Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I do not accept that the EU is unmindful of the need for social cohesion. As part of the fundamental objectives of the union there is a cohesion policy to provide for a socially inclusive society and one which is economically dynamic and which can provide standards of living, jobs and a quality of life for the European Union. We must do this in the context of a very competitive world trading environment. From a consideration of world investment patterns it is clear Europe has much work to do if it is to deal with some of the disadvantages it has in terms of demographics vis-À-vis other parts of the world. Social costs will increase inevitably and we must improve and increase the potential of our human capital. People must be able to create greater productivity and wealth to fund the increased social costs that will inevitably emerge as we try to maintain the political, social democratic model that is at the heart of the European Union.

In that context, the 2020 strategy is being devised in an effort to learn from the lessons of the Lisbon Strategy, where there were many targets and many, as they call them, score sheets on a range of criteria, which unfortunately became a box-ticking exercise in some respects rather than looking at having a better outcome with fewer targets. The President of the Commission outlined that one would have these five targets but underneath that one would have flagship initiatives by the European Union cutting right across all of its area of activities in social and economy policy to help achieve these targets. It would not be a question of setting targets, letting matters flow along and hoping that one reaches them. It is an integrated strategy that is trying to minimise the number of targets - five, as have been outlined.

Deputy Ó Caoláin mentioned one of them, coming specifically to his question on poverty reduction. There is a need to look at more than merely the initial indicators that were set out in the draft, and we suggested that. We felt further work should be done on it. They have agreed that further work will be done so that we can try to ensure the poverty reduction target can be met. Therefore, more work is to be done between now and the June Council to satisfy Heads of State and Government that there is a sufficient level of work done that would convince us that we would be more likely to achieve it than simply using it based on the information we have at present. Far from it being dismissive of some of the social objectives set out in Lisbon 2020, the fact that more work needs to be done on it is an indication of the need to have a robust and rigorous analysis of that aspect of the targets no more than one would have on the more strictly economic ones.

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