European Responsible Entrepreneurship Bulletin, issue 2, second quarter 2007

Headlines

• Budapest Memorandum on Entrepreneurship: we need successful, responsible entrepreneurs
• Launch of 2007 European Enterprise Awards: responsible entrepreneurship category
• Responsible Entrepreneurship Exchange, 3 May, Brussels: CSR, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
• Dutch SMEs appeal for a national strategy on sustainable development
• New studies on CSR and competitiveness in European SMEs
• Integrating CSR into advice and teaching for Germany's Mittelstand
• Global Compact and UNIDO team up for Operational Guide for SMEs
• CSR in small and medium sized enterprises - old questions for a new agenda

Budapest Memorandum on Entrepreneurship: we need successful, responsible entrepreneurs

The memorandum of the Budapest Round Table 2006 , a panel of academics and practitioners, argues for comprehensive educational measures in order to generate well-trained and motivated young individuals who are able to become successful and socially responsible entrepreneurs in the future.

Launch of 2007 European Enterprise Awards: responsible entrepreneurship category

Now in their second year, the European Enterprise Awards recognise and reward outstanding initiatives that support entrepreneurship at the regional level. There is a special Responsible Entrepreneurship Award for initiatives that promote corporate social responsibility and sustainable business practices in the social and/or environmental domain. For more information on how to enter, see here.

Responsible Entrepreneurship Exchange, 3 May, Brussels: CSR, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

This innovative event will bring together high level representatives from the worlds of entrepreneurship, SMEs and CSR to ask how we can help more small businesses to integrate social and environmental issues into what they do.

Dutch SMEs appeal for a national strategy on sustainable development

135 Dutch SMEs, describing themselves as pioneers, have issued a call for an inspiring national strategy on sustainable development. They recall that sustainability has inspired them to deliver new products, designs and services, reducing energy costs and increasing social justice.

Article in English

Full text of appeal in Dutch

New studies on CSR and competitiveness in European SMEs

Explore successful cases illustrating how and which CSR activities may contribute to SMEs' competitiveness. The Austrian Institute for SME Research and its partners have recently published research reports from 7 European countries and a synthesis European report.

www.kmuforschung.ac.at/de/Projekte/CSR/Mainstreaming%20Corporate%20Social%20Responsibility%20(CSR)%20Among%20SMEs_engl.htm

Integrating CSR into advice and teaching for Germany's Mittelstand

GILDE GmbH, a trade and economic development agency based in Detmold (Germany), is working to encourage CSR amongst Germany's famous Mittetstand, or medium-sized enterprises. As well as working directly with SMEs, the project also seeks to develop the capacity of vocational training institutions, universities and business development agencies to mainstream CSR into their advice and teaching.

Global Compact and UNIDO team up for Operational Guide for SMEs

The Global Compact Office has set up a plan to produce an Operational Guide for SMEs, aiming at increasing the number of active SMEs engaged in the Global Compact. An International Task Force (ITF), consisting of actors from the private and the public sector and under the coordination of UNIDO, was appointed to develop an all-encompassing guide. The guide is supposed to be presented at the GC Leaders Summit on July 5,6 in Geneva. More details about the ongoing work of the task-force after the link.

CSR in small and medium sized enterprises - old questions for a new agenda

According to this article published by The Copenhagen Centre, "if research and policy on CSR in small businesses are to move forward with purpose and success, it is necessary to confront a series of old questions for a new agenda."

About the European Responsible Entrepreneurship Bulletin

The European Responsible Entrepreneurship Bulletin is a free information service provided by the European Commission (Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry). It aims to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas amongst people and organisations interested in responsible entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility, and small and medium-sized enterprises.

If you have an item to be considered for inclusion in the next edition, please send an email to entr-csr@ec.europa.eu

Subscribers' contact details will be kept only for the purpose of sending the European Responsible Entrepreneurship Bulletin and will not be passed on to any third parties. If at any time you wish to unsubscribe or to review or modify your contact details, please send a message to entr-csr@ec.europa.eu

The websites and documents mentioned in the European Responsible Entrepreneurship Bulletin do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission and the European Commission is not responsible for their contents.

The European Responsible Entrepreneurship Bulletin is part of the Enterprise News family of e-mail alert services to be launched shortly by the Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry of the European Commission. You can already subscribe here.

Meanwhile please consult the range of news items available in Enterprise newsroom.

CSR-specific Enterprise newsroom items are available here.