The Lisbon scorecard X: The road to 2020

The EU's Lisbon agenda has failed to deliver what it promised. Although most member-states have made some progress towards the targets they set themselves in 2000, their commitment to reform has been half-hearted. This leaves few EU countries well-placed to thrive economically. With public finances in a parlous state following the financial crisis, population ageing kicking in, and strains emerging in the eurozone, the EU must provide new impetus to supply-side reforms. The new EU 2020 agenda needs a stronger method of governance – with public rankings of countries’ performance – and should pay greater attention to skills and innovation.