Rapport Publicerad: 2010-11-15

Reform to Perform: A Real European Growth Agenda for the 21st Century

Europe's future has been portrayed as a vacation destination for well-to-do Americans and Asians to visit for a week or two before heading back home where they continue to produce, invest and prosper. This image of Europe as a giant open air museum, like Venice, with no prospects of being able to catch up with its fast-moving competitors is a negative picture that must be remedied quickly to prevent the label "laggard" from sticking indefinitely.

The last 20 years have been disruptive for Europe, the old continent that was once a dominant player and powerhouse. The next two decades years promise to be even more unsettling if necessary reforms are not undertaken to make Europe tick again. With slower growth than its main competitors, the EU's share of global wealth will inevitably decline.

Europe is not alone in producing high-value goods and services. Other regions, and especially parts of Asia, with China at the fore, are moving quickly ahead through higher levels of investment in research, technology development and innovation.

Europe has no alternative than real reform in order to be able to perform. If Europe does not adjust to the demands of the global economy, the real danger is that this relative decline becomes absolute. Structural weakness must be addressed and remedied in times of crisis so that future generations do not have to pay for our deficiencies today.

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Svenskt Näringsliv vill delta i diskussionen kring det framtida Europa och har tagit fram en alternatiiv tillväxtagenda ”Reform to Perform: A Real European Growth Agenda for the 21st Century” som lyfter fram ett antal tankar och förslag som översatta till praktisk handling skulle kunna leverera ökad tillväxt för Europa. Om näringslivet inte finns i tätklungan för ökad reformtakt kommer Europa aldrig att kunna leva upp till sina åtaganden om konkurrenskraft, tillväxt och jobb. Det är nu hög tid för EU att reformera och leverera.