Verheugen Plans EU "Cultural Revolution"

EU Industry Commissioner Günter Verheugen is to launch a new plan to boost growth across the European Union next month, he said in an interview with the German magazine Focus published Sunday. Verheugen said the aim was to create new jobs especially in the services, training and leisure industries. Calling the plan a "real cultural revolution" but giving no details, Verheugen, who is also deputy head of the EU executive, said he wanted to "dust off" the current strategy on growth. Outgoing commission chief Romano Prodi said in October that efforts to increase growth in the bloc had failed, accusing the 25 member states of using their veto to prevent changes. At the Lisbon summit in 2000, EU leaders agreed on a program of reforms aimed at catching up with the United States economically and making Europe the most competitive region in the world within a decade.