Prodi backs Lisbon Commissioner and calls for political far-sightedness
Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission, has given implicit backing to the call by several Member States for the appointment of a Commissioner to oversee reforms necessary for achieving the Lisbon goals. Presenting the results of the European Council to the European Parliament on 31 March, Mr Prodi claimed that 'The Lisbon process is lacking a strong point of authority at Community level, which is the only way to coordinate measures.' The Commission President also called on national politicians to think further ahead than the next elections: 'The investments in human resources and knowledge that we all believe essential yield returns only in the long term. Political trends, however, increasingly favour measures that have an impact that is visible before the end of an electoral term, in a very short time.' He praised those Member States which have sought to implement reforms for their 'far-sightedness and political courage'. In order to meet the Lisbon goal of making Europe the world's most competitive economy by 2010, a number of decisions must be made and policies implemented. One of the priorities is investment in research and development - 'We have been saying this for years,' reminded Mr Prodi. 'However, it is not enough to agree on what has to be done: we also need a deep commitment and the instruments that can make it happen.' Mr Prodi lamented the fact that 'we have not yet succeeded in making the leap from words to deeds,' but expressed hope that the situation will now change. There are positive signs, he said, including the apparent political will to forge ahead with the Initiative for Growth. The initiative includes a list of 'quick start projects' in the fields of research and development, transport, energy and information technology. By next year, said Mr Prodi, the EU must have 'wiped out the backlog' of Lisbon directives waiting to be transposed into national law.