INTERNATIONAL POLICY ANALYSIS Business as Usual or a New Strategy for the Future? The Europe 2020 Strategy from the Perspective of German Trade Unions MICHAEL SOMMER, FRANK BSIRSKE AND WOLFGANG RHODE June 2010 ࡯ With the Europe 2020 Strategy, the member states of the European Union will set themselves political, economic and social targets for the purpose of»smart, sustain­able and inclusive growth«. The strategy has particular importance in view of the financial, economic and employment crisis. What is the general direction of the pro­posals made so far – and what points of criticism are there? ࡯ The German Confederation of Trade Unions, ver.di(Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerk­schaft – United Service Sector Union) and IG Metall(Industrial Union of Metalworkers) evaluate the strategy from a trade union perspective in their contributions. The aims of the strategy and the possibility of their implementation are considered critically and their shortcomings identified and analysed. ࡯ This paper presents a plea not only for a more social Europe, but also for an EU which is capable of countering the crisis situation with a new way of thinking and creative drive. From the trade union standpoint, the right lessons must be learned from the failed Lisbon Strategy: instead of a one-sided orientation towards competitiveness, account must be taken of sustainability, solidarity, cohesion, equality and social progress. Closer integration of the social partners can ensure employment and shape sustainable structural change. Only if Europe 2020 includes these goals will the EU find itself in a better position in ten years’ time, particularly with regard to the social dimension.