ABSTRACT
The key deliveries for the Europe 2020 Strategy at the national level are the so-called “National Reform Programmes”, which are to be presented by the national governments in April of each year, along with the stability and convergence programmes. The new initiative tries to overcome one of the main weaknesses of the Lisbon Strategy: the lack of a comprehensive system of monitoring of the performance achieved by the Member States towards the common objectives. The great complexity of this strategy is strictly linked to the very peculiar arrangements of the European Union. The role of the national governments will be decisive in determining the success or failure of the strategy. The inherent complexity of the Europe 2020 Strategy, focused on areas where the European Commission does not have full jurisdictional competence, increases the relevance of a timely and precise monitoring system and of an effective and efficient institutional setting.
