EUROPE 2020 – A “SOFT” AGENDA FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE?

Given the partial success of the Lisbon Strategy, it has become of paramount importance to perform a thorough critical analysis of the nature of the objectives set by the newly-concocted Europe 2020 Agenda. Hence, amid the difficult times the European Union is facing, the fulfilment of this complex strategy is largely reliant on the active involvement of each member state. By assessing the overall objectives of the aforementioned agenda, it becomes obvious that the role of Central and East-European states will be essential to their success, all the more because priorities pertaining to growth and cooperation tackle subjects this part of the continent is particularly interested in. The relative experience of such nations in the area of “soft power” policies needs to be furthered, in order for them to attain more convergence and lead to an effective contribution to the social, economic and environmental dimensions of the Europe 2020 Agenda.