Guardian: EU - Big Beasts Battle

GuardianEU-Big Beasts Battle

Günter Verheugen has just over four years to pull off the greatest challenge of his political life before he retires from his key post at the European commission to the private life he says he never enjoys.

As vice-president in charge of enterprise and industry, the 61-year-old is at the forefront of trying to create the conditions for the European Union to become the most dynamic economy in the world - a revived centre of jobs and growth, of innovation and change. Europe's biggest challenge, he says, is demographic, with the working population falling by a million a year from 2010 onwards so that the ratio of people over 65 to those aged between 15 and 65 will shift from 23% today to 39% in 2030.

"People are not aware of this. We will continue to have an ageing population. In itself that's not a problem, as the US shows, but in Europe we have the combination of an ageing population and fewer children. There's not much you can do about it if people don't have children - or you need to attract bright young people from other regions of the world."

Meanwhile, he says, there's a growing brain drain of talented young people who believe they will find better conditions in the US and elsewhere. "It's not just a matter of money but a cultural environment. The American public understands better how important research and science are and they give them more respect and support, especially for young people.