The Annals of “ Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati Fascicle I – 2008. Economics and Applied Informatics. Years XIV - ISSN 1584-0409 118 EU Strategies and the Role of Education for Sustainable Development Cornelia Elena TUREAC Anca Gabriela TURTUREANU “Danubius” University of Galati Abstract. In June 2006 the European Union decided upon a new Strategy for Sustainable Development. Together with the Lisbon Strategy that was revised in 2005, there is now some coherence between the two strategies which had been conflicting before. The renewed Strategy for Sustainable Development includes aspects of production and consumption and promotes a knowledge society. The renewed Lisbon strategy lists eco- innovation and environmental technology as one of the areas which are important for competitiveness. The Lisbon Strategy and the Strategy for Sustainable Development are now seen to be mutually enforcing and complementary, with the Strategy for Sustainable Development focussing on a long-term overarching objective. One special item which has now been included in the EU Strategy for sustainable development is education for sustainable development, which provides an additional link to the Lisbon Strategy, which focuses on the knowledge society. The European Support Centre and the Austrian Chapter of the Club of Rome have established a large European network on environmental education which is in line with the targets of the EU Strategy for Sustainable Development. 1. The Lisbon Strategy in 2000 The Lisbon Strategy was agreed upon by the Lisbon European Council in March 2000 and was designed as a new political strategy for the European Union "in order to strengthen employment, economic reform and social cohesion as part of a knowledge-based economy". The Council stated that a "radical transformation of the European economy" was required as a consequence of globalisation and the challenges of a new knowledge-driven economy. The Council analysed the strengths and weaknesses of the European Union. Among the strengths there were low inflation and interest rates, remarkably reduced public sector deficits and a healthy balance of payments as well as a generally well-educated workforce and social protection systems. The weaknesses were seen in the area of employment (15 million Europeans were out of work at that time) and in an underdeveloped services sector, particularly in the area of telecommunications and the Internet. The strategic goal for the European Union according to the 2000 Lisbon Strategy can be characterised by the most frequently cited phrase from the document. The Union wanted "to become 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". Aspects of the strategy were an information society for all, establishing a European area of research and innovation and creating a friendly environment for starting up and developing innovative businesses, esp. SMEs. Two items in the key phrase are remarkable: The first one is the focus on competitiveness. The 2000 Lisbon Strategy did not only argue that Europe should be competitive, but it claimed that Europe