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The report of the High Level Group chaired by Wim Kok in many ways contradicts the ‘Lisbon Agenda’ that was agreed by Heads of State and Governments in 2000 and ignores the commitment that was made in relation to the eradication of poverty and the combat of social exclusion.
The report makes passing references to the importance of the balanced approach, adopted in Lisbon (as amended in Gothenburg), between economic, employment, social and environmental policies but then the five areas identified for urgent action: the knowledge society, the internal market, the business climate, the labour market and the environmental sustainability, completely fails to identify the need for the promotion of social cohesion and social inclusion.
This failure to grapple with the complexity of the whole of the Lisbon agenda seriously limits the value of the recommendations contained in the report.
