EUROPEAN COUNCIL : SUMMIT URGES STRONGER MEMBER STATE INVOLVEMENT IN 2020 STRATEGY'.

A special EU summit on the Union's 2020 strategy' will be held in February, President Herman van Rompuy announced at the European Council, on 10 December. The Union is currently pondering how to formulate its main priorities for the next decade. The European Commission has recently launched a consultation on the issue, and the Council will decide on the strategy under the Spanish EU Presidency, most likely during the spring 2010 European Council. The policy framework will address the "future economic, employment, social and environmental challenges" and set specific targets, says a policy document released by the trio Presidencies (Spain, Belgium, Hungary). Several member states' delegations have already asked for targets that take the regional differences within the EU into account and the Council's 11 December conclusions call for "tangible results" and more involvement of national, regional and local authorities.

The latest draft of the European Council's conclusions says that the Lisbon strategy "has been useful in setting a framework for strengthening European competitiveness and encouraging structural reform". According to the document, "In view of the economic and social impact of the crisis [...] the challenges posed by ageing populations, increasing inequalities and climate change, a new approach is needed more than ever". There is room for improvement: "The European Council calls for a new reflection on the methodology to be used; a more efficient and transparent governance structure is needed, geared towards reaching tangible...