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La Commissione europea combinerà 'Galileo', il sistema di navigazione satellitare europeo, con il suo omologo negli Stati Uniti, 'GPS'. Questa sinergia, che prende la forma di un accordo bilaterale ad impatto mondiale, contribuirà a rendere il trasporto aereo più sicuro ed assisterà nella creazione di standard internazionali assolutamente necessari per i sistemi di navigazione aerea. L'articolo completo
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L’istruzione è un elemento essenziale dell’imprenditorialità. La ricerca dimostra che gli studenti con una formazione all'imprenditorialità, non solo hanno maggiore probabilità di trovare un impiego, ma anche di avviare attività in proprio. In tale prospettiva, la Commissione europea ha proposto una serie d'interventi che contribuirà a mettere in contatto gli studenti con l'imprenditorialità e, di conseguenza, creare posti di lavoro in tutta Europa. L'articolo completo
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Per crescere di nuovo e raggiungere maggiori livelli di occupazione, l'Europa ha bisogno di più imprenditori. Le nuove aziende, comprese le piccole e medie imprese (PMI), creano oltre 4 milioni di nuovi posti di lavoro ogni anno e sono la principale fonte di nuova occupazione in Europa. Riconoscendo il ruolo fondamentale svolto dagli imprenditori nella ripresa economica, la Commissione europea ha lanciato il Piano d'azione “Imprenditorialità 2020”. Con una combinazione di investimenti, progressi normativi e opportunità formative, il Piano d'azione contribuirà a riportare la crescita economica in Europa. L'articolo completo
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La Commissione ha lanciato una nuova strategia europea per la diffusione e lo sviluppo del mercato delle Tecnologie chiave abilitanti (KETs), che include micro e nanoelettronica, materiali tecnologicamente avanzati, biotecnologie industriali, fotonica, nanotecnologie e sistemi avanzati di produzione. L'articolo completo
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Essendo uno dei mercati mondiali a più forte crescita, il Sudest Asiatico offre un’opportunità di benessere per le aziende europee che guardano ai mercati stranieri. Tuttavia, nonostante il potenziale di crescita, la regione pone anche numerose sfide, inclusi i diversi approcci nei confronti dei diritti di proprietà intellettuale. Per aiutare le PMI a muoversi tra queste diversità, la Commissione è lieta di lanciare il progetto ASEAN IPR SME Helpdesk. L'articolo completo
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Sia all'interno che all'esterno dei confini europei, le piccole e medie imprese (PMI) sono particolarmente vulnerabili ai ritardi di pagamento, una delle principali cause di fallimento delle aziende. La mancanza di protezione per le PMI non solo danneggia le aziende e frena la crescita economica, ma potrebbe anche scoraggiare gli aspiranti imprenditori a correre dei rischi. Per questo motivo la Commissione europea ha presentato diverse proposte per dare alle PMI l'aiuto di cui hanno bisogno e iniettare maggiore dinamismo nell'economia europea. L'articolo completo
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I detriti spaziali rappresentano un rischio per la nostra infrastruttura spaziale e per i servizi spaziali, a cui ci affidiamo nella vita quotidiana. Gli operatori satellitari europei perdono circa 140.000.000 di euro l'anno a causa delle collisioni e questa cifra aumenterà a circa 210.000.000 di euro entro il prossimo decennio. Pertanto, la Commissione europea ha introdotto alcune misure per aiutare gli Stati membri dell'UE a unire la sorveglianza spaziale e la tecnologia di monitoraggio (SST). La proposta di un servizio SST europeo consentirà agli Stati membri di individuare e controllare i satelliti e i detriti pericolosi, avvertire gli operatori satellitari del rischio di collisione e informare le amministrazioni pubbliche dei cosiddetti rientri incontrollati. L'articolo completo
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Le imprese del settore delle costruzioni desiderose di espandere le proprie attività in un altro Stato membro dell’UE devono essere consapevoli delle sfide cui potrebbero andare incontro. Si possono presentare differenze di requisiti in materia di occupazione, ambiente e sicurezza, proprio come per i materiali ed i prodotti da costruzione. La Commissione europea ha avviato numerose iniziative per aiutare le aziende a superare tali difficoltà, fornendo alle imprese del settore delle costruzioni le informazioni necessarie per ottenere risultati positivi in altri paesi dell’UE. L'articolo completo
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Molte piccole e medie imprese (PMI) sono riluttanti a operare al di fuori dei confini del proprio paese, in quanto temono di incorrere in procedure onerose quando si tratta di rivendicare i pagamenti per i loro prodotti e servizi. A causa delle spese per consulenti, legali, traduzioni di documenti ecc., spesso le PMI trovano scoraggiante, complicato o costoso perseguire un'azione legale contro le aziende o i soggetti di altri Stati membri. L'articolo completo
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A pochi mesi di distanza dalla presentazione del progetto della Commissione Europea per aumentare il contributo dell’industria al PIL dell’UE dal 16% al 20% entro il 2020, una conferenza sulla Politica Industriale che si terrà a Bruxelles il 6 giugno si concentrerà sui progressi finora raggiunti e su tutte quelle strategie che potrebbero portare benefici immediati per far ripartire la crescita industriale. L'articolo completo
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I marchi europei rappresentano almeno il 70% del mercato globale delle merci di fascia alta. Sebbene i prodotti di fascia alta siano solitamente associati alla moda, in realtà il settore è costituito da una vasta gamma di prodotti e servizi: automobili, yacht, mobili, vini, liquori e molto altro ancora. La Commissione europea si impegna a garantire che il settore di fascia alta dell’Europa continui a prosperare. L'articolo completo
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Le piccole e medie imprese (PMI) svolgono un ruolo essenziale nella creazione di lavoro in Europa. Oggi l’85% dei nuovi posti di lavoro nel settore privato dell’UE sono creati da PMI. Di conseguenza, l’UE ha sviluppato una serie di azioni concrete per promuovere un contesto economico migliore per i 21 milioni di PMI dell’UE e per supportare gli sforzi per creare nuovi posti di lavoro. L'articolo completo
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Per quasi 30 anni, le merci hanno circolato liberamente in Europa, sulla base della semplice condizione che i produttori potessero garantire che i propri prodotti (i.e. asciugacapelli, giocattoli, smartphone, TV, lavatrici, ecc.) fossero sicuri. Uno dei modi per raggiungere tal obiettivo è avere prodotti testati e certificati secondo ‘requisiti fondamentali’ della legislazione applicabile, da parte degli enti riconosciuti nella banca dati chiamata NANDO. Queste organizzazioni offrono servizi di valutazione della conformità sia all’interno sia all’esterno dell’Unione Europea e pertanto proteggono cittadini e aziende europee. L'articolo completo
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Un recente rapporto evidenzia che l’iniziativa della Commissione Europea del 2009, finalizzata a uniformare i caricabatterie per telefoni cellulari, sta dando risultati. Grazie all’accordo, che è stato raggiunto con i produttori di caricabatterie per telefoni cellulari, tramite un Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), la maggior parte dei nuovi dispositivi immessi sul mercato attualmente supporta un caricabatterie compatibile, basato su tecnologia Micro-USB. Purtroppo, il MoU è scaduto al termine del 2012. In un’intervista a Enterprise & Industry Magazine, il Vice-Presidente della Commissione Europea Antonio Tajani ha discusso circa l’importanza di uniformare i caricabatterie elettronici e quali sono i passi che la Commissione intende intraprendere per ottenere dei risultati. L'articolo completo
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Benché la libera circolazione delle merci nel mercato interno sia un fatto positivo, oltre 15 000 regolamentazioni tecniche nazionali possono talvolta rendere difficile per le imprese la vendita dei loro prodotti (dalle biciclette ai prodotti alimentari) in altri Stati membri. Esiste, tuttavia, uno strumento preventivo che consente alle imprese di anticipare la creazione di tali barriere al commercio: la procedura di notifica della direttiva 98/34/CE, che impone che le nuove regolamentazioni tecniche siano messe in attesa prima della loro adozione, al fine di evitare la creazione di barriere al commercio. L'articolo completo
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Le imprese del settore delle costruzioni desiderose di espandere le proprie attività in un altro Stato membro dell’UE devono essere consapevoli delle sfide cui potrebbero andare incontro. Si possono presentare differenze di requisiti in materia di occupazione, ambiente e sicurezza, proprio come per i materiali ed i prodotti da costruzione. La Commissione europea ha avviato numerose iniziative per aiutare le aziende a superare tali difficoltà, fornendo alle imprese del settore delle costruzioni le informazioni necessarie per ottenere risultati positivi in altri paesi dell’UE. L'articolo completo
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L'industria europea della moda non è responsabile solo delle ultime tendenze. Tra punti vendita, produttori e collegamenti della catena di approvvigionamento, il settore della moda in Europa conta centinaia di migliaia di aziende e milioni di posti di lavoro. La Commissione europea sta adottando le misure necessarie per garantire che il settore continui a prosperare, tra cui l'eliminazione delle barriere commerciali, la tutela della proprietà intellettuale e la semplificazione dell’ingresso nei mercati internazionali. L'articolo completo
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Le economie del mondo che crescono più rapidamente non sono in Europa. Per questo motivo la Commissione europea si impegna a favorire la penetrazione delle imprese europee in tutto il mondo. La Commissione ha inviato rappresentanti e delegazioni commerciali nei mercati emergenti in Africa, America Latina e Asia. Le conoscenze acquisite aiuteranno le PMI dell'UE a investire sulla crescita esterna e ciò, a sua volta, stimolerà la crescita in Europa. L'articolo completo
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La Cina è diventata un mercato chiave per le PMI che sperano di penetrare nei mercati esteri. Nondimeno, la Cina pone una serie di difficoltà, tra cui problemi di protezione dei diritti di proprietà intellettuale e una rete vertiginosa di regolamenti. Tuttavia, il China Helpdesk, il Centro per le PMI dell’Unione Europea e l’European Enterprise Network sono disponibili per aiutare a comprendere i rischi – e i benefici – del mercato cinese. L'articolo completo
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Siccome i giocattoli sono destinati ai bambini, è importante disporre di norme supplementari per garantirne la sicurezza. Per questo motivo i Paesi Bassi, uno dei principali punti di ingresso dei giocattoli nell’UE, in collaborazione con la Cina, una delle principali fonti di importazione di giocattoli per’Unione Europea , ha sottoscritto un piano d’azione denominato, “Cooperazione in materia di sicurezza dei giocattoli”. La collaborazione risultante favorirà la sicurezza dei giocattoli e, in maniera più ampia, la sicurezza dei bambini. L'articolo completo
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La Commissione Europea sta promuovendo l'esplorazione futura dello spazio attraverso il progetto Planetary Robotics Vision Scout, o PRoViScout. In quanto progetto collaborativo europeo, PRoViScout riunisce i principali gruppi europei che lavorano alla creazione di un modello robotico per l’esplorazione dello spazio planetario. Il risultato è pura tecnologia futuristica, nel presente. L'articolo completo
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Ora più che mai l’Europa ha bisogno che la sua economia reale sostenga la nostra ripresa economica in corso. In questo contesto, le azioni dell’UE saranno concepite in modo da invertire l’attuale tendenza verso il basso e promuovere la reindustrializzazione europea. Attualmente, l’industria rappresenta circa il 16% del PIL dell’Unione Europea. Pertanto, la Commissione Europea ha fissato come obiettivo che la percentuale del PIL rappresentata dall’industria raggiunga il 20% circa entro il 2020. L'articolo completo
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Aiutare le piccole e medie imprese (PMI) a penetrare nei mercati dall’altra parte dell’Atlantico è stato il tema centrale del quarto Workshop UE-USA sulle PMI, tenutosi a Washington, DC, il 3 e 4 dicembre 2012. Nel corso dell'evento, due reti di sostegno alle imprese – l’Enterprise Europe Network della CE e l’International Trade Administration statunitense – hanno sottoscritto un memorandum d’intesa sulla promozione della cooperazione. Le aree specifiche di collaborazione comprendono la promozione di eventi e di attività di partnership commerciale per le piccole e medie imprese, la partecipazione a seminari settoriali o tematici e lo scambio di informazioni sulle opportunità di networking per le PMI. L'articolo completo
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Mentre tutti i paesi hanno il diritto di adottare normative tecniche per raggiungere scopi legittimi (ad esempio, per garantire la salute pubblica o proteggere l’ambiente e i consumatori), l’accordo TBT (Technical Barriers to Trade, Ostacoli tecnici agli scambi) aiuta a prevenire misure protezionistiche e sleali. Amministrato dall’Organizzazione Mondiale del Commercio (OMC), l’accordo TBT avvisa le imprese europee in merito a nuove regolamentazioni potenziali e incoraggia l’armonizzazione e il riconoscimento reciproco. Le imprese europee possono contribuire al lavoro della Commissione europea su come evitare gli ostacoli tecnici al commercio. La collaborazione che ne risulta favorisce sia le grandi sia le piccole imprese. L'articolo completo
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L'Alleanza europea per le industrie mobili e della mobilità (EMMIA), che riunisce i responsabili delle politiche regionali e nazionali e gli operatori a livello europeo, aiuta i turisti europei a sfruttare al meglio le opportunità offerte dai loro viaggi. Avvalendosi di tecnologie mobili d'avanguardia, EMMIA rende accessibili le destinazioni remote, rafforzando le economie locali e garantendo viaggi indimenticabili. L'articolo completo
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Attraverso la ricerca di basi e incentivi comuni, la Commissione europea e la Cina stanno collaborando per migliorare l'efficienza dell'industria. Avendo già trovato accordi su numerosi temi di cooperazione, questa collaborazione potrà accrescere l'accesso al mercato e ridurre le emissioni di gas a effetto serra. L'articolo completo
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Attualmente, una campagna di comunicazione internazionale mette in evidenza la diversità del patrimonio culturale e le bellezze naturali che l’Europa offre in qualsiasi periodo dell’anno. La campagna “Europe – Whenever you’re ready”, che durerà dalla fine del 2012 a dicembre del 2013, ricorda ai turisti di scoprire il vecchio continente per godersi un’esperienza di viaggio unica nella vita. L'articolo completo
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La Piattaforma di informazione sugli standard cinesi ed europei (CESIP) fornisce alle aziende cinesi ed europee preziose informazioni bilingue su qualsiasi aspetto, dalle normative tecniche ai requisiti di accesso al mercato. Lanciata nello scorso mese di ottobre, la CESIP offre informazioni dettagliate su migliaia di standard e costituisce uno strumento per accrescere in modo progressivo la collaborazione e favorire la crescita economica. L'articolo completo
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Gli standard europei sono parte integrante del mercato interno: eliminano la confusione e l'inefficienza causate dalla presenza di normative nazionali divergenti e permettono agli Stati membri di competere a parità di condizioni. Per rafforzare gli standard europei, la Commissione Europea accoglie favorevolmente eventuali idee e opinioni provenienti dalle aziende di piccole e medie dimensioni. L'articolo completo
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L'Europa sta affrontando una serie di difficoltà senza precedenti: dalla battaglia contro le malattie croniche della popolazione che invecchia, all’impossibilità per i giovani di trovare un'occupazione adeguata. A tale scopo, la Commissione Europea si sta impegnando per trovare soluzioni in grado di soddisfare le nostre esigenze sociali ed economiche. Attraverso il concorso "European Social Innovation Competition" la Commissione intende individuare nuove risorse occupazionali per affrontare le difficoltà più pressanti del mondo moderno. L'articolo completo
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Nonostante gli effetti duraturi della crisi economica globale, gli Stati Membri dell'Unione Europea hanno fatto importanti progressi nel rafforzare la sostenibilità e la competitività dei propri settori industriali. Detto questo, c'è ancora del lavoro da fare. E in uno sforzo per facilitare le riforme e la politica di apprendimento, l'Unione Europea ha diffuso una nuova tabella delle performance industriali. L'articolo completo
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Per avere successo nei mercati globali, le piccole e medie imprese (PMI) devono essere maggiormente integrate in un sistema automatizzato di scambio elettronico di dati (EDI, Electronic Data Interchange). L’EDI consente alle aziende di condividere dati tra i propri sistemi TIC e quelli di clienti e fornitori. Negli ultimi anni, l’EDI si è rivelato di notevole utilità per le grandi aziende, mentre le PMI non hanno potuto usufruirne pienamente a causa dei costi elevati di tali sistemi. I progetti pilota finanziati dalla Commissione Europea dimostrano che l’uso di sistemi TIC condivisi nella catena di approvvigionamento del settore automobilistico (auto-gration) e nel settore dei trasporti e della logistica (DiSCwise) consente alle PMI di trarre profitto da tali catene di approvvigionamento digitali globali. L'articolo completo
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Nonostante il continuo sviluppo delle potenze industriali emergenti, l'Unione europea resta il più grande esportatore al mondo, così come il principale obiettivo per gli Investimenti Diretti Esteri (IDE). La "Relazione sulla competitività europea", redatta con cadenza annuale dalla Commissione europea, evidenzia come l'Unione europea sia ancora in una posizione di vantaggio e illustra le misure prese dalla Commissione stessa per far sì che la mantenga. L'articolo completo
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Sapevate che le piccole e medie imprese (PMI) possono facilmente riferire alla Commissione europea le eventuali difficoltà che incontrano con le leggi e le politiche dell’Unione europea? Con l’aiuto dei 600 partner di Enterprise Europe Network dell’Ue, le PMI possono far conoscere continuamente la loro situazione tramite la procedura standard della Rete, non solo durante la fase di creazione di una legge, ma anche quando entra in vigore. L'articolo completo
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Il potenziale imprenditoriale delle donne è un motore di crescita economica e occupazionale molto poco sfruttato. Le donne costituiscono il 34,4% dei lavoratori autonomi in Europa, questo indica come sia necessario un maggiore incoraggiamento per diventare imprenditrici. Per fornire una fonte di ispirazione e di consigli pratici per le donne, la Commissione europea ha istituito una Rete europea delle ambasciatrici per l’imprenditoria femminile e una Rete europea di consulenti per l’imprenditoria. Ora tocca alle donne accettare la sfida... L'articolo completo
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Si calcola che per il 2020 la Normativa Ecodesign farà risparmiare 400 milioni di tonnellate di emissioni di CO2 nell’UE. Una quantità paragonabile all’ulteriore riduzione di anidride carbonica prevista dal sistema di scambio delle quote di emissioni (ETS) per il 2020. Oltre alle tredici misure di ecoprogettazione già esistenti e alle venti che stanno per essere presentate nei prossimi due anni, la Commissione europea adotterà misure per prodotti B2B, come refrigeratori professionali, trasformatori elettrici, forni, fornaci industriali, aria condizionata e ventilazione. Inoltre esistono progetti per l’introduzione degli ERP ovvero “energy-related products” nella strategia dell’ecodesign, ovvero di quei prodotti che, pur in maniera indiretta, aiutano a risparmiare energia. L'articolo completo
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Avete un’idea imprenditoriale geniale, ma non siete sicuri su come poterla attuare? Siete un imprenditore da poco sul mercato e avete bisogno di una mano? O forse avete già avviato con successo la vostra impresa ma mirate a espandervi e vorreste beneficiare di idee nuove? Non dovete far altro che informarvi sul programma Erasmus per giovani imprenditori, un’iniziativa di mobilità finanziata dall’Unione europea. L'articolo completo
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L'industria automobilistica rappresenta un'importante forza trainante per l'economia europea, ma sta attualmente affrontando numerose sfide urgenti. Le raccomandazioni fatte dal Gruppo di alto livello CARS 21 dovrebbero aiutare il settore a perseguire il progetto di un futuro sostenibile in grado di garantire crescita economica e posti di lavoro. Questa visione strategica, che copre l'orizzonte temporale sino al 2020, prevede l'introduzione di carburanti e veicoli alternativi e meno inquinanti, come pure lo sviluppo di tecnologie più sofisticate per la sicurezza stradale e un più facile accesso ai mercati terzi. L'articolo completo
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L'innovazione nel settore pubblico può generare crescita? Questa domanda è di grande rilevanza nell'attuale congiuntura economica in cui si cercano modi efficaci per creare opportunità di crescita. Un recente sondaggio fornisce dati interessanti su questo argomento da una prospettiva d'impresa: sono molte le aziende intervistate che attribuiscono all'innovazione i miglioramenti notati nel servizio pubblico. Forte è, inoltre, la domanda di innovazione nel settore pubblico e quest'anno la Commissione europea intende avviare un Quadro di valutazione pilota dell'innovazione nel settore pubblico per aiutare gli Stati membri a condividere le migliori prassi. L'articolo completo
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Trentasette storie esemplari di piccole e medie imprese (PMI) europee che hanno raggiunto il successo sulla scena internazionale sono appena state svelate in una pubblicazione promossa dalla Commissione europea nel quadro delle sue attività per incoraggiare l'imprenditorialità in Europa. “Il segreto del successo 2012-13” è una pubblicazione di punta per la Settimana europea delle PMI, che avrà luogo dal 15 al 21 ottobre 2012. Promuovere l'imprenditorialità e stimolare più cittadini europei a considerarla come una valida scelta di carriera saranno tra gli obiettivi dell'evento. L'articolo completo
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Se state pensando di entrare in questi mercati o di espandere le vostre attività in questi Paesi, la Commissione europea mette a vostra disposizione due programmi che fanno al caso vostro. I partecipanti delle edizioni precedenti illustrano quali vantaggi l’Executive Training Programme (ETP) e l'EU Gateway Programme hanno offerto alle loro imprese. L'articolo completo
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I grandi gruppi multinazionali tendono ad assicurarsi la parte del leone per quanto riguarda l'attenzione dei mezzi di comunicazione europei che dedicano molti articoli alle loro attività. In realtà sono le piccole e medie imprese (PMI) il vero motore della nostra economia, rappresentando oltre il 98% delle aziende europee. Le PMI possono avvalersi del sostegno dell'UE in forme diverse e una recente guida presenta un'utile panoramica delle principali opportunità a loro disposizione. L'articolo completo
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La Commissione europea sta sviluppando dei sistemi per ridisegnare in modo radicale l'industria europea, in modo da stimolare la crescita sostenibile e creare occupazione. Nell'ambito di questo impegno ha lanciato una consultazione pubblica chiedendo alle parti interessate il loro contributo per il riesame intermedio della comunicazione sulla politica industriale. Il riesame si concentrerà sullo sviluppo di un numero limitato di nuove iniziative in grado di produrre risultati sostanziali nel breve-medio termine. L'articolo completo
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Daniel Calleja Crespo, in qualità di Rappresentante della Commissione europea per le PMI, assicura un'interfaccia attiva tra la Commissione e le piccole e medie imprese (PMI). L'articolo completo
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Il programma quadro per la competitività e l’innovazione (CIP) promuove azioni per rispondere alle sfide che l'industria europea si trova ad affrontare, prestando particolare attenzione alle esigenze delle piccole e medie imprese. Secondo una recente relazione che mette in luce alcuni dei risultati conseguiti, il programma ha raggiunto i suoi principali obiettivi. A partire proprio dai successi del CIP, il nuovo programma di finanziamento per la competitività delle imprese e delle PMI (COSME) dovrebbe rafforzare ulteriormente e ottimizzare le azioni che saranno condotte in questo campo dal 2014. L'articolo completo
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Con circa 14 milioni di posti di lavoro in qualche modo legati al settore, il turismo svolge un ruolo di primo piano nell’economia dell’UE. Un’interessante indagine condotta nel 2012 fotografa le preferenze dei turisti europei e mostra come il 73% degli intervistati nell’UE abbia in programma un viaggio per quest’anno. L'articolo completo
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Una conferenza di due giorni ha riunito a Bruxelles importanti rappresentanti del settore e responsabili politici per discutere delle sfide e delle opportunità che l’innovazione presenta per l’assistenza sanitaria. L’accesso alle informazioni sui brevetti e lo sviluppo delle capacità a livello locale si sono rivelati due dei temi più interessanti tra quelli discussi durante la sessione intitolata “Migliorare l’accesso ai medicinali in Africa: la soluzione è in Africa o altrove?”. L'articolo completo
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L’iniziativa per un’industria sostenibile a basso tenore di carbonio (Sustainable Industry Low Carbon Initiative – SILC) aiuta l’industria manifatturiera europea ad alto impatto energetico a conciliare gli obiettivi economici e quelli ambientali attraverso la riduzione delle emissioni di gas a effetto serra. L’iniziativa SILC è uno strumento europeo di sovvenzione che promuove lo sviluppo di misure innovative volte a ridurre l’intensità di carbonio e a creare nuovi mercati e posti di lavoro. L’obiettivo è assicurare che l’industria europea possa essere competitiva, combattendo al contempo il cambiamento climatico. L'articolo completo
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La Commissione europea ha presentato un ambizioso partenariato europeo per l’innovazione sulle materie prime. L'obiettivo è di porre l'Europa all’avanguardia nel settore delle tecnologie per la prospezione, l’estrazione, il trattamento, il riciclaggio e la sostituzione delle materie prime entro il 2020. In particolare, il partenariato intende assicurare un approvvigionamento di materie prime sostenibile per l’industria europea e aiutare le imprese europee a immettere sul mercato tecnologie innovative lungo l’intera catena del valore. L'articolo completo
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Le parti interessate provenienti dagli Stati membri dell’UE e dai Paesi che si affacciano sul Mediterraneo meridionale si sono incontrate a Milano per discutere di come promuovere la competitività delle imprese attraverso una più stretta collaborazione. L'articolo completo
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Le piccole e medie imprese (PMI) svolgono un ruolo fondamentale per la crescita economica dell’Unione europea. L'Enterprise Europe Network è la rete di supporto alle imprese più grande al mondo: oltre a fornire servizi strategici alle PMI per facilitare la cooperazione transfrontaliera, offre informazioni e consigli preziosi sulle modalità di accesso ai finanziamenti dell'UE. L'articolo completo
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Le materie prime sono al centro dell'attenzione, poiché il loro approvvigionamento sostenibile è in grado di offrire un contributo cruciale in numerosi ambiti, che vanno dallo sviluppo alla competitività industriale. Buona gestione, investimenti & infrastrutture, conoscenze & competenze geologiche sono i tre principali argomenti affrontati durante la conferenza di alto livello sul partenariato Africa-UE per le materie prime. L'articolo completo
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Quest’anno il quadro di valutazione dell'Unione per l’innovazione indica che la maggior parte degli Stati membri ha migliorato la propria performance in termini di innovazione. Grazie a questi risultati l’Unione europea può conservare un chiaro vantaggio rispetto alle economie emergenti di Cina, Brasile, India, Russia e Sudafrica, ma non riesce a colmare il divario che la separa da leader dell'innovazione come gli Stati Uniti, il Giappone e la Corea del Sud. Nuovi sforzi sono pertanto necessari per affrontare i punti deboli dell'UE. Una delle aree su cui è puntata l'attenzione riguarda le attività di innovazione delle imprese. L'articolo completo
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Il 21 ottobre 2011, giorno del lancio dei primi due satelliti Galileo previsti per la fase di validazione in orbita (IOV), ha segnato una data memorabile per il sistema globale di navigazione satellitare (GNSS) dell’Unione europea; il progetto continua a progredire centrando obiettivi importanti. Mentre l’Agenzia del GNSS europeo (GSA) sta per trasferire la sua sede a Praga, i nuovi contratti per satelliti e vettori firmati alla presenza del vicepresidente Tajani garantiscono che Galileo sarà in grado di fornire i propri servizi a partire dal 2014, come previsto. I benefici potenziali per l’industria europea e l’economia nel suo complesso sono significativi. L'articolo completo
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Expanding beyond EU borders still presents small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with obstacles, but the potential rewards of internationalisation for their growth are significant. The European Commission has therefore put forward a strategy to help European SMEs seize global opportunities by streamlining and strengthening support available for them.
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Effective market surveillance ensures that the rules of Europe’s Single Market are respected. This is vital for knowledge-intensive EU sectors, such as machinery, which must compete against low-cost – and sometimes low-quality – manufacturers. This was the subject of a recent conference, which also saw the launch of a Common Industry Platform for Market Surveillance.
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Socially responsible businesses play a crucial role in achieving sustainable economic growth through generating consumer confidence and positively contributing towards society’s well-being. Supporting responsible entrepreneurship is an EU priority, as a recently adopted package of measures demonstrates.
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Il lancio dei primi due satelliti operativi di Galileo, avvenuto il 21 ottobre 2011, conferma l’approdo dell’Europa sulla scena della navigazione satellitare globale. Non è soltanto una questione di prestigio, ma di crescita e posti di lavoro, due priorità essenziali alla luce dell'attuale clima economico. Le tecnologie per la navigazione satellitare, infatti, rivestono un ruolo sempre crescente nell’economia globale e nelle vite dei cittadini. Galileo, dunque, offre vantaggi sia per i cittadini che per le imprese europee in ogni settore dell'economia. L'articolo completo
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Secondo un nuovo studio, concedere agli imprenditori una seconda occasione di successo e incoraggiare il trasferimento d’impresa sono fattori essenziali per la prosperità a lungo termine dell'Europa. Se ne è parlato anche nel corso della Settimana europea delle PMI 2011. L'articolo completo
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While social innovation can help Europe respond to challenges where the boundary between the 'social' and the 'economic' blurs, it can only do so through adequate funding. A new report provides recommendations to showcase the funding opportunities that public funding programs, private funds and charitable foundations provide to support social innovation in Europe. The report also gives a number of practical recommendations for future funding programs, emphasizing that social innovation needs a family of funds, that range from funding ideas to large scale roll out in for example care, education and mobility.
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La Commissione europea sta ulteriormente consolidando l’Enterprise Europe Network con nuovi punti di contatto in Asia e Africa. La portata sempre più ampia della rete era evidente durante la sua conferenza annuale, cui hanno assistito più di 900 partecipanti provenienti da 50 Paesi. Nel corso dell'evento sono state premiate aziende che hanno utilizzato con successo la rete per trovare opportunità all'estero o per sviluppare le proprie attività commerciali e di ricerca. L'articolo completo
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Supporting Europe’s competitiveness requires robust industrial and SMEs policies at the national level along with effective EU-level coordination. To this end, the European Commission is ready to promote and monitor the structural improvements which can play a key role in ensuring sustainable growth. Two recent reports offer a valuable insight into the current state of play across Europe, as well as identifying key areas for action.
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The micro-credit sector can play a significant role in improving access to finance and encouraging entrepreneurship. A new flexible and voluntary European Code of Good Conduct for micro-credit provision aims to guide both businesses and financial institutions towards a better working relationship.
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By rewarding tourist areas which pursue a sustainable development path, the EDEN initiative boosts awareness of Europe's touristic diversity and quality, and helps to spread good practices. The 2011 edition focused on the regeneration of physical sites which were converted into tourism attractions and catalysts for wider local regeneration: join us for a tour of excellence.
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The final evaluation of the EU’s Lead Market Initiative, which aims to create and develop marketplaces for innovative products and services, has concluded that this approach has not only delivered concrete results in various sectors but needs to be scaled up in order to boost Europe’s competitiveness.
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Europe needs more growth and jobs but these cannot come at the expense of the environment. That is why an effective industrial policy needs to embrace resource efficiency. Two recent studies provide a valuable insight into the progress that has been made in Europe, and the opportunities that exist for future sustainable growth and job creation.
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Although Europe’s construction products sector is economically important, it has not yet fully exploited the opportunities offered by the single market due to remaining trade barriers. To address this, a new Regulation aims to simplify the legislative framework and strengthen the credibility of the system. The EU has also been working on several initiatives to promote the sustainability and the competitiveness of the construction sector on the whole.
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The REACH Regulation is designed to deliver both a high level of protection from the potential risks posed by chemical substances and a strong, innovative European industry that is competitive on the global market. REACH concerns not only the traditional chemical industry, but also businesses from several other sectors. Relevant companies need to start working on registration now in order to meet the 1 June 2013 deadline. The European Commission and the European Chemicals Agency have developed tools to make sure that SMEs are well equipped and ready to fulfil their obligations.
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The European SME Week, which runs from 3 to 9 October, aims to inform entrepreneurs about available support, give recognition to their role in society and promote entrepreneurship. This year’s central event, the European SME Week Summit, will focus on two issues: transfers of business and a second chance for entrepreneurs. Hundreds of other events covering a wide range of topics and sectors will be held across Europe.
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By outlining clear requirements for goods and services, standards help protect consumers, create new and larger markets and boost innovation. The European Commission has put forward proposals to modernise the European standardisation system to meet the challenges of our ever faster changing world, thus contributing to the objectives of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
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The EU ensures the security of its citizens across a wide swath of activities, from civil protection against natural hazards to the protection of their food chain. Guarding against chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) hazards is an especially important focus of the EU’s Security Research programme, which will also boost Europe’s industrial competitiveness.
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While small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are crucial to Europe’s economic well-being, they often find it difficult to secure financing. To tackle this issue, the EU has developed tools specifically aimed at giving SMEs greater access to loans and equity finance: these financial instruments, funded under the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP), have a strong track record of success.
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Through public procurement, European governments and public authorities can play an important role in promoting the uptake of innovative solutions and developing new markets, while simultaneously improving the quality of public services. The European Commission has launched several initiatives with a view to maximising the innovative potential of public procurement across the EU. A recent call for proposals under the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme focuses on areas related to major societal challenges.
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The European Commission’s presence at the world’s largest biotech and life science event is a sign of how seriously it takes its role of supporting the sector and boosting its innovativeness and global competitiveness.
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Female entrepreneurship is a key resource for Europe. The Enterprise Europe Network provides the practical support needed to thrive in the business world.
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The EU will support the Southern Mediterranean people’s democratic aspirations by creating a Euro-Med area of shared prosperity with a special focus on entrepreneurship and small business. To this end, industry ministers have agreed upon a series of practical actions during the latest Euro-Med meeting held in Malta.
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While small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are vital to Europe’s economic growth by providing jobs and driving innovation, they require a business-friendly environment to flourish. This year’s European Enterprise Awards recognised the hard work of many public administrations, at the local and regional level, which have provided support to small businesses through effective projects aimed at promoting excellence in entrepreneurship.
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Europe’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need access to the global economy if they are to flourish. Partnerships involving SMEs, governments and support agencies could help increase the effectiveness of public support in this domain. With this in mind, the European Commission is consulting stakeholders to get feedback on concrete ideas for a comprehensive approach to support measures for internationalisation.
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A new survey indicates that the first signs of recovery registered in 2010 will continue into 2011, which is expected to be a good year for the European travel industry. The European Commission is working on further strengthening the basis of this positive outlook through the ambitious strategy for the sector unveiled last year.
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Natural resources are vital for our economy and for sustaining our quality of life, but there is growing recognition that our current pattern of consumption is unsustainable. The European Union has responded with a number of initiatives to ensure that European business leads the way towards a more resource efficient future and the topic is high on the political agenda. An interesting example is provided by the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP), which finances several projects in this field, thus showing the variety of challenges that can be met by improving the use of resources.
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While some may consider space to be a luxury that Europe cannot afford during a time of austerity, nothing could be further from the truth. Improving the safety and daily lives of European citizens thanks to radio navigation, guiding tractors by satellite for high-yield crops, optimising responses to humanitarian crisis. This is not science fiction but just a few examples of innovations related to space technologies developed today. Many thousands of highly skilled jobs rely on the sector, which is working to make people’s lives easier and safer, and European industry as a whole more competitive. To ensure continued success, the European Commission is developing an integrated space policy that will strengthen Europe’s space infrastructure.
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The EU has identified social innovation as crucial in helping Europe meet the challenges of the 21st century, and a number of initiatives have recently been put forward to spread awareness of social innovation and encourage the private sector to get involved. Central to this strategy was the recent launch of the Social Innovation Europe initiative. In addition, changes in society create new business opportunities to develop new services and products in sectors such as care, transport and education.
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The Small Business Act (SBA) was launched in 2008 to ensure that European small and medium-sized enterprises have access to finance and markets and can thrive in a regulatory environment conducive to growth. A recent European Commission review reveals that progress in implementing the SBA’s measures has been made, while indicating further actions needed to respond to the new challenges that have emerged in the meantime.
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While an innovative and competitive European defence industry is key to meet the objectives of the Common Security and Defence Policy, this highly sensitive sector has often been constrained by market fragmentation. Two European Directives will now strengthen the foundations of an open and competitive European Defence Equipment Market and a long-term, strong and genuine European Defence Technological and Industrial Base. On the occasion of the transposition of these Directives, a high level conference, chaired jointly by Commission Vice-President Tajani and Commissioner Barnier, will discuss new challenges the sector is facing.
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Service innovation can play an important role in industrial policy because it has the potential to transform Europe’s businesses, thus making a strong contribution to the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. These are among the key conclusions of a report from the Expert Panel on Service Innovation in the EU presenting recommendations in five areas to achieve this objective.
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The Single Market is one of Europe’s key achievements, but it needs to be further strengthened in some areas so as to fully deploy its potential as creator of growth and jobs. In the field of registration of vehicles previously registered in another Member State, for example, the lack of harmonisation continues to act as a barrier to the free movement of goods, thus resulting in administrative burden for both businesses and citizens. With a view to addressing this issue, the European Commission recently launched a public consultation in order to get those most affected involved in finding a solution.
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The European Commission has officially launched the EGNOS Safety-of-Life Service for aviation, providing a new means of increasing air transport efficiency and safety. The EGNOS system enables safe landing approaches in difficult weather and topographic conditions, without any ground infrastructure, rendering air navigation safer while reducing delays, diversions and flight cancellations.
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Medieval alchemists sought to turn copper into gold. Even though modern-day chemists focus their research on different objectives, the compounds and materials they produce are truly awe-inspiring and are the bedrock upon which one of Europe’s most important, innovative and competitive industries is built. As the sector is now facing the realities of a new decade, the European Commission has taken initiatives to encourage all involved actors to join forces to boost the competitiveness of the European chemicals industry and to fully use its potential to resolve the societal challenges identified in the Europe 2020 strategy.
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In its mission to draw more women into business, the European Network of Female Entrepreneurship Ambassadors has developed in size, strength, reach and impact as it welcomes 120 new envoys. The initiative has been promoted by the European Commission as part of its strategy designed to boost the growth of SMEs across Europe.
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European efforts to support enterprises, particularly smaller ones, and to promote industrial competitiveness can help achieve the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Now the European Commission has called on stakeholders to help define a post-2013 framework for business support measures.
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According to the new Innovation Union Scoreboard, the European Union is making progress in the innovation stakes but is losing ground to some of its rivals. This shows that EU Member States need to step up their efforts to boost their innovation potential so as to turn ideas into new jobs and sustainable growth. By joining forces under the umbrella of the Innovation Union flagship initiative, Europe should be able to achieve this.
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Raw materials play a key role in industrial competitiveness, including in sectors developing environmentally friendly technologies, such as electric cars and photovoltaics. Building on previous initiatives, the European Commission has proposed a set of actions that seek to enhance the EU’s access to raw materials in its competitiveness, social and environmental dimensions.
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The Enterprise Europe Network helps European SMEs to find business and technology partners and apply for EU funding. In addition, small businesses operating in 17 key industry sectors from retail to space technology can count on customised support from the Network. In these sectors, specialists from across Europe come together to organise brokerage and matchmaking events, using their expertise to find new markets and opportunities for companies.
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In order to seize the opportunities opened up by internationalisation, enterprises need to take care of several aspects, not least the protection of their intellectual property rights. A new EU-US portal provides a wealth of useful information in this domain.
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European consumers will soon have the convenience of a single charger for mobile phones produced by major manufacturers, thanks to new standards promoted by the European Commission. This agreement, involving 14 phone makers, will also benefit the environment by cutting waste.
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While electronic invoicing promises significant time and cost savings to customers and businesses alike, some obstacles still hinder its full take-up. The European Commission has recently put forward a plan to help Europe to exploit fully the benefits e-invoicing can offer.
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The single market is a key driver of growth and jobs, but it needs timely and effective implementation of relevant legislation in order to function smoothly. As guardian of the EU Treaties, the European Commission monitors the application of EU law and investigates any infringements committed, so as to ensure that citizens and businesses can fully enjoy the benefits of the Union's basic principles, such as the free movement of goods.
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European space policy is at a turning point, with the Lisbon Treaty providing a new legal basis for action in this domain. Following a high-level conference in October, E&I magazine takes a tour of European space initiatives, a source of inspiration and innovation, and a powerful means of stimulating growth and improving the quality of people's lives.
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The European Commission has unveiled an ambitious plan to boost Europe's innovative potential with the aim of turning ideas into jobs and green growth. The strategic approach streamlines efforts on key challenges, such as climate change, energy and food security, health and an ageing population. In addition, it seeks to improve co-operation between the public and private sectors, while removing bottlenecks which prevent ideas from getting to market.
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A competitive industry is key if Europe is to remain a global economic leader. In order to promote a successful industrial policy in our fast changing world, the European Commission has set out a wide-ranging strategy that aims to maintain and support a strong, diversified and competitive industrial base in Europe. This industrial base should play an important role in meeting crucial objectives for the European economy, such as creating new jobs and promoting sustainable growth.
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The Enterprise Europe Network's third annual conference in Antwerp, Belgium, rewarded four pioneering small businesses that have made outstanding progress in marketing innovative products across borders, thanks to partnerships set up with the Network's support.
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Security research can improve both the safety of citizens and the competitiveness of industry. The EU has streamlined its efforts in this domain by devoting a specific strand of its Seventh Framework Programme for Research to this theme. Halfway through the implementation of the programme, a conference was held to take stock of the progress made and the future direction of security research in Europe.
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The European Commission has launched an information campaign and a new website that explain the role and meaning of the CE marking both to consumers and professionals. It also provides a comprehensive step-by-step guide for professionals to how this familiar marking works and is implemented.
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Business clusters have become one of the engines driving economic development and innovation in the EU today. However, a recent conference in Brussels concluded that to compete internationally, greater emphasis must be placed on excellence and quality. A series of EU initiatives seeks to achieve this, for instance, by strengthening the link between research and industry.
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'Social tourism' may not be a concept that all Europeans are familiar with yet. But it is already a growing phenomenon, which the European Commission has been promoting for both its social and economic benefits. Now the EU is investing in new projects to develop cross-border low-season tourism opportunities. The Calypso initiative aims to open up new horizons for younger and older travellers, disabled people and low-income families, while creating new jobs and business opportunities during quieter times of the year.
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While the EU is a global leader in many of the forest-based industries, innovative solutions are needed to maintain a high level of performance.. The European Commission is supporting the sector in its efforts to further develop its sustainability and competitiveness. Bio-refineries are an area of particular interest, as they can help to find new products that can also deliver on environmental objectives. Significant research activities have been launched in this field.
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Despite its size and success, the European food industry is facing a number of challenges. The European Commission has been promoting initiatives to support the competitive position and sustainability of the sector, while ensuring public policy priorities, such as food safety and security of supply.
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The European fashion industry faces fierce global competition and a more effective use of information and communication technologies (ICT) can help the sector meet this challenge, by boosting its innovation capacity and competitiveness. Towards this goal, the European Commission has supported a pan-European initiative that seeks to promote seamless 'digital supply chains' for various industry and services sectors. The textile, clothing and footwear businesses have been among the first to benefit from this initiative.
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Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) not only make up the vast majority of companies in the European Union, but they are also Europe's main job-creation engine. The annual report on European SMEs reveals that the economic crisis has caused this motor to stall temporarily, despite the fact that the EU and its Member States have improved the policy environment for SMEs.
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Europe is the world's top tourist destination. In order to maintain this lead amid changing global circumstances, the European Commission has released a policy strategy which signposts 21 actions on the path to a more competitive and sustainable 21st-century European tourism sector.
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Innovation plays a vitally important role in Europe's service sector, which is increasingly using research and development, patenting and new modes of operating to become more efficient and effective. Many in the sector, however, are still not innovating to their full potential and find that the innovation support they are offered does not correspond well to their needs. The Europe INNOVA annual partnering event looked at how innovation in services can best be supported.
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Active in 19 countries outside the EU, the Enterprise Europe Network can help European small and medium-sized enterprises to internationalise beyond the single market, with all the benefits that can bring.
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Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is good for society, the environment and business. That is why the European Commission is working to promote it in various industrial sectors.
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A vast array of raw materials, including minerals and 'high-tech metals', play a key role in the development of industrial applications and advanced consumer products. According to a recent report by an expert group in the framework of the EU Raw Materials Initiative, Europe is in a vulnerable position when it comes to securing its supply of some of these raw materials: out of 41 minerals and metals analysed, the experts labelled 14 as critical. The results of the report will be used in the drafting of strategies to ensure access to raw materials which the European Commission will present in autumn 2010.
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Internationalisation is vital for SMEs to prosper in an increasingly competitive world and could contribute to sustaining employment, according to a recent study. The survey maps the level of internationalisation of European SMEs, identifies the main barriers and advantages of internationalisation and proposes policy recommendations.
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The flow of European talent across the Atlantic has long been an issue of concern. A recent event explored ways of building bridges between US-based European researchers and innovators in Silicon Valley with innovation support services in Europe so as to provide better assistance to start-ups by utilising expatriate networks.
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This year's European Enterprise Awards rewarded national, regional and local initiatives which helped to build an entrepreneurial and business-friendly environment for European enterprises to exit the current crisis and chart a course to sustainable growth.
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The EU's proposed Clean Vehicles Strategy will help enhance the sustainability and global competitiveness of the European automotive industry, while increasing the number of sustainable mobility options for European citizens and meeting their growing demand for more environmentally friendly cars.
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Green technology and eco-innovative solutions are vital to the EU's future sustainability and competitiveness. The European Commission has launched a €35-million call for project proposals under its eco-innovation scheme, which aims to transform environmental challenges into new business opportunities.
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How can Europe best equip the entrepreneurs of tomorrow with the skills and knowledge they will need to contribute to economic prosperity? A report has been published assessing how entrepreneurship education is delivered across Europe; it also outlines strategies to improve the way the subject is taught.
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Some of the world's most inventive minds were rewarded for their lasting contribution to technical and economic progress at the European Inventors of the Year awards 2010. The prizes were handed out on the sidelines of the European Patent Forum which focused on the technological and innovation dimension of the EU's commitment to mitigate climate change.
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Market surveillance helps protect both consumers and businesses from unsafe products, by ensuring that all economic actors stick to the rules. That is why it is so important to the efficient functioning of the EU's single market and the recent entry into force of improved rules on market surveillance is welcome news.
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The economic crisis has refocused attention on the central role of European industry and its critical importance for wealth creation in Europe. The need for Europe to demonstrate its strengths in capital intensive, high-skilled manufacturing industry has never been more important for growth and employment performance. At the end of April, the second high-level conference on industrial competitiveness launched a debate on this: what lessons should be learnt from the crisis and different policy options on how to help industry out of it were discussed.
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E&I magazine meets Antonio Tajani, the EU's new Industry and Entrepreneurship Commissioner, and finds out about his priorities for his term in office, his ambition to marry industry with the environment, and how he intends to use his portfolio to help the European economy to be smart, green and inclusive.
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EU Member States continue to improve their innovation performance, according to the 2009 edition of the European Innovation Scoreboard, and the difference between the leaders and the catching-up countries is narrowing. Although the majority of available data predates the beginning of the recession, there are signs hinting that the good progress of recent years may now be faltering.
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Hundreds of events are being organised in 37 countries for the European SME Week 2010, which will mainly take place between 25 May and 1 June, but will run throughout May and June. This initiative will showcase the support available to business at the European, national, regional and local level. Under the slogan 'Training business champions', it will also provide inspiration and practical help for the existing and future generations of entrepreneurs.
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The success of the European economy is linked to information and communication technologies (ICT) which means that an ever-increasing number of e-skilled workers are required. If the EU is to be more competitive, then it must do everything in its power to ensure that highly skilled ICT jobs are filled. With this in mind, the first European e-Skills Week took place from 1 to 5 March 2010, with a large number of activities taking place across Europe. The initiative culminated on Friday 5 March in Brussels with the 'Go digITal' closing event, which looked back at the week's successes and forward to what more needs to be done.
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In a new series, E&I magazine looks at how the Enterprise Europe Network helps European SMEs do business in the single market and beyond. The network's new website makes it easy for companies to contact their local branch and to reach new markets in 46 countries.
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Now in its second year, the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme has approved more than 800 applications from would-be entrepreneurs to spend time working with an experienced business person in another EU country. Sixty have already completed their placements and participants comment on their experience, with positive and interesting feedback. The new entrepreneurs are now well placed to do business within the wider EU market.
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Europe's creative industries are becoming ever-more important to the rest of the economy. This broad sector covers a variety of disciplines, but its fragmentation is a challenge to policy-makers in terms of providing support. A recent workshop, attended by stakeholders and industry specialists, supported the creation of a European platform for the creative industries, while the European Commission is working to develop new tools that can help the sector realise its full potential.
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The CE marking is familiar to millions of people across Europe. But what exactly is it and how does it benefit businesses and consumers?
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Design kann ein wichtiger Baustein der EU-Innovationspolitik sein, der Europa nicht nur wettbewerbsfähiger macht, sondern auch zur Bewältigung einer Vielzahl von sozioökonomischen und ökologischen Herausforderungen beiträgt, so Irini Pari, Vizepräsidentin des Europäischen Wirtschafts- und Sozialausschusses (EWSA).
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Design can be a crucial building block of the EU's innovation policy and not only makes Europe more competitive but also helps tackle a wide array of socio-economic and environmental challenges, according to Vice-President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Irini Pari.
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The winners of the first European Entrepreneurial Regions (EER) awards are a diverse group of territories - in terms of size, location and economic character - but they share one thing in common: a commitment to kindle and keep burning the light of entrepreneurship.
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Galileo, the EU's strategic global navigation satellite system (GNSS), is set to be operational in 2014. This is good news for European enterprises, as Galileo's advanced technological features will make it a valuable tool for nearly all economic sectors. It is also good news for European citizens who will enjoy more accurate positioning technologies and greater safety in the air, on land and at sea.
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Since its launch in 2007, the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP) has promoted several initiatives and produced important results: over 50 000 SMEs have already benefited from its guarantee scheme under the financial instruments and more than 11 000 SME co-operation agreements have been put forward. In 2010, the EIP will continue to support the Union's entrepreneurial and innovative capacity, including advising SMEs on intellectual property rights.
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The European Union's drive to streamline and speed up company registration in order to promote entrepreneurship is paying dividends. European entrepreneurs can now start up a limited company in an impressive eight days on average, down from 22 days in 2001. But it does not end there: most Member States have now operational one-stop shops which have vastly streamlined the registration process.
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In a modern knowledge-based economy, excellence in information and communication technologies (ICT) is a crucial factor in individual and collective success. The EU's drive to promote ICT skills, or e-Skills, has made some impressive progress. Further developing these skills throughout Europe can play an important role in meeting several objectives, from fostering innovation, competitiveness, growth and jobs to combating social exclusion. The first European e-Skills Week is due to take place in March 2010.
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Personal protective equipment helps keep Europeans safe and healthy whether at work, home or play. EU legislation in this area ensures that these products give the highest level of protection against hazards, while generating fair competition within the industry.
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Europe is already a world-beating knowledge factory, but now it needs to become an innovation dynamo. Employing an innovative consultation approach, an independent group of European business innovators has provided its perspective on future priorities for EU innovation policy.
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Applicable from 29 December 2009, the revised Machinery Directive aims to consolidate the achievements of the original legislation in terms of the free circulation and safety of machinery in Europe, whilst improving its application. In the run up to the revisions coming into force, a stakeholder conference has been organised for 9 December 2009 so as to examine perspectives and challenges for the European machinery industry.
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Following the recent Communication on Reducing Administrative Burdens in the EU, European Commission Vice-President Günter Verheugen reviews the main achievements in this area during his five years in office.
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A recent progress report shows that the European Union is on track to meet its ambitious target of cutting red tape by a quarter by 2012, while preserving the effectiveness of European legislation in achieving its goals, such as protecting the public and ensuring fair competition.
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The adoption of the revised Ecodesign Directive makes it possible to set requirements on all products which affect energy consumption during use, not just those which consume energy directly. Its implementation will ensure Europe continues to lead the world in improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, providing a more sustainable future for industry and citizens alike.
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Europe's urban planners have new tools to ensure that towns and cities grow and prosper not only sustainably but also safely. Urban Atlas, a digital mapping tool launched this year, offers reliable and comparable urban planning information delivered through the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security's (GMES) services. With full operability foreseen for 2011, the tool has potential applications in several fields, including a deeper understanding of climate change.
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When you are a small business, who do you go to for help when your sights turn to bigger things? Success stories from Germany, the United Kingdom and Poland show how the Enterprise Europe Network is helping SMEs expand markets, find partners for innovation and obtain EU funding to develop their businesses.
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Entrepreneurs are indispensable to Europe's economic growth and prosperity. But women are still held back from launching their own companies by a range of barriers including education, stereotypes, lack of confidence and access to start-up finance. The EU is working with Member States to overcome these obstacles, thus enabling women to express their potential to the full. A new network of Female Entrepreneurship Ambassadors will help spread the message.
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Nano-, bio- and other technologies hold enormous promise for Europe's future. In a recent Communication, the European Commission charts a way forward for these key enabling technologies, which will help enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of our economy.
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What differences have companies observed when trying to access finance since the economic crisis hit? A recent Eurobarometer survey of companies tries to establish to what extent firms are now finding it harder to gain credit or investment. This survey is intended to be the first of a regular series charting the financial environment in different countries so as to identify key areas of action regarding businesses' access to finance.
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Companies which wish to trade their goods between Member States too often find barriers in their way, despite free movement of goods being one of the Union's basic principles. A recent Regulation aims to help firms overcome those barriers, by setting out clear procedures for Member States to justify any refusal to allow a product onto their market. Moreover, product contact points have been set up in each Member State to help economic operators obtain all relevant information on the technical rules which may apply to their products.
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Recent times have seen significant restructuring in Europe's shipbuilding industry, with a focus on high value-added products with which European firms are best placed to compete in the global economy. But the economic crisis means that global competition will get stronger, since fewer orders mean more yards bidding for each job. The European Commission has recently organised a High-level Meeting, to discuss how Europe's LeaderSHIP 2015 strategy for the industry needs to be reviewed to face the new challenges the crisis brings.
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A number of EU-funded public-procurement networks will soon help public organisations acquire the latest cutting-edge goods and services on offer in lead markets; thereby serving citizens, stimulating innovation, tackling societal challenges and enhancing the EU's competitiveness at a time of global economic crisis.
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The first wave of registrations under the REACH Regulation on chemicals need to be made as early as possible next year for the 30 November 2010 deadline. To ensure that the available hazard data on any given substance are collated and shared so that studies are not duplicated, especially animal tests, legal entities registering the same substance are required to share their information in a Substance Information Exchange Forum (SIEF). They need also to agree amongst themselves on who will be the 'lead registrant' submitting the joint dossier on safety information to the European Chemicals Agency.
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European Commission Vice-President Günter Verheugen, Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry, earlier this month presented a review of EU innovation policy. Enterprise & Industry magazine spoke to him about the importance of innovation and the efforts to make Europe a more innovative economy.
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Reducing packaging waste is a key goal of EU environmental policy, and so increasing reuse or recycling of beverage containers is an important factor in reaching the Union's targets. The European Commission has adopted a Communication providing Member States and economic operators with a comprehensive overview of EU rules on deposit schemes. This aims to ensure that national collection schemes for used drink containers do not create disproportionate barriers to trade in the Single Market while meeting environmental protection targets.
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The 'Think small first' principle is now at the heart of EU policy-making, but how is it applied in practice? The European Commission has identified concrete procedures to ensure the principle can be applied effectively and to learn from examples of SME-favourable initiatives throughout the Union.
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The EU has updated the safety requirements for toys, ensuring high levels of protection continue to apply to all children using toys purchased in the Single Market. The updated Toys Safety Directive extends safety provisions to areas unknown when the old rules were agreed, and brings improvements to make enforcement across the Union more effective.
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A new report examines the EU economy sector by sector, and country by country, to identify the major drivers, patterns and trends in European competitiveness.
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Inside the world's patent databases is a fantastic range of inventions, many of which are fundamental to products and processes we take for granted. The European Inventor of the Year Awards, jointly organised by the European Commission and European Patent Office, recognise some ground-breaking work. This year's awards, made at a ceremony in Prague on 28 April, have gone to inventors of two medical treatments and to two inventors whose work is improving the environment.
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Commission Vice-President Günter Verheugen with representatives of Scarborough Renaissance Partnership, Jury's Grand Prize Winner. Entrepreneurs need a supportive environment. Recognising this, public authorities at all levels are, more than ever, developing policies and initiatives to make life easier for small business and therefore encourage more entrepreneurship. The European Enterprise Awards - this year's were recently presented in Prague - are organised to recognise the efforts made by authorities from all over Europe, and to demonstrate the results which can be achieved with such policies.
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The issue of whether electromagnetic field (EMF) emissions are a human health problem is the subject of on-going research and public debate. The EU regularly reviews the scientific research to ensure legislation and recommendations provide a high level of protection and health safety for citizens.
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The European Commission has launched the "Your World, Your Business" campaign to encourage young people in schools to debate the role of enterprises in helping society and protecting the environment. At a time when economic models are questioned, the campaign, based on a film in which young entrepreneurs show how their firms are helping society, seeks to inspire young people to set up responsible businesses themselves.
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Late payment by trade customers is a considerable challenge facing millions of European businesses. New legislation proposed by the European Commission aims to ensure that bills are settled on time.
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Design plays a key role in the development of new products and services, yet one which has so far attracted little attention from policy-makers developing innovation-support measures. In the European Year of Creativity and Innovation, the European Commission has published a consultation document on the role of design in driving user-centred innovation, and is seeking comments to help shape possible future EU actions to support design.
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After a scientific opinion confirmed the health risk of prolonged exposure to loud sounds from personal music players, the European Commission and Member States are now working with consumer and industry groups to establish how to better protect consumers.
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Design management is a key driver of innovation and competitiveness and the EU-backed ADMIRE (Design Management Europe, DME) project is raising awareness of this important area and awarding organisations which use design management successfully. Significant commercial benefits can be gained with good practices in this area: an on-line tool helps businesses evaluate their own design-management performance, by providing practical feedback.
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European research is finding novel ways to ensure interoperability of communication systems linking emergency and security services through wireless and radio technology. These are just some of the many initiatives in which the EU is investing as part of its efforts to respond to the security concerns of citizens, while boosting the competitiveness and innovativeness of European industry.
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Recent progress reports reveal that the European Commission's 'Better Regulation' drive has delivered concrete benefits to EU businesses, while making legislation more effective. The Simplification strategy provides many examples in this domain.
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The Innovation CIRCUS initiative employed fun activities to raise public awareness and appreciation of the innovative process through regional Innovation Weeks in several partner regions. Thanks to the success of the events, this idea is now going Europe-wide, with EU backing.
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The latest European Competitiveness Report examines the factors which help or hinder firms' economic growth. Amongst its key messages is that companies which trade across borders are more productive than those which do all their business in their home country. A second message is that high-growth firms are found in all EU Member States and in all sectors of the economy.
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Small and medium-sized enterprises can benefit from a wide range of EU, national and regional programmes and policies. The first European SME Week aims to raise awareness of the support available to business. Taking place from 6 to 14 May, it will see around 600 events held in 35 European countries. The Week will also promote entrepreneurship, and its value to society, to a broader public.
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A programme giving officials from the Enterprise and Industry DG the chance to spend a week in a European SME is improving understanding on both sides: the visit offers officials a different perspective on their work, while companies can gain a better insight into EU policies.
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The European Parliament elections in June are the opportunity for European citizens to choose their representatives, who will shape EU policies for the next five years. The new, or re-elected, Members of the European Parliament will have a major influence in determining how EU legislation supports entrepreneurs and enterprises. In this article, we hear from several MEPs on the key issues in the enterprise and industry field.
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The 'Your Europe - Business' portal gives entrepreneurs and company managers easy access to information on all aspects of doing business in each EU Member State. Recently relaunched with an extended range of information, the site aims to help businesses take advantage of opportunities to trade and offer their services in the Single Market.
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The latest European Innovation Scoreboard gives positive news for the Union as a whole and for most Member States. But whilst the situation is improving, there are still big gaps in performance with our main competitors. The parallel European Innovation Progress Report takes a more qualitative look at Europe's innovation policies, and provides pointers to successful measures in different Member States.
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Experienced entrepreneurs who have "been there and done it" can provide valuable help for people starting out in business. By helping new or aspiring entrepreneurs spend working time with a host entrepreneur in another country, the EU's new Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme offers access to good advice. It also opens up prospects for new business relationships with partners from different countries in the Single Market.
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Electronic invoicing is potentially fast, efficient and cheap - for customer and supplier alike. That is why a European Commission-appointed expert group is drawing up plans for a European e-invoicing framework.
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Reflecting that 2009 is the European Year of Creativity and Innovation, the annual work programme for the EU's Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP) is focusing on enhancing the innovativeness of European enterprises and improving the business environment for SMEs.
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As small to medium-sized enterprises increasingly feel the crunch of the financial and economic crisis, a European Commission-hosted round table considered what the Union, Member States and other stakeholders can do to boost SMEs' access to credit.
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A competitive European steel industry is crucial for the development of major industrial sectors, such as the automotive sector and construction. A recent study financed under the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme sets out the steps industry and policy-makers need to take to keep the sector competitive in the global marketplace.
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The recent studies on Europe's glass and ceramics industries, funded by the European Commission, will help business leaders and EU policy-makers address the challenges needed to keep the sectors globally competitive.
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Europe's agri-food industry needs to adapt to a more globalised marketplace if it is to remain competitive, according to stakeholders attending a recent conference on the industry.
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A new European Commission package of proposals prescribes a course forward for the pharmaceuticals sector, so as to address the challenges it is facing, while ensuring a high level of protection of public health.
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In order to raise the public profile of creativity as a driver of innovation, the EU has declared 2009 the European Year of Creativity and Innovation, which will help increase the momentum of the Union's efforts to become a world-class knowledge-based economy.
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Less than two years after its launch, the European Commission's Action Programme for Reducing Administrative Burdens has achieved some notable successes in cutting red tape for enterprises. Two sets of fast track actions identified early on demonstrate that administrative burdens can be reduced quickly in the EU - helping to cut costs for governments and businesses.
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The European Commission has put forward proposals for a new car safety package which will simplify EU regulations in this area and greatly enhance road safety through the introduction of a number of mandatory new safety requirements. It will also help improve environmental protection through reduced CO2 emissions and lower levels of noise pollution.
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EU legislation, in place for three decades, ensures that consumers throughout the Union can use cosmetic products safely. Although the system works well, the Commission, in view of the innovative nature of the sector, has proposed rules to increase safety, while cutting unnecessary burdens for Member States and industry. In addition, a new database has been launched to facilitate stakeholders' access to information on cosmetic ingredients.
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