As part of the Lisbon Council's contribution to the Europe 2020 strategy, Paul Hofheinz, president of the Lisbon Council, argues that this crucial agenda should prioritise skills acquisition and the necessary accompanying investment in human capital. He maps out a one-of-a-kind intellectual framework to evaluate skills policy and explains what levers can be utilised to finally move from rhetoric to action.

In a Lisbon Council e-brief, Meglena Kuneva, European commissioner for consumer affairs, enters the debate on the future of the internal market.
A compelling call to position European policy making firmly in competitive, open and transparent markets, Commissioner Kuneva explains how consumer policy must be more firmly embedded in the service sector, as well as the digital economy and green markets.

In a cutting-edge survey, the Lisbon Council together with Accenture, charts a course for the European economy towards the forefront of 21st century global economic developments. The study focuses particularly on the role that high value-added work can play in restoring equilibrium to Europe’s job market, where our researchers estimate that as many as 14 million jobs can be created and sustained in the next decade – provided that regulatory and investment policies are properly conceived and well executed.

In a landmark study, the Lisbon Council weighs into the current debate surrounding innovation by looking at the way Human Capital is developing in 13 European countries. Based on a methodology devised by Peer Ederer, director of the Human Capital Project, the study predicts major challenges for key European countries – such as Germany and Italy – that do too little to invest in and develop their human capital.

Following the successful Jobs of the Future study, this report, published together with Accenture, examines the imperative of bringing government, business and individuals together to develop the skills and human capital Europe needs to excel in a fast-moving global economy.