45126-Invest. Qual-No111

Investment in Quality● Commitment to the utilisation and development of the potentialof the Information Society and the promotion of research anddevelopment;● Commitment to lifelong learning;● Environmentally sustainable and balanced developmentbetween regions and between urban and rural areas;● Commitment to the further development of the European Unionand international solidarity; and● An entrepreneurial culture.The Council also pointed out that the realisation of its vision wouldhave a number of practical beneficial consequences for individualsand for society. These would include:● Every child would leave primary school literate and numerate;● Every student would complete a second cycle programmeappropriate to the individual’s capacity and interests;● Every person seeking employment would be equipped with thepersonal skills and supports to find satisfying employment atreasonable rates of pay;● Every person would have access to lifelong learning, a sense ofpersonal security in a changing work environment, anopportunity to balance work and family commitments and acapacity to share the gains made by successful competitivefirms and high performance public bodies;● Every family would have access to healthcare, affordablehousing appropriate to their needs, good quality childcare and awell functioning public transport system;● Every firm would have the capacity to compete effectively inthe global market place, through enhanced partnership with theiremployees and a supportive business environment backed up byan appropriate macroeconomic policy;● Every region would have an efficient physical infrastructure tosupport sustainable economic activity, and promote socialcohesion, based on a balance between urban and rural needs;140