Assessing the Lisbon Strategy 2005-2010 and Estimating Expected Effects from Reaching the EU 2020 Goals
This study assesses the Austrian economic policy during the second half of the Lisbon Strategy period 2005-2010 and the economic effects to be expected from reaching the targets set within the framework for the new European growth strategy Europe 2020. In all of the areas targeted by the National Reform Programmes, the targets could either be reached or positive trends initiated to improve the conditions for growth and employment in Austria. In some areas, Austria is among the top performing countries within the EU, e.g., in the growth of its R&D ratio as well as in the unemployment rate. In other areas, notwithstanding positive trends, there is still some way to go to reach the targets or to improve conditions for growth and employment, such as in climate policy and in human resources for innovation. Reaching the targets of Europe 2020 could boost real GDP growth between 2010 and 2020 by 0.3 percentage point, a considerable effect which amounts to almost a sixth of trend GDP growth.