Are EU countries ready to meet 2020 targets?
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Conclusion of series
EurActiv concluded this week its series dedicated to views from various EU countries, particularly new member states,regarding the targets of the ‘Europe 2020’ strategy. The latest article, Europe grapples with 2020 employment target, deals with the European Union’s commitment to raising, by 2020, the employment rate of the population aged 20-64 from the current 69% to 75%.
The ‘Europe 2020’ strategy defines five headline targets at EU level for the next ten years, which member states will be asked to translate into national goals reflecting their differing starting points.
Previous coverage in the series included the following targets:
● Reducing the number of Europeans living below the poverty line by 25% and lifting 20 million out of poverty from the current total of 80 million(Eastern Europe frowns at EU 'poverty' target; EurActiv 06/05/10).
● Raising investment in R&D to 3% of the EU's GDP (Czechs vie for top in Eastern European R&D league; EurActiv 04/06/10).
● Meeting the EU's '20/20/20' objectives on greenhouse gas emission reduction and renewable energies (Eastern Europe struggling to meet EU climate targets; EurActiv 16/07/10).
● Reducing the share of early school leavers to 10% and making sure that at least 40% of 30-34 year olds have a degree or diploma by 2020 (EU education goals: A mixed picture in Eastern Europe; EurActiv 23/08/2010).
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