Integration a priority in Lisbon
Integration of European economic and social policies is essential if a knowledge based economy is to be achieved, said Commissioner for Employment and social affairs, Anna Diamantopoulou, at the opening of the Lisbon summit. 'With a strong political commitment from Europe's leaders and with clear goals, benchmarks and target dates, we will push forward a comprehensive and integrated policy strategy to create full employment in a competitive knowledge-based economy,' she said. 'We need to create 20 million jobs in the next ten years - with positive growth and a coherent framework of structural policies we can achieve this. 'Social inclusion is a central and integral element in this policy strategy - it is an economic as well as a social goal. The economic and social costs of social exclusion are high - costs of unemployment, of crime, poor health and so on,' she added. Mrs Diamantopoulou comments reinforced those she had made on the eve of the summit when she had called for top-level commitment from Europe's leaders to establish the goal of full employment in an inclusive Information Society, saying the summit could mark the start of a new era for Europe's citizens. 'Europe has the opportunity and the economic conditions to reclaim full employment as the central focus of our economic and social policies,' she said. 'We can raise employment rates in Europe from the level of 61 per cent and move towards the US level of 74 per cent. We can combine competitiveness and cohesion in the new knowledge society and be a model for the world. 'Re-establishing full employment as a key focus of our economic and social policies is a historic step in creating a Europe for all our citizens. Investing in people is the key route to both competitiveness and cohesion. We can combine and integrate our economic and social agendas to create a successful, globally competitive European economy with a fully modernised and efficient European social model - one that meets the demands of business and society.'