Quick Wins in 2011
Ambitious, bold and consistent policy action is required if Europe is to be put on track to be an attractive place to live and work in 2025. To achieve ERT’s vision, urgent steps must be taken to implement the Single Market Act, the Europe 2020 Strategy and to secure a quick and orderly return to sustainable public finances. The latter implies, for example, the strict application of the revised Stability and Growth Pact and the quantification of public pension liabilities.
Following insufficient implementation of ERT’s recommended policy actions for 2010, the following ‘quick wins’ in 2011 could still set Europe on track for achievement of the ERT Vision by 2025.
Download the Quick Wins 2011 in pdf.
Priority 1: Unleash the EU’s innovative power
1. Agree the proposed Innovation Union flagship initiative and begin implementation immediately, including transforming public procurement into a strategic enabler for the development and implementation of new technologies.
2. Develop a blueprint for the 8th EU Framework Programme for Research. FP8 should improve the EU’s capacity to turn research into innovation. To this end, private sector participation in EU-funded research programmes should be strengthened.
3. Foster the creation of lead markets contributing to sustainable growth, which can only be achieved if durable solutions are found for Europe’s economic, financial, education, social security and pension systems, and in the environmental domain.
Priority 2: Improve business certainty
4. Complete a legally binding international climate change agreement in 2011, while following a climate change strategy which includes the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and which supports Europe's global competitiveness and leadership.
5. Provide clarity for funding of the EU’s Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan).
6. Ensure legal certainty for European investors during the transition period towards an EU approach to foreign direct investment. A roadmap for the development of an EU model investment agreement and clarification of the modalities of the planned grandfathering of existing national bilateral investment treaties are needed.
Priority 3: Develop a coherent EU policy strategy across all policy areas
7. Ambitious progress must be made towards the completion of the EU’s Single Market. Full implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy will reinforce competitiveness and EU policy coherence.
8. The EU Energy Roadmap for 2050, as part of the overall plans for an EU low-carbon economy, must take an integrated policy approach: it should include elements relating to the environment, climate change, energy security, transport, parameters for markets and the affordability of energy for industry and consumers.
9. Develop an integrated strategic approach to policy making throughout the EU in pursuit of a global level playing field. As part of this, an EU strategy for global standard setting as a driver of European competitiveness should be developed.