nationella Reformprogram 2017

Norden: reform, konvergens och stabilitet 2017  

Grahnlaw (in English)

Competitiveness: Denmark’s happy achievers  

Two freedoms of competitive Denmark

Future-proof Denmark?

Digital transformation in Denmark

Denmark’s Digital Strategy 2016-2020

Country-specific recommendation

Just after the blog series on Denmark, the European Commission presented its 2017 spring package, based on the National Reform Programme and the Convergence Programme, together with the Commission’s spring forecast 2017, but roughly a summary of the country report we discussed earlier:

Recommendation for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION on the 2017 National Reform Programme of Denmark and delivering a Council opinion on the 2017 Convergence Programme of Denmark; Brussels, 22.5.2017 COM(2017) 504 final

In the end, the Commission wants the Council to issue  one country-specific recommendation to Denmark: Foster competition in the domestically oriented services sector.

Ralf Grahn

Future-proof Denmark?

Our latest blog entry about the Nordic EU member state, Two freedoms of competitive Denmark, highlighted the relative absence of poisonous corruption and media repression.

Here we are going to take a look at what what it takes to shape a future-proof society.  

WEF Annual Meeting 2017

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF) report from the Annual Meeting 2017, the gathering focused on five challenges: strengthening global collaboration, revitalising economic growth, reforming capitalism, preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and restoring a sense of shared identity.

Each theme is introduced in the report, against the background of remarkable retreats from globalisation and new protagonists of global cooperation, the framework for one humanity on our common planet.  

At a regional level, the European Union’s Europe 2020 strategy (EU2020) for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, the Political Guidelines of the Juncker Commission and the national reform programmes of the member states, such as Denmark’s NRP, contain many of the elements of the fourteen WEF System Initiatives.

WEF System Initiatives

However, if the EU and its members want to be at the cutting edge, they need to adapt to the emerging qualities the System Initiatives bring. The projects were introduced in the WEF meeting report and later briefly described (pages 41-42):

Leaders in Davos called for collaborative action to drive economic growth while safeguarding social inclusion. The 14 System Initiatives are the vehicles through which the Forum will respond to this call to action and drive change in the coming year. Two themes will be woven throughout the work of all of the systems. The first theme is responding to challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution through driving more accountable systems of control, mechanisms for policy development and space for public deliberation. The second is ensuring that the Forum’s work is complementary to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs), from mobilizing private capital, technology and know-how for inclusive and sustainable investments to the compelling economic case for business leadership and engagement. From increasing financial inclusion to defining the workforce of the future, from responding to epidemics to strengthening infrastructure, the System Initiatives will focus on driving lasting, systemic change through public-private cooperation.   

With the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs) omnipresent, here are just the  headlines of the reform agenda projects to follow:

Shaping the Future of Consumption

Shaping the Future of Education, Gender and Work

Shaping the Future of Digital Economy and Society

Shaping the Future of Energy

Shaping the Future of Growth and Social Inclusion

Shaping the Future of Environment and Natural Resource Security

Shaping the Future of Financial and Monetary Systems

Shaping the Future of Information and Entertainment

Shaping the Future of Mobility

Shaping the Future of Food Security and Agriculture

Shaping the Future of International Trade and Investment

Shaping the Future of Production

Shaping the Future of Health and Healthcare

Shaping the Future of Long-Term Investing, Infrastructure and Development  

EU and Denmark?  

Here, I believe, the European Commission should go beyond drafting recommendation to the member states, by using the European Semester process in order to inspire cutting edge responses to global challenges.

Is Denmark future-proof? After European Semester reading, the National Reform Programme and international comparisons, I venture that Denmark has a sound base for reform policies. But I am less sure about the qualitative aspects: if the actions under way are radical or forceful enough to improve Denmark’s competitiveness.

Do we need to eat more of the pudding containing the proof?

Ralf Grahn

European Council endorsed Annual Growth Survey 2012 priorities

The European Semester was kicked off by the Annual Growth Survey 2012 (AGS) Brussels, 23.11.2011 COM(2011) 815 final VOL. 1/5 (and the four annexes, Volumes 2-5).


EUCO conclusions

The conclusions of the spring European Council (EUCO) were brief and general in the fourth cornerstone paragraph:

4. For 2012, the European Council endorses the five priorities set out in the Commission's Annual Growth Survey for action taken at the EU and national level to:

– pursue differentiated, growth-friendly, fiscal consolidation,
– restore normal lending to the economy,
– promote growth and competitiveness,
– tackle unemployment and the social consequences of the crisis, and
– modernise public administration.

Synthesis report

When the European Council conclusions endorse the priorities proposed by the Commission, there is - if not a whole mountain - at least a molehill of views and conclusions behind each paragraph to inspire more detailed future policy work.

The Danish presidency prepared a shortcut: Implementation of the European Semester - Synthesis report (22 February 2012, Council document 6662/12).

However, the Synthesis report did not offer links to the various documents. Some readers may need to revisit the original and more detailed contributions submitted to the spring European Council, in order to find out what the five priorities set out in the Commission's Annual Growth Survey (AGS) and its annexes actually mean and require in the form of action.



Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU affairs, especially digital policy and law

P.S. Between the global issues and the national level, with a tenuous hold on democracy, the European Union institutions and the eurozone coteries shape our future. At the same time we see a European online public sphere emerging. Grahnlaw (recently ranked fourth among political blogs in Finland), Grahnblawg (in Swedish) and Eurooppaoikeus (meaning European Law, in Finnish) are among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Are you following the debates which matter for your future? Is your blog already listed on Bloggingportal?

EU leaders: ”Oops, we forgot our strategy”

In its conclusions, the European Council suddenly remembered that it already has a comprehensive strategy for growth, competitiveness and employment: Europe 2020 (EU2020). The heads of state or government need to breathe life into their common strategy, because they frankly admit that their efforts to date are insufficient.


Amnesia

I strongly recommend president Herman Van Rompuy's strategic and elegant Issues Paper, written ahead of the spring European Council, but for some inexplicable reason he evaded the Europe 2020 strategy (EU2020).

The twelve prime ministers who wrote A plan for growth in Europe, calling for more resolute reform policies, as resolutely forgot to mention that the EU already has the EU2020 strategy.


EU2020 resurrected

It took the reply from Commission president José Manuel Barroso to remind these leaders of the existing strategy for this decade:

We have agreed on an ambitious and comprehensive growth and jobs strategy: Europe 2020. Our common ownership of it needs to be more visible to our citizens. They need to know that the EU has a clear strategy for building a better future and that all Member States are working in the same direction. There should be no artificial separation between EU and national growth policies, they reinforce each other.

The conclusions of the European Council (EUCO 4/12) then turned into a strong reminder of the crucial role of the Europe 2020 strategy and of the need to step up efforts significantly:

2. "Europe 2020" is Europe's strategy for jobs and growth and its comprehensive response to the challenges it is facing. In particular, the five targets set out for 2020 remain fully relevant and will continue to guide the action of Member States and the Union to promote employment; improve the conditions for innovation, research and development; meet our climate change and energy objectives; improve education levels and promote social inclusion in particular through the reduction of poverty.

3. However, efforts undertaken to date remain insufficient to meet most of these targets. It is therefore urgent to concentrate on the implementation of reforms, with a particular attention to measures which have a short-term effect on jobs and growth.

Much better. But why did it happen? How credible does the commitment look, when all these reform-minded leaders were happy to forget even the existence of EU2020, their common strategy for a decade of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth?

Will they still remember, having returned home?

Our reading tip for them and their officials is: Progress Report on the Europe 2020 Strategy COM(2011) 815 Annex I.



Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU affairs, especially digital policy and law

P.S. Between the global issues and the national level, with a tenuous hold on democracy, the European Union institutions and the eurozone coteries shape our future. At the same time we see a European online public sphere emerging. Grahnlaw (recently ranked fourth among political blogs in Finland), Grahnblawg (in Swedish) and Eurooppaoikeus (meaning European Law, in Finnish) are among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Are you following the debates which matter for your future? Is your blog already listed on Bloggingportal?

EU2020 from failure to action

The heads of state or government reminded themselves of the comprehensive Europe 2020 growth strategy. In the European Council 1-2 March 2012 conclusions (EUCO 4/12, available in 23 languages) they assessed their own work to date:

3. However, efforts undertaken to date remain insufficient to meet most of these targets. It is therefore urgent to concentrate on the implementation of reforms, with a particular attention to measures which have a short-term effect on jobs and growth.

Insufficient reforms

The EU member states are lagging. Brownie points for honesty, although nothing more than the European Commission said in its second Annual Growth Survey 2012 (AGS), which kicked off the European Semester:

Annual Growth Survey 2012 VOL. 1/5; Brussels, 23.11.2011 COM(2011) 815 final (18 pages) 

Progress report on the Europe 2020 strategy VOL. 2/5 - ANNEX I; Brussels, 23.11.2011 COM(2011) 815 final (27 pages) 

Macro-economic report VOL. 3/5 - ANNEX II; Brussels, 23.11.2011 COM(2011) 815 final (21 pages) 

Draft joint employment report VOL. 4/5 - ANNEX III; Brussels, 23.11.2011 COM(2011) 815 final (16 pages) 

Growth-friendly tax policies in member states and better tax coordination in the EU VOL. 5/5 - ANNEX IV; Brussels, 23.11.2011 COM(2011) 815 final (13 pages) 

For those who think that the Commission is evil and biased, even the more recent (22 February 2012) synthesis report on the implementation of the European Semester (Council document 6662/12), prepared by the Danish Council presidency, is relatively open about less than brilliant progress (page 3):

The Annual Growth Survey shows that progress has been made in a number of areas, but much remains to be done.

In particular, measures announced or adopted during 2011 must now be implemented rigorously in all Member States. The economic climate makes this difficult, but should be seen as an incentive to further focus efforts, both at the national and the European level.

Returning to growth

Both the Annual Growth Survey 2012 and the Council synthesis report contained advice on further action. Let us here quote key points the Danish report made (pages 3-4):

Commitments regarding the objectives on poverty, education, innovation and green growth, in particular, should not be set aside while not endangering rigorous fiscal consolidation.

- Fiscal consolidation efforts have been undertaken by almost all Member States but further efforts appear necessary and, in several countries, medium-term budgetary frameworks remain to be strengthened. Ad hoc measures regarding VAT systems taken by some Member States have yet to produce results. There has only been limited progress across Europe as regards the shift of taxation away from labour. The coherence of the measures taken and their impact on growth and fiscal consolidation also remain to be analysed.

- Efforts to increase competitiveness are still needed, in particular, to increase competition in the retail, service and infrastructures sector. While the transposition of the Services Directive in Member States is progressing, more support needs to give to enhancing crossborder labour mobility including by revision of the EU rules on mutual recognition of professional qualifications.

- Improving the environment in which businesses, including SMEs, operate is important, in particular the reduction of unjustified administrative and regulatory burdens.

- Promoting employment is a key policy objective in all Member States. Nevertheless, in many countries, more could be done in terms of active labour market policies and to combat labour market segmentation and excessively rigid employment protection legislation, reform unemployment benefit systems to make work pay and enhance employability of vulnerable groups. Youth unemployment remains of critical concern. Progress on the inclusion of young people in the labour market is still insufficient in several countries.

- Dual training and other reforms are under way in education systems, but investment in education and training is affected by fiscal constraints in a number of Member States. Ensuring quality of public spending in these areas is a particular priority.

- Pension system reforms have been undertaken in some Member States and are under way in a number of others, but their impact is often hampered by early retirement opportunities and special schemes that are still in place.

- The number of people at risk of poverty is on the rise, and has not been effectively addressed. More focus on increasing labour market participation of vulnerable groups could help address this concern. Some countries still have to take action to address the interrelated issues of household indebtedness and housing markets.

Naturally, the countries with the greatest problems are the ones to need the fastest and most dramatic reform, although their past record is the least promising. However, given the sorry state of the economy in almost all of the EU member states, the need for structural reform in the European Union as a whole is profound.

The national leaders have spoken wisely. Now they must act.



Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU affairs, especially digital policy and law

P.S. Between the global issues and the national level, with a tenuous hold on democracy, the European Union institutions and the eurozone coteries shape our future. At the same time we see a European online public sphere emerging. Grahnlaw (recently ranked fourth among political blogs in Finland), Grahnblawg (in Swedish) and Eurooppaoikeus (meaning European Law, in Finnish) are among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Are you following the debates which matter for your future? Is your blog already listed on Bloggingportal?

Breathing life into EU2020 necessary for growth, competitiveness and employment

After the European Council (EUCO) summary we noted a few key points in the intergovernmental Treaty on stability, coordination and governance in the economic and monetary union (TSCG, ”fiscal compact”) before discussing that the national leaders condemned themselves to achieve economic growth, enhanced competitiveness and new jobs within tighter budget limits, practically without money.

With growth stalling, Europe's competitiveness seriously eroded and unemployment rising, more than cheerful rhetoric is going to be needed to turn the tide.

What do the heads of state or government propose to do?

We turn to the three remaining cornerstones in European Council 1-2 March 2012 conclusions (EUCO 4/12, available in 23 languages) to take a look at this Houdini act.


Europe 2020

The political leaders remind themselves and others that the European Union has a comprehensive long term strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, Europe 2020 (EU2020):

2. "Europe 2020" is Europe's strategy for jobs and growth and its comprehensive response to the challenges it is facing. In particular, the five targets set out for 2020 remain fully relevant and will continue to guide the action of Member States and the Union to promote employment; improve the conditions for innovation, research and development; meet our climate change and energy objectives; improve education levels and promote social inclusion in particular through the reduction of poverty.

Europe 2020 involves the member state in reform work at EU level with regard to the seven flagship initiatives. The institutions of the European Union and the governments of the member states have jointly agreed on common EU2020 targets. Many of the concrete structural, growth-enhancing reforms need to be carried out in and by the EU member states, by state, regional and local actors, social partners and enterprises. The structural reforms at EU and national level are intended to create synergy effects. The five headline targets have been translated into national targets, which take account of the different situations.

By mid-April (the end of April, at the latest) each EU member state sets out its actions in its national reform programme 2012 (NRP). The European Commission analyses every NRP, as well as the stability or convergence programme of every member state, and issues recommendations.

In the summer, the European Council and the Council (of ministers) are going to conclude the planning circle known as the European Semester by addressing recommendations to all the member states.


Divine inspiration?

There are worrying signs that Europe is sliding more than rising. The loss of international competitiveness and export shares in world markets are root causes of this decline, almost across the board.

Difficult but decisive reforms are needed, but rarely do we see signs of lively national debates centred on the Europe 2020 as a dynamic key to reform policies. Preparing mandatory programmes in the recesses of national ministries of economy, perhaps concerting with the main social partners, leads to paper programmes devoid of life.

The heads of state or government have given themselves a reminder of EU2020, but having returned home from the spring European Council, they have to breathe life into the Europe 2020 strategy process domestically.

They failed during the Lisbon strategy decade, and their EU2020 start has been disappointing, with the results we can see around us.

Especially in the member states lagging behind, divine inspiration looks necessary, but failing that the prime ministers and presidents have to make the Europe 2020 strategy a success in their own countries.

The Europe 2020 reforms concern almost all ministries and levels of government and the social partners, but also individual businesses and citizens. The media need to be woken up, if they don't notice themselves.



Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU affairs, especially digital policy and law

P.S. Between the global issues and the national level, with a tenuous hold on democracy, the European Union institutions and the eurozone coteries shape our future. At the same time we see a European online public sphere emerging. Grahnlaw (recently ranked fourth among political blogs in Finland), Grahnblawg (in Swedish) and Eurooppaoikeus (meaning European Law, in Finnish) are among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Are you following the debates which matter for your future? Is your blog already listed on Bloggingportal?

European Council and Single Market: ambitious enough?

Ahead of the spring European Council, the joint letter from the twelve prime ministers David Cameron (United Kingdom), Mark Rutte (Netherlands), Mario Monti (Italy), Andrus Ansip (Estonia), Valdis Dombrovskis (Latvia), Jyrki Katainen (Finland), Enda Kenny (Ireland), Petr Nečas (Czech Republic), Iveta Radičová (Slovakia), Mariano Rajoy (Spain), Fredrik Reinfeldt (Sweden) and Donald Tusk (Poland) to the president of the European Council (EUCO) Herman van Rompuy and the president of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso was titled A plan for growth in Europe.

This means that fifteen EU member states, among them France and Germany, did not participate in this call for growth policies.


Single Market reform

At the top of the wish list of the dozen premiers came an improved Single Market:

First, we must bring the single market to its next stage of development, by reinforcing governance and raising standards of implementation. The Commission’s report to the June European Council should set out clear and detailed actions needed to enhance implementation and strengthen enforcement.

Action should start in the services sector. Services now account for almost four fifths of our economy and yet there is much that needs to be done to open up services markets on the scale that is needed. We must act with urgency, nationally and at the European level, to remove the restrictions that hinder access and competition and to raise standards of implementation and enforcement to achieve mutual recognition across the single market. We look forward to the Commission report on the outcome of sectoral performance checks and call on the Commission to fulfil its obligation under the services directive to report comprehensively on efforts to open up services markets and to make recommendations for additional measures, if necessary in legislation, to fulfil the internal market in services.

Barroso reply

In the Annex to the Barroso reply we find the following list of ongoing or forthcoming actions:

1. Single Market

a) Commission Communication to the June European Council

This will present recommendations on how to make better use of the existing tools for improving and monitoring implementation of the Single Market, proposals on how to organise annual reporting on the Single Market, including on network industries and proposals on how to improve infringement/enforcement policy.

b) Commission report on the Services Directive and efforts to open up services markets, with recommendations for additional measures

The Commission is currently assessing the quality of the implementation of the Services Directive in all Member States, from an economic and legal point of view and on the operation of the Points of Single Contact and will report on this in the coming months.

c) Commission report on the outcome of sectoral performance checks

We are processing performance checks in 3 key sectors: Tourism, Construction and Business Services, to assess how different pieces of EU legislation applying to services work in practice when taken together.

***

Would you say that the demands or the planned actions are ambitious enough to turn the tide? If they are, in your view, will the needed qualified majorities be found? Is a sea change likely in the EU countries, especially the ones behind the curve?



Ralf Grahn
speaker on EU affairs, especially digital policy and law

P.S. For better or for worse, between the global issues and the national level, the European Union institutions and the eurozone coteries shape our future. At the same time we see a European online public sphere emerging. Grahnlaw (ranked fourth among politcal blogs in Finland), Grahnblawg (in Swedish) and Eurooppaoikeus (in Finnish) are among the more than 900 euroblogs aggregated by multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Is your blog already listed among them? Are you following the debates which matter for your future?

European Council: More ambitious reforms from EU member states?

In a series of blog posts I corralled the latest entries published on my four blogs and in three languages: Grahnlaw (EN), Grahnblawg (SV), Eurooppaoikeus (FI) and Grahnlaw Suomi Finland (EN, FI, SV).

The practices of the European Council and possible reform of this (now) official EU institution, as well as the conclusions of the spring summit regarding economic policy, sustainable public finances and growth-enhancing Europe 2020 reforms were discussed in the articles mentioned. This latest compilation, divided into five parts, covered blog posts published between 25 March and 9 April 2011: One, Two, Three, Four and Five.


Inspiration from spring European Council?

Guidance from the spring European Council was intended to inspire possible improvements in the final versions of the Stability Programme or Convergence Programme and in the National Reform Programme (NPR) of each member state.

However, the economic policy paragraphs (2 to 5) we have looked at in the conclusions were sketchy enough to add no new substance to earlier Integrated Guidelines, EU2020 headline targets, the Annual Growth Survey (AGS) from the Commission, or conclusions from different Council configurations (summarised in the synthesis report by the Hungarian Council presidency):

European Council 24/25 March 2011; Brussels, 25 March 2011 (EUCO 10/11; 34 pages)

If the paragraphs concerning the implementation of the European Semester contained no added value, they did not visbly detract from the goals, proposals and conclusions mentioned.

The European Council conclusions clearly endorsed public deficit reduction (paragraph 3) and they backed structural reforms in a number of wide areas (paragraph 4), plus they reiterated the next steps in accordance with European Semester procedures (paragraph 5).

In this respect, the conclusions by the spring European Council could be described as neutral.

Beside the EU level EU2020 Flagship initiatives and Single Market reform, the concrete actions to reduce public deficits and debt levels to tolerable levels and to reform product and labour markets are in the hands of the EU member states, and the previously agreed targets are general enough to offer as much room as national governments need (and much more than most of them are willing or able to contemplate).

In addition, higher levels of ambition are expressed elsewhere in the European Council conclusions.


Euro Plus Pact

Single Market reform, free trade agreements, the proposed ”six-pack” legislation on economic governance and (more rigorous) new stress tests of banks received complementary backing from the European Council.

The European Council also took a step towards establishing the new and permanent European Stability Mechanism (ESM), intended to replace the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) and the European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism (EFSM) in providing external financial assistance to euro-area Member States after June 2013. (See EUCO 10/11 Annex II.)

However, the higher reform ambitions we spoke about were expressed in the Euro Plus Pact, with Bulgaria, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania joining the 17 euro area states in order to enhance competitiveness and convergence. An annual cabal of heads of state or government is supposed to bring additional national commitments to the table. (See EUCO 10/11 Annex I.)

The goals are wide enough to house almost any economic reform plans and pledges:

§ Foster competitiveness
§ Foster employment
§ Contribute further to the sustainability of public finances
§ Reinforce financial stability

Concrete new reform commitments?

The first batch of more ambitious commitments is supposed to find its way into the national programmes due in April (EUCO 10/11 paragraph 12):

12. The Member States that have signed up to the Pact are committed, on the basis of the indicators and principles it contains, to announce a set of concrete actions to be achieved within the next twelve months. A number of Member States have already announced first commitments. All participating Member States will present their commitments as soon as possible and in any event on time for their inclusion in their Stability or Convergence Programmes and National Reform Programmes to be submitted in April and for their assessment at the June European Council.

I have seen no EU level compilation of first commitments already announced. At least the National Reform Programmes (NRPs), if not the Stability and Convergence Programmes, should start appearing on the Commission's web pages for the Europe 2020 strategy, but this morning the search for member states' documents still returns zilch.

The DG Economic and Financial Affairs (Ecfin) pages with the Stability and convergence programmes concern the 2009-2010 round (last update 6 October 2010), so we remain in waiting mode at EU level with regard to final versions 2011.

Naturally, for more energetic souls there is the opportunity to scout for the programmes government by government (and a few updates have appeared during the last days), but I leave systematic search along this avenue to the more ardent researchers.



Ralf Grahn


P.S. Eva en Europa, by Eva Peña (on Twitter @evaeuropa), is one of the top Euroblogs and a fine representative of the lively Spanish scene of citizen-bloggers dedicated to European affairs. She writes reasoned posts with a long shelf-life, mainly in Spanish, but has published occasionally in English and Catalan.

European Council blogging: Part Five (11042011)

Previous round-ups of my blog entries were published in Part One, with articles posted 25 and 26 March, and Part Two, which took us from 27 to 29 March 2011.

Part Three linked to blog posts published from 30 March to 1 April, and Part Four presented entries posted between 2 and 5 April 2011.

The blog posts appear on four blogs and in three languages: on Grahnlaw (EN), Grahnblawg (SV), Eurooppaoikeus (FI) and Grahnlaw Suomi Finland (EN, FI, SV).

The articles in Part Five were posted between 6 and 9 April 2011.

By the way, this is the 1,999th post on Grahnlaw (in English).


Europe 2020 strategy

Part Five collects articles concerning the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The blog entries were published between 6 and 9 April 2011 and they try to inform readers about the Europe 2020 strategy (EU2020) in the European Council, but including activities by the European Commission, Council configurations (Ecofin and EPSCO) and the Hungarian presidency of the EU Council.

Grahnlaw Suomi Finland: Deficit reduction 2012: European Council on goals and means (6 April 2011)

Grahnlaw Suomi Finland: European Council: Europe 2020 reforms (7 April 2011)

Grahnlaw Suomi Finland: Next steps towards Europe 2020 headline targets (8 April 2011)

Grahnlaw Suomi Finland: Europe 2020: Integrated Guidelines and later add-ons (9 April 2011)

The latest blog post have been the European Council round-ups here on Grahnlaw.



Ralf Grahn



P.S. Eurozine is a network of Europe's cultural journals, linking more than 75 partner journals and as many assoiciated magazines and institutions from almost all European countries. This is one European online public space you should not miss.

European Council blogging: Part Four (11042011)

Previous round-ups of my blog entries were published in Part One, with articles posted 25 and 26 March, and Part Two, which took us from 27 to 29 March 2011.

Part Three corralled the blog posts published from 30 March to 1 April 2011.

My blog posts appear on four blogs and in three languages: on Grahnlaw (EN), Grahnblawg (SV), Eurooppaoikeus (FI) and Grahnlaw Suomi Finland (EN, FI, SV).

Part Four brings together the European Council and economic reform aims in the EU. The blog entries were published between 2 and 5 April 2011.


Describing and reforming the European Council

The procedures of European Council, the European Semester, the summit priorities and guidelines (if any), the Annual Growth Survey (AGS), the contributions by the Ecofin Council and the EPSCO Council, the synthesis report from the Hungarian presidency of the EU Council and thoughts about improving the governance, transparency and closeness of the European Council were discussed in a series of entries on Grahnlaw.

Grahnlaw: European Council: Economic policy reform priorities I (2 April 2011)

Grahnlaw: European Council: Economic policy reform priorities II (3 April 2011)

Grahnlaw: European Council: Economic policy reform priorities III (4 April 2011)

Grahnlaw: European Council: Economic policy reform priorities IV (5 April 2011)



Ralf Grahn



P.S. The five-language family of the Euros du Village in French, Gli Euros in Italian, Die Euros in German, The Euros in English and Los Euros in Spanish is a real fountain of European news and opinion, a treasure trove for interested EU citizens and language students alike.

European Council blogging (24032011)

Ahead of the European Council on economic governance, growth and jobs, on 24 and 25 March 2011, I have written a number of posts on my blogs, Grahnlaw (EN), Grahnblawg (SV), Eurooppaoikeus (FI) and Grahnlaw Suomi Finland (EN, FI, SV).

Here are the four previous collections of blog entries.

Energy and employment dominated the batch on Grahnlaw: Baker's dozen of Grahnlaw & Co. on EU affairs (8 March 2011)

Growth reforms in line with the Europe 2020 strategy (EU2020) were at the centre of the following roundup on Grahnblawg: EU-ekonomi: Tillväxt och sysselsättning på Grahnlaw & Co (12 March 2011)

With the surrounding text in Finnish, but the blog post headlines in the original languages, the next collection of posts was presented Eurooppaoikeus, under the headline: EU2020 (16032011).

The EU2020 strategy, the European Semester, the pact for the euro and the positions of Sweden and Finland were among the themes of the blog entries collected on Grahnlaw Suomi Finland: Blogging ahead of European Council (22032011).


Latest posts

Since the collections, some individual blog posts have been published.

Eurooppaoikeus: Talousuudistukset Eurooppa-neuvostoon (23 March 2011)

Eurooppaoikeus: Uudistajat kannustavat Eurooppa-neuvostoa (23 March 2011)

Grahnlaw Suomi Finland: Ruotsi ei osallistu euroa koskevaan sopimukseen (23 March 2011)

Grahnlaw Suomi Finland: Tanska osallistuu euroa koskevaan sopimukseen (23 March 2011)

Grahnlaw Suomi Finland: Unkari ei osallistu euroa koskevaan sopimukseen (23 March 2011)


Openness and closeness

This blog post took a look at the advance materials available from the European Council (in Finnish, but select the language you prefer or use Google translation):

Grahnlaw Suomi Finland: Eurooppa-neuvosto 24. ja 25. maaliskuuta 2011: Avoimuus ja läheisyys? (24 March 2011)


The previous post

Grahnlaw: EU Tripartite Social Summit (24 March 2011)


***

Far from all issues of economic policy at the European Council spring meeting have been covered by the blog posts, but compare them with the advance information we have from the EU institutions: the preparatory General Affairs Council (GAC) and the European Council itself.



Ralf Grahn

PM Reinfeldt on Sweden in the EU

Here is just a quick post for those who may be interested in Sweden in the European Union, but may be unaware of the existence of the prime minister's speech and of the English version of it.

Today, the prime minister of Sweden, Fredrik Reinfeldt, outlined his country's late and cautious road to European integration, as well as the Swedish government's view of the challenges facing the union. These were the central reform themes for the future, according to Reinfeldt:

- how can the EU increase its economic growth, employment rate and competitiveness?
- how can the EU combat climate change?
- how can the EU promote and safeguard people's mobility across borders?
- how can the EU modernise its budget?
- how can the EU be a strong foreign policy actor that champions the values on which European cooperation is based?

The most obvious of these challenges lies in Europe's economic situation.

As the leader of one of the most successful EU member states, Reinfeldt speaks with some authority.



Ralf Grahn

Europe 2020 strategy Press pack: Better, but still shotgun approach

What the Barroso II Commission has presented as its make of break challenges (raison d’être) are sound public finances and growth-enhancing reforms leading to new jobs. However, a long time has passed since formal endorsement of the Europe 2020 strategy by the European Council (17 June 2010; EUCO 13/10).



Since then the Commission as a body has done little to take ownership of or at least to communicate the developments concerning the Europe 2020 strategy (EU2020) in a holistic manner, as seen in yesterday’s blog post about the central web portal: Europe 2020 website: From deplorable to absolute disgrace (4 October 2010).



This morning, the latest unsorted updating link on the Commission’s central Europe 2020 strategy web page was still from 17 July 2010, regarding funding for research and innovation.



EU2020 Press pack



On selected wide themes the Commission offers Press packs. In this case there is a Press pack on offer: Europe 2020 – a new economic strategy.

It clearly beats the central Europe 2020 strategy website, as it contains recent speeches by Commissioners and other press releases relevant to the EU2020 theme.

I have picked some of the more interesting ones for EU2020 as a whole:



Vice-President of the European Commission and the Commissioner responsible for inter-institutional relations and administration Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ spoke at the EESC: The Commission programme and social players' ownership of the Europe 2020 Strategy (17 September 2010; Speech/10/460).




The president of the European Commission, José Manuel Durão Barroso, spoke to the US Council on Foreign Relations: Stabilise, Consolidate, Reform: EU Moves from Crisis Management to Reform Agenda (23 September 2010; Speech/10/478).




The Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, László Andor, addressed the Employment Committee of the European Parliament: 2011 Commission Work Programme (September 2010; Speech/10/512 30).




During the ongoing Open Days 2010 in Brussels, the European Week of Regions and Cities from 4 to 7 October 2010, 6,000 regional and local representatives meet under the headline Europe 2020: competitiveness, co-operation and cohesion for all regions.


The updated Press pack is better than the central EU2020 web page, which is dead as the dodo, but it still reflects a shotgun approach, without clear ownership.

Europe is worth something better.




Ralf Grahn



P.S. The multilingual aggregator for EU related blogs keeps growing. There are now 670 Euroblogs, or blogs related to EU (and CoE) affairs, listed on Bloggingportal.eu. You can take a look at the stream of all new posts, or follow the editors’ choices on the front page. You can also subscribe to the streams (all or highlighted) and the newsletters (daily or weekly) without cost.



Bloggingportal.eu needs a few more voluntary editors for the daily tagging of posts according to subjects. Why not keep informed by reading about European affairs, improve your language skills and do something useful by joining the team of editors?

Fundamental challenges for Euroblogging

The Open Europe blog made the point that there is blogging on the fundamental questions of the future direction of Europe, as well as on EU politics in a narrower sense, the outcome of EU policies.



If anyone had managed to obliterate the media and opinion climate in England, or the obstructionist and patchy record of successive United Kingdom governments in European integration from their mind, or yawning apathy among EU citizens, Eurogoblin gave a reminder that warm nationalism and selective support of the European Union are alive and well. This includes the oxymoron of a non-desirable “centralised federal super-state”.

Open Europe and Eurogoblin are not alone. Most Europeans are as unreflecting and unsuspecting.

Start learning Mandarin and Asian values, in time.


***


Most of the EU institutions work within the existing framework, without much outward signs of open debate or questioning of fundamentals. As among the member states, their petty squabbles are mainly turf wars or limited issues of policy outcomes.


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There are a few politicians, researchers, journalists, bloggers and citizens who discuss both the need for more Europe and the democratic legitimacy required for a better European future. Maybe these idealists will become a footnote in the history of lost opportunities.


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Three main models are on offer for the European Union (and Euroblogs): The easy road of nationalism to oblivion, the low road of business as usual, and the high road of effectiveness based on democracy.

In my view, the general lack of strategic thinking about the role of Europe in a world of new emerging powers, the competing foreign policies of European Union member states, and the lack of effective representation at global level will contribute to speeding up the decline of the security and prosperity of EU citizens. Continued expansion of the EU combined with the unanimity rule for Treaty reform is practically a guarantee for the future irrelevance of Europe and European values in the world.

If we bar the import of European style federalism, we decline the opportunity to shape the world.

There is no end in sight for blogging on the high politics of EU fundamentals.




Ralf Grahn

EU Single Market from Mario Monti report to real reform?

If this was the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), this would be called a text with EEA relevance.




On Europe Day, 9 May 2010, professor Marion Monti delivered his report to the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso:



A new strategy for the Single Market at the service of Europe’s economy and society (107 pages)



If Project Europe 2030 of the Reflection Group, of which Monti was a member, received faint praise from the European Council, the heads of state or government showed a measure of commitment in their response to the proposals to reform the Single Market.



European Council conclusions



The conclusions of the European Council 17 June 2010 (document EUCO 13/10) mention Monti’s Single Market reform report in the context of a new European strategy for jobs and growth, under Finalising and implementing the Europe 2020 Strategy. Point 6, on page 4 tells us:

6. In particular, Europe's Single Market needs be taken to a new stage, through a comprehensive set of initiatives. The European Council welcomes the report presented by Mr Mario Monti on a new strategy for the Single Market and the Commission's intention to follow it up by presenting concrete proposals. The European Council will revert to this matter in December 2010.

Belgian EU Council presidency




If we look at the Programme of the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council (52 pages), it first mentions the Monti report under the strategic framework (‘Europe in action!’) on page 5:

The Belgian Presidency will continue the work set in motion by the Monti report dedicated to identifying the bottlenecks, missing links and new frontiers of the internal market.

The operational part of the Belgian presidency programme picks up the Monti report when it deals with the work in the Competitiveness Council (Internal Market, Industry and Research). The first paragraph of the section Internal market, on page 21, can be seen as a clear endorsement of future action:

Our primary concern is to strengthen the internal market. The Monti report contains recommendations relating to bottlenecks, missing links and new frontiers within the internal market. Based on this report, and the communication by the Commission referring to it, the Belgian Presidency will reopen the debate on the reinforcement and completion of the internal market, as well as the implementation of and compliance with its rules. This will involve preparing the ground for the Commission’s White Paper.

Future action?


If we believe what the European Council and the Belgian presidency of the Council of the European Union omit to tell us directly, and what they communicate in express terms, Project Europe 2030 languishes in limbo (as useful input), but the European Commission has been given a green light to prepare concrete proposals to reform the internal market (White Paper).



Pro captu lectoris, habent sua fata libelli.




Ralf Grahn

Europe 2020 strategy: Barroso’s reform flotilla (flagship initiatives)

EU 2020 reform delivery of three priorities and five headline targets is promised through seven flagship initiatives.


The spring European Council gave the Commission green light to prepare the thematic programmes of the Europe 2020 strategy for jobs and growth:

The Commission will further develop and submit to the Council the actions it proposes to take at the EU level, notably through the flagship initiatives.

Conclusions of the European Council 25/26 March 2010 (document EUCO 7/10; point 5(f), page 3)



The first flagship to cast off was the Digital Agenda, which was given a favourable nod by the summer European Council (point 7, page 4):

7. Further to the presentation by the Commission of the first flagship initiative on a 'Digital Agenda for Europe', the European Council endorses the establishment of an ambitious action agenda based on concrete proposals and calls upon all institutions to engage in its full implementation, including the creation of a fully functioning digital single market by 2015. The Commission is invited to report on progress achieved by the end of 2011.

A fully functioning digital single market in five years echoes the TTE Council conclusions, but if the European Council really intends to replace 27 national markets by a single European one in five years, it is dynamite.


The June European Council also called for the rest of the planned flagship initiatives before the end of 2010 (point 8, page 4):

8. The European Council looks forward to the presentation of the other flagship initiatives before the end of the year.

See the conclusions of the European Council 17 June 2010 (document 4 EUCO 13/10).



Commission flotilla


Let us not be too harsh on commander José Manuel Barroso, if his flotilla has been endowed with seven flagships. We all tend to be carried over board, at times.

The main thing is that the thematic reform vessels deliver the goods.

Let us inspect the fleet, as briefly presented in the executive summary of (pages 5 to 6):





Commission: EUROPE 2020 - A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth; Brussels, 3.3.2010 COM(2010) 2020 final (35 pages)



Seven flagships


Christopher Columbus had only three small ships to discover the New World, so at least we can be numerically impressed by seven flagships, presented like this:

The Commission is putting forward seven flagship initiatives to catalyse progress under each priority theme:

– "Innovation Union" to improve framework conditions and access to finance for research and innovation so as to ensure that innovative ideas can be turned into products and services that create growth and jobs.

– "Youth on the move" to enhance the performance of education systems and to facilitate the entry of young people to the labour market.

– "A digital agenda for Europe" to speed up the roll-out of high-speed internet and reap the benefits of a digital single market for households and firms.

– "Resource efficient Europe" to help decouple economic growth from the use of resources, support the shift towards a low carbon economy, increase the use of renewable energy sources, modernise our transport sector and promote energy efficiency.

– "An industrial policy for the globalisation era" to improve the business environment, notably for SMEs, and to support the development of a strong and sustainable industrial base able to compete globally.

– "An agenda for new skills and jobs" to modernise labour markets and empower people by developing their of skills throughout the lifecycle with a view to increase labour participation and better match labour supply and demand, including through labour mobility.

– "European platform against poverty" to ensure social and territorial cohesion such that the benefits of growth and jobs are widely shared and people experiencing poverty and social exclusion are enabled to live in dignity and take an active part in society.

Not content with its flagship flotilla, the Commission wants shipyards to mushroom all over Europe, with the European Council as the naval architect and master shipbuilder (page 6):

The European Council will have full ownership and be the focal point of the new strategy. The Commission will monitor progress towards the targets, facilitate policy exchange and make the necessary proposals to steer action and advance the EU flagship initiatives. The European Parliament will be a driving force to mobilise citizens and act as co-legislator on key initiatives. This partnership approach should extend to EU committees, to national parliaments and national, local and regional authorities, to social partners and to stakeholders and civil society so that everyone is involved in delivering on the vision.

The Europe 2020 priorities, headline targets and flagship initiatives were then presented in detail from page 10 in the Commission proposal.


Will the flagship flotilla deliver the goods, or is it going to going to run aground like the Lisbon armada?




Ralf Grahn

EU2020: Five headline targets (European Council 17 June 2010)

Within the wider framework of a new European strategy for jobs and growth, the European Council 17 June 2010 finalised the headline targets of the Europe 2020 strategy (document EUCO 13/10; Annex I, pages 11 to 12).

The five headline targets regarding employment, research and development, climate change and energy, education, and social inclusion and poverty reduction reform are:

- aiming to raise to 75% the employment rate for women and men aged 20-64, including through the greater participation of young people, older workers and low-skilled workers and the better integration of legal migrants;

- improving the conditions for research and development, in particular with the aim of raising combined public and private investment levels in this sector to 3% of GDP; the Commission will elaborate an indicator reflecting R&D and innovation intensity;

- reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% compared to 1990 levels; increasing the share of renewables in final energy consumption to 20%; and moving towards a 20% increase in energy efficiency;
the EU is committed to taking a decision to move to a 30% reduction by 2020 compared to 1990 levels as its conditional offer with a view to a global and comprehensive agreement for the period beyond 2012, provided that other developed countries commit themselves to comparable emission reductions and that developing countries contribute adequately according to their responsibilities and respective capabilities;

- improving education levels, in particular by aiming to reduce school drop-out rates to less than 10% and by increasing the share of 30-34 years old having completed tertiary or equivalent education to at least 40%; [The European Council emphasises the competence of Member States to define and implement quantitative targets in the field of education.]

- promoting social inclusion, in particular through the reduction of poverty, by aiming to lift at least 20 million people out of the risk of poverty and exclusion. [The population is defined as the number of persons who are at risk-of-poverty and exclusion according to three indicators (at-risk-of poverty; material deprivation; jobless household), leaving Member States free to set their national targets on the basis of the most appropriate indicators, taking into account their national circumstances and priorities.]

We are going to look at the European Council’s road map from ambitions to arrival.




Ralf Grahn