From a broad perspective, competitiveness is simply the ability of an economy to supply, through its working, an adequate and growing flow of value added. Accordingly, it appears to me that in open systems competitiveness comes to coincide with potential growth. In Europe, and especially in Italy, the potential growth of GDP has diminished in recent years.
The introduction of the euro has not been accompanied by reforms capable of accelerating growth. Monetary stability and low interest rates have brought benefits, but growth still has not ensued. The Lisbon Agenda, valid in its general formulation, must be applied with the support of the Union and the Member States in the individual economies by identifying the instruments for its implementation.