Archive:Europe 2020 indicators - Germany
- Data from July 2013. Most recent data: Further Eurostat information, Main tables.
This article is part of a set of statistical articles based on the Eurostat publication Smarter, greener, more inclusive - Indicators to support the Europe 2020 strategy. It provides recent statistics on the Europe 2020 strategy of the European Union (EU), focusing on the situation in Germany.
Main statistical findings
Long-term unemployment, which is used in Germany as the national target in the area of poverty and social exclusion, was reduced by about 580 000 people by 2012 compared with 2008, thus already exceeding the reduction target of 330 000 people to be met by 2020. As a consequence, Germany was also the second closest to its national employment target. Additionally, Germany has already met its target on tertiary educational attainment, with 43.4 % of 30 to 34 year olds having completed tertiary-level or equivalent (ISCED levels 4a, 5 or 6) education in 2012. It was furthermore close to its targets on R&D expenditure and, to a lesser extent, early school leaving. In contrast, gaps larger than in most other Member States could be observed in relation to the GHG emissions reduction target.
Data sources and availability
More information about the origin of the data and the calculation of indicators can be obtained via the Europe 2020 indicators dedicated website.
Under 'Tables', click on the icons next to the indicators:
- 'Explanatory texts (metadata)' for a detailed overview of the collection and compilation methods;
- 'Information on the leaf' for data availability per country.
A more general overview of quality procedures can be found in Implementation of standard reference metadata for indicators - the ESMS Indicator Profile (ESMS-IP) (PDF file).
Context
Measures implemented to meet the national targets
- Employment: Addressing shortages of skilled labour and providing new employment incentives within the framework of the Skilled Workers Strategy; enhancing support services for combining work with family commitments; promotion of fair participation of women in top jobs; facilitate immigration of qualified workers; measures for tackling long-term unemployment.
- R&D expenditure: A number of measures under the Action plan for the High-Tech Strategy focused in the following five main areas: climate/energy, health/nutrition, communications, mobility and security; continued funding for R&D projects of individual or collaborating firms under the Central SME Innovation Programme; increased annual government aid for several large scientific research organizations, etc.
- Renewable energies: Adoption of national renewable energy targets, more ambitious than the core benchmarks set by the EU.
- Energy efficiency: Promoting recycling and energy efficiency for individuals and businesses under the German Resource Efficiency Programme; providing targeted support to R&D of environmentally sound and resource saving technologies.
- Early school leaving: Expanding childcare services in order to provide greater educational opportunities for all children.
- Tertiary education: Increased efforts in expanding available study programmes; provision of additional funding for higher education institutions.
- Poverty: Assistance for lone parents, identified as a targeted group at risk of poverty; promoting social inclusion of people with disabilities, fostering the integration of people of migrant background, enhancing the participation of disadvantaged children and young people in social and cultural activities.
The European Commission's 2013 country-specific recommendations
- Employment: Take measures to lower taxes and social security contributions, in particular for low-wage earners; maintain activation and integration policy measures for the unemployed; improve incentives for full-time work for women.
- Education: Take steps to increase the educational achievement of individuals from migrant backgrounds.
- Energy efficiency: Minimise the overall economic costs of transforming the energy system; expand national and cross-border networks and increase coordination of energy policy with neighbouring countries.
- Sustainable public finances: Further measures to be taken in order to stabilise debt to GDP levels. These should include improvement in the efficiency of public spending for health and long-term care and increase in the tax revenue by broadening the VAT base and reforming the property tax base.
- Others: Promote competition in the service sector, by removing excessive restrictions on professional services and in the construction sector; stimulate competition in the railway market and in financial services.
See also
Further Eurostat information
Publications
- Smarter, greener, more inclusive - indicators to support the Europe 2020 strategy (online publication, also downloadable as PDF file)
Main tables
Dedicated section
Methodology / Metadata
- Towards robust quality management for European Statistics - Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council COM(2011) 211 final.
Other information
- Regulation 223/2009 of 11 March 2009 on European statistics