Policy highlights overview
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Access to finance
Small businesses often have difficulties financing their growth and innovations. The European Commission is working with the Member States to stimulate the provision of loans and venture capital for SMEs.
Getting an innovative firm off the ground or expanding it requires money, but financing SMEs is a risky proposition for financiers. To solve this, Europe needs more investors and banks willing to take the risk, and European entrepreneurs need a better understanding of investors' and banks' concerns in order to be able to provide assurances about the soundness of their proposal.
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Better regulation
The regulatory environment in which businesses operate influences their competitiveness and their ability to grow and create jobs. The Commission is committed to developing a better regulatory environment for businesses; one that is simple, understandable, effective and enforceable.
The better regulation agenda of the Commission aims at:
- implementing a strategy to simplify existing legislation through a simplification rolling programme composed of about 185 initiatives in all policy areas
- reducing administrative burdens by 25% by 2012
- placing greater emphasis on the use of impact assessments and public consultations when drafting new rules and regulations
- monitoring the application of Community law.
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European standards
Standardisation is the voluntary process of developing technical specifications based on consensus among all interested parties (industry including Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), consumers, trade unions, environmental Non Governmental Organisations (NGO), public authorities, etc). It is carried out by independent standards bodies, acting at national, European and international level.
While the use of standards remains voluntary, the European Union has, since the mid-1980s, made an increasing use of standards in support of its policies and legislation.
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Growth and Jobs
At the Lisbon summit in March 2000, European Union leaders set out the Lisbon Strategy, a strategy to enhance the competitiveness of the EU. It was revised in 2005, with a stronger focus on the key actions to create growth and jobs in the EU.
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Industrial competitiveness
European industry contributes to output, jobs, innovation and exports and is interrelated with service industries. Indeed, many service industries such as transport, health and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) depend on competitive industry to produce the equipment and hardware which they use.
The performance of European industry in terms of exports is largely due to its competitiveness, which is influenced by the business environment, which is in turn created by the regulatory framework both at national and European level:
- the creation of a single market
- a very effective competition policy
- an industrial policy which enables industry to undergo the necessary adjustment processes.
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Innovation
In a remarkably short time, economic globalisation has changed the world's economic order, bringing with it new challenges and opportunities. Europe cannot compete in this new environment unless it becomes more innovative and responds more effectively to consumers' needs and preferences.
The European Union possesses extraordinary potential for innovation. Europe has a longstanding tradition of producing breakthrough inventions; it has a wealth of creative people and can build on its cultural diversity. It has laid the foundations for one of the largest single markets in the world, where innovative products and services may be commercialised on a large scale. Historically it has a strong and responsible public sector, which should be capitalised on.
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International affairs
Going global
One of the key objectives of DG Enterprise and Industry is to ensure that the Commission's policies make European enterprises more competitive, thus stimulating economic growth and creating more jobs.
This strategy for growth and jobs, often referred to as the "Lisbon Strategy", not only looks inwards at the EU (aiming to make Europe a more attractive place in which to live and work), but also has an external dimension: to ensure that EU companies can compete fairly in the global marketplace, by opening up markets and further liberalising trade.
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Raw materials
Non-energy raw materials are an essential part of both high tech products and every-day consumer products, such as houses, automobiles, computers, and mobile phones. European industry needs fair access to raw materials both from within and outside the EU. On the one hand, exploration and extraction are facing increased competition for different land uses and a highly regulated environment. On the other hand, the EU is highly dependent on imports of economically important raw materials which are increasingly affected by market distortions.
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Security research and development
One of Europe's main objectives is to preserve its values as an open society, including respect for fundamental rights and freedom, while addressing the increased and diversified security threat.
Over the last decade we have witnessed a shift in security threats. The fight against terrorism and organised crime, the protection of the external European borders, the need for preparedness in case of natural disasters and civil crisis management have gained importance in our daily life. Internal and external security has become increasingly inseparable. Addressing them requires the use of modern technology prompting citizen concern.
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Single market for goods
The Single Market for goods is one of the Union's most important and continuing priorities which aims to create a user-friendly environment for businesses and consumers.
The main objective of the Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry is to contribute to the design, implementation and improvement of regulatory policy and so make the Single Market work better by removing existing barriers to trade and avoiding the creation of new ones.
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Single market for services
Creating a single market for the service sector - one of the main drivers of Europe's economy - relies largely on the opportunities available for businesses to provide and access services in the EU.
Thanks to the EC Treaty, European businesses are entitled to freely establish and provide services wherever they are in the EU. This means they can set up shop in another EU country or supply services to another EU country without having to change location.
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Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
The 20 million SMEs in the EU represent 99% of businesses, and are a key driver for economic growth, innovation, employment and social integration. The European Commission aims to promote successful entrepreneurship and improve the business environment for SMEs, to allow them to realise their full potential in today's global economy.
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Space
Europe needs an effective space policy that will allow the EU to take the global lead in selected strategic policy areas. Space can provide the tools to address many of the global challenges that face society in the twenty-first century: challenges that Europe must take a leading role in addressing.
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Sustainable and responsible business
Sustainable development has economic, environmental and social dimensions, and is an overarching goal of the European Union. Competitiveness and sustainability are mutually reinforcing concepts. DG Enterprise and Industry aims to create the conditions in which European enterprises can thrive, so helping to maximise their contribution to sustainable development.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a necessary and natural counterpart to the drive for a more competitive Europe. Responsible business behaviour is crucial for building trust towards the market economy, trade openness and globalisation.