Europe’s leaders must embrace a bold and innovative programme of reform across the policy agenda to secure a peaceful, prosperous and stable future. This is the finding of a new research paper, New Concept for Europe, published today by the World Economic Forum.
The paper is the result of a six-month consultation with leaders from business, government, academia and civil society and young people aimed at building a vision for a stronger, modern and resilient Europe. One of the key findings of the paper is that Europeans, especially younger people, believe that a core set of European values, based on inclusion and equality, openness and diversity, democracy and inclusiveness and sustainable growth are coming increasingly under threat.
To preserve these values for the future, the paper outlines a number of innovative ideas aimed at addressing the region’s challenges. These suggested interventions are spread across five major policy areas: human-centric economy; security and defence; migration and borders; democracy and governance; and energy and sustainability. Collectively, these themes cover more than two-thirds of the policy areas where most Europeans say they want greater intervention by the European Union.
Among the ideas put forward by the group are:
– Universal Right to Learn (URL): A major training and reskilling effort aimed at building creative, entrepreneurial and technological skills for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
– European Technological and Human Ethical Commission (ETHEC): A multistakeholder body to anticipate threats and opportunities posed by Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies
– Vote at 16: Building on successful experiences in Scotland and Austria to broaden the base of democracy
– Secure Cities: Strengthening city diplomacy through a network that connects cities in the fight against terrorism, crime and violence
– European Security Force: To augment national defence systems as well as provide new roles such as coastguard and border patrols
– Common digital identity for refugees and asylum seekers: To better manage migration flows and improve integration of immigrants
– Opening access to energy data: To give consumers better choice and enable more sustainable energy supply
– Zero-emission new buildings by 2030: Improving efficiencies in buildings, which account for 36% of carbon emissions in the EU
“2018 will be a decisive year for Europe’s future. What we need is a narrative which is innovative, comprehensive and responsive to the expectations of Europe’s citizens and particularly Europe’s young generation,” said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum.
The recommendations highlighted in the paper will be shared with leaders from Europe during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2018 this month.
Driving Europe’s Innovative Potential
A second paper, released today by the World Economic Forum, finds Europe’s economy at risk of losing ground to other regions in the world if it does not leverage the respective strengths of start-ups and corporates in order to forge stronger connections and create value. The paper, Start-ups and Corporates – A Practical Guide for Mutual Understanding, aims to help Europe develop more world-class technology companies by providing a blueprint for greater collaboration between the two worlds.