Minister for Development and European Affairs Mitja Gaspari will tomorrow, 5 December 2008, attend the meeting of National Coordinators for the Lisbon Strategy in Paris convened by President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso and French Minister of the Economy, Industry and Employment Christine Lagarde on behalf of the Presidency. The meeting will primarily focus on political and practical steps to be taken within the new cycle of the Lisbon Strategy implementation in the light of the global financial crisis.

The meetings of National Lisbon Coordinators provide an opportunity for their formal cooperation, consultation, and exchange of views at the EU level. The morning part of the Paris meeting will be dedicated to the exchange of views on the Lisbon Strategy in the current economic situation, discussion on its future, and to further endeavours towards structural reforms. Minister Gaspari intends to welcome the series of measures laid down in European Commission's Communication 'European Economic Recovery Plan' that was presented on 26 November 2008; he will also explain his considerations on the urgency to proceed with the measures aimed at achieving the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy after 2010, because not all of them will be achieved by then.

The afternoon part of the National Coordinators meeting will take the form of a seminar under the title 'Challenges and Priorities of the Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Development after 2010'. At this seminar, the main problems and challenges in setting priorities of the Lisbon Strategy in the future will be presented. At the same time, this will be an opportunity to exchange views with representatives of European social partners who will take part in the discussion.