Archive:Industry and services statistics introduced
The European Commission’s enterprise policies aim to create a favourable environment for business to thrive within the European Union (EU), thus creating higher productivity, economic growth, jobs and wealth. Policies are aimed at reducing administrative burden, stimulating innovation, encouraging sustainable production, and ensuring the smooth functioning of the EU’s internal market.
European industry contributes to output, jobs, innovation and exports and is interrelated with service activities. Indeed, many service activities such as transport, information and communication depend on industry to produce the equipment and hardware which they use. The internal market for goods is one of the EU's most important and continuing priorities which aims to create a user-friendly environment for businesses and consumers. Creating a single market for the service sector – one of the main drivers of the EU’s economy – relies largely on the opportunities available for businesses to provide services throughout the EU, and for other businesses and individuals to access such services.
The business environment in which enterprises operate in the EU plays a significant role in their potential success through factors such as access to capital markets (in particular for venture capital), or the openness of markets. Ensuring that businesses can compete openly and fairly is also important with respect to making Europe an attractive place in which to invest and work. Creating a positive climate in which entrepreneurs and businesses can flourish is considered by many as the key to generating growth and jobs within the EU; this is all the more important in a globalised economy, where some businesses have considerable leeway to select where they wish to operate. The regulatory environment in which businesses operate influences their competitiveness and their ability to grow and create jobs. The European 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 to:
- implement a strategy to simplify existing legislation through a simplification programme;
- reduce administrative burdens by 25 % by 2012;
- place greater emphasis on the use of impact assessments and public consultations when drafting new rules and regulations;
- monitor the application of EU legislation.
The 20.9 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the EU in 2008 represented 99.8 % of enterprises in the non-financial business economy, and are regarded as 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 the global economy. In June 2008 the ‘Small business act for Europe’ (SBA) was adopted by the European Commission and endorsed by the Council in December 2008. This aims to improve the overall approach to entrepreneurship, permanently anchor the 'think small first' principle in policy making and to promote SMEs' growth. The SBA is a set of ten principles which should guide the design and implementation of national and EU policies. The results of a review of the SBA were published in February 2011, providing an overview of the progress achieved in implementing the Act and setting out new actions to respond to challenges resulting from the recent financial and economic crisis. Between 2008 and 2010, the European Commission and the EU Member States took measures to ease the administrative burden on small businesses, to facilitate SMEs’ access to funding, and to support their access to global markets.
At a European Council meeting of 26 March 2010, EU leaders set out their plan for Europe 2020, a strategy to enhance the competitiveness of the EU and to create more growth and jobs. The latest revision of the integrated economic and employment guidelines (revised as part of the Europe 2020 strategyfor smart, sustainable and inclusive growth) includes a guideline to improve the business and consumer environment and modernise Europe's industrial base. In October 2010 the European Commission presented a Communication on ‘An industrial policy for the globalisation era’ (COM(2010) 614), which provides a blueprint to put industrial competitiveness and sustainability centre stage. This industrial policy establishes a strategic agenda and proposes some broad cross-sectoral measures, as well as tailor-made actions for specific industries, mainly targeting the so-called ‘green innovation’ performance of these sectors. Furthermore, a report on Member States’ competitiveness policies and performance will be published annually.
European Commission Communication titled, ‘A digital agenda for Europe’ (COM(2010) 245) outlines policies and actions aimed at maximising the benefit of the digital era to all sections of society. The agenda outlines seven priority areas for action – see the article on information society for more detail.
Further Eurostat information
Database
- Statistics see:
- Statistics by theme
- Industry, trade and services
- Structural business statistics
- Short-term business statistics
- Tourism
- Manufactured goods (Prodcom)
- Information society
- Industry, trade and services