In the Lisbon European Council in 2000 the European Union set a strategic goal for the next decade "of becoming the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion". The Council also invited the Commission to draw up an annual synthesis report on the basis of the Structural Indicators, which provide an instrument for an objective assessment of the progress made towards the Lisbon objectives, and support the key messages of the report. In 2006 the four following areas were set as the cornerstones of the renewed Lisbon Strategy: investing in knowledge and innovation, unlocking the business potential, investing in people and modernising labour markets, and climate change and energy.

Structural Indicators are used to underpin the Commission's analysis in the Annual Progress Report to the European Council. Besides the presentation of data, users are also provided with some general information on the robustness of methodologies and indicators, as well as with background documents.

Please address any comments or questions concerning these webpages to the SI team through estat-structuralindicators@ec.europa.eu