J Y R KI K A TA IN EN VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

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B-1049 BRUSSELS

TEL. (+32-2) 295.55.99

Brussels,

Dear Ms Roy, Dear Mr Baussand,

Thank you for your letter of 27 March 2015 on the review of the Europe 2020 strategy, which I read with interest.

Regarding the timing of the review of the Europe 2020 strategy, allow me to clarify that the review in itself is not postponed but the Commission will proceed in two steps. As a first step, in March 2015, the Commission presented the results of the public consultation on the Europe 2020 strategy1 held between May and October 2014, accompanied by a detailed report assessing the progress made on the implementation of the strategy . As a second step, the Commission will present its conclusions later in the year.

The timing of the presentation, by the Commission, of its proposals for the review of the strategy, does not entail a slowing down of action to address the social impact of the crisis, as indicated in your letter. In his political guidelines3, President Juncker presented an ambitious agenda for jobs, growth, fairness and democratic change and stressed the importance of the social dimension. In concrete terms, the Commission will continue to address the negative social impact of the crisis in the context of the Europe 2020 strategy and more generally, in the context of the European Semester. In particular, as stated in the 2015 Annual Growth Survey4 and backed up by the findings of the report on 'Employment and Social Developments in Europe 2014"5, the economic crisis triggered an ongoing social crisis and the slow recovery is hampering efforts to reduce the high levels of unemployment. Against this background, the Commission has proposed an integrated approach combining structural reforms, investment and fiscal responsibility.

1 COM(2015) 100final 2 htíp:/íec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/32! 7494/6655013/KS-EZ-l4-001 -EN-N.pdf/a5452f6e-8190-4ß0-H996-41 bi306Í73 67 3 hllp://ec. europa, ewpriorities/docs/pz en.pdf, 2014 4 COM(2014) 902 final 3 European Commission (2014), Employment and Social Developments in Europe 2014

Ms Heather ROY President Mr Pierre BAUSSAND Director Social Platform

E-mail: pi al form (mo ci al pi at form, oí-g

Ref. Ares(2015)1711980 - 22/04/2015

Thus, it is clear that the jobs, growth and investment agenda of the Commission and the Europe 2020 strategy are fully consistent and participate in the same spirit of reviving jobs and growth in Europe. This remains and will remain at the core of our agenda.

I hope that these clarifications address the issues raised in your letter and I look forward to continuing our dialogue in the future.

Yours sincerely,