Lisbon strategy

The Lisbon Strategy, also known as the Lisbon Agenda or Lisbon Process, is an action and development plan for the European Union. It was set out by the European Council in Lisbon on March 2000.Preparation was carried out in relation with the broader reaching Council of Europe, the international organization of the "wider Europe", which also has charge of education in Europe.Between April and November 2004, Wim Kok headed up a review of the program and presented a report on the Lisbon strategy suggesting how to give new impetus to the process.
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To compete with other major world players, the EU needs a modern efficient economy. Meeting in Lisbon in March 2000, the EU's political leaders set it a new goal: to become, within a decade, "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion."

The EU's leaders also agreed on a detailed strategy for achieving this goal. The "Lisbon strategy" covers such matters as research, education, training, Internet access and on-line business. It also covers reform of Europe's social protection systems, which must be made sustainable so that their benefits can be enjoyed by future generations. Every spring the European Council meets to review progress in implementing the Lisbon strategy.