Who we are and what we do

In line with Europe 2020, the EU’s strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, the Directorate General Enterprise and Industry is working towards five general objectives: to strengthen Europe's industrial base and promote the transition to a low carbon economy; to promote innovation as a means to generate new sources of growth and meet societal needs; to encourage the creation and growth of SMEs and promote an entrepreneurial culture; to ensure an open internal market for goods; and to support the European presence in space.

The Directorate General (DG) has a key role to play in the implementation of Europe 2020. It is responsible for two of the seven flagship initiatives:

• "An industrial policy for the globalisation era" to improve the business environment, notably for SMEs, and to support the development of a strong and sustainable industrial base able to compete globally, and
• "Innovation Union" to improve framework conditions and access to finance for research and innovation so as to ensure that innovative ideas can be turned into products and services that create growth and jobs.

Both of these initiatives are crucial to help set Europe on the right track to becoming a more competitive, innovative and resource-efficient economy, ready to tackle today's and tomorrow's challenges.

As outlined in the Commission's Work Programme, the DG is working on a number of measures to deliver Europe 2020 in the enterprise and industry policy area.

In the context of ensuring a well-functioning internal market for goods, the DG will also continue its day-to-day management of legislation governing the placing of products on the market. This ensures the free movement of goods while taking into account the need for safety and to protect the environment. Information on all the legislation by sector is contained in an information tool known as “The Pink Book” which is updated yearly with all the latest legislative developments. The most recent edition [408 KB] covers the period up to 31 December 2009.

DG Enterprise and Industry employs around 1,000 people in its departments and units [64 KB] and is responsible for a budget of some € 1.5 billion.

An Annual Activity Report presents how the DG's work has been carried out in any given year and follows up on the annual work programme. In it, the Director-General reports on his duties as authorising officer and details how the budget was spent. Evaluations are also done regularly to determine the effectiveness of the projects undertaken.