Time to move up a gear : The Commission's 2006 Annual Progress Report on Growth and Jobs

The European Commission has just published its new Annual Progress Report on the Lisbon Strategy, the partnership between the EU and Member States for growth and more and better jobs. The Annual Progress Report is designed to reinforce momentum and force the pace of delivery.

The Report provides an analysis of the 25 new National Reform Programmes submitted by Member States in October 2005, identifies the strengths in different national programmes, highlights areas where there are shortcomings, and proposes concrete action at EU and national level to deal with them. 

Four priority action areas are identified:

• investment in education, research and innovation;
• freeing up SMEs;
• employment policies to get people into work;
• and guaranteeing a secure and sustainable energy supply.

For each of these areas, the Commissions Spring Report makes clear proposals for European leaders to commit to when they meet at the March Summit in Brussels and to implement by 2007.