2009 Monash University European and EU Centre Young Researchers Conference - ‘East and West Together: Twenty years after the fall of communism in Europe’As national economies become increasingly knowledge-based, the education sector is witnessing an evolution of its goals and methods. The European Commission’s Lisbon Strategy, initially vaguely aimed at making the European Union’s economy more dynamic and competitive when it was first laid out at the March 2000 Lisbon Summit, was redefined in Spring 2005 and now revolves around the concepts of growth and jobs. The Commission recommends investment in the knowledge economy by investing in R&D, innovation, and education and lifelong learning. As Bulgaria has the lowest GDP per capita of all the EU-27 MS, an examination of its current situation regarding the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy can serve as an example of the problems facing the poorer countries of the EU. Problems may not be as obvious or pressing in the richer Member States, but may be more so in the poorer Member States.