Renewed: 13.09.2010, 11:55

The European Commission`s evaluation on the implementation of the Estonian Action Plan

The European Commission evaluated(pdf) the implementation of the Estonian Action Plan as excellent. Estonia was among 6 Member States where the European Commission did not see the need to officially recommend adjustments or supplements to the objectives or implementation of the policy.

As a result of the analysis of policies directed at improving Estonia’s competitiveness, the Commission defined 7 areas that Estonia should pay foremost attention to developing:

1) effective utilization of resources aimed at developing research and development activities and innovation;
2) use of research results in developing innovative goods and services;
3) promoting cooperation between universities and enterprises;
4) implementing a proactive competition policy;
5) increasing labour market flexibility;
6) developing an active labour market policy; and
7) developing labour force skills.

The Commission also listed two key areas of Estonian competitiveness that the country should take into account upon shaping and implementing its policy. The two areas include private sector investments in research and development activities and foreign investments, and also the development of active labour market services so as to develop worker skills.

Estonia has the best Lisbon reform programme

According to a recent survey by Bruegel, a Brussels-based think tank, Estonia is the most successful implementer of the Lisbon reform programme among all Member States in the European Union. The survey notes that although it is too early to measure the first outcomes, it is possible to assess the potential the action plans have for reaching their set objectives. The survey assessed the quality of the Plan’s contents (that is, the purposefulness of the set objectives) as well as the compilation process.

The survey placed the states on a scale from 1 to 12 and awarded Estonia 11 points out of 12 for its national reform programme. Most of the Member States in the European Union scored below 6 points on the scale.

Estonia was followed by nine states all with seven points, including Austria, Denmark, Poland and Spain. Belgium received three points, Germany and Great Britain two points. Latvia and Lithuania both got six and Finland five points.

The composers of the survey, Jean Pisani-Ferry and André Sapir, noted that compiling a national reform programme was difficult for all Member States, as the 24 guidelines provided by the European Commission were the same for all countries: rich or poor, technological leaders as well as unemployment-ridden countries.

According to their assessment, the lack of priorities creates two problems:

Firstly, the reform programmes in several states became mere lists of 24 guidelines with no prioritised goals.

Secondly, if the European Commission does not set priorities, it could result in a situation where every Member State simply establishes its priorities within the guidelines, ignoring those that are more problematic to implement, but which are nevertheless essential for success.