Conny Reuter, President of Social Platform, reacted this week to the Europe 2020 proposal from the Commission. His statement is as follows:

“The Europe 2020 document is a halfhearted response to the social problems that people in the EU are facing today. As with the previous Lisbon strategy, under which inequalities and the number of working poor increased, before the economic crisis set in, the mantra here remains to achieve growth – albeit “smart, sustainable and inclusive” growth. Where is the commitment to strengthen universal protection systems, and create quality jobs? These are essential components to ensure that any growth would benefit all the people of the EU.