The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry has finalised the selection of three business sectors that will be the focus of a new, year-long project to develop sector-specific guidance on the corporate responsibility to respect human rights.
Translating Mineral Resource Wealth into Real Development for Africa
The economic outlook for EU industry has deteriorated. According to the January 2012 report published today by the European Commission, in the last three months to November 2011, manufacturing production was some 1% higher than a year ago, but also 1% below the level registered in the preceding three months.
85% of net new jobs (1) in the EU between 2002 and 2010 were created by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). This figure is considerably higher than the 67%-share of SMEs in total employment. During this period, net employment in the EU's business economy rose substantially, by an average of 1.1 million new jobs each year.
The European Commission published today a study analyzing the important role small and medium sized enterprises play in creating more and better jobs. SMEs provide a vital contribution to the European economy, being responsible for more than two thirds of the total employment in the private sectors and 85% of the net job growth.
The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry has announced the names of organisations that will implement important new European projects on business and human rights.
In October 2011 compared with September 2011, the euro area industrial new orders index rose by 1.8%, after a fall of 7.8% in September. In the EU27new orders increased by 0.5% in October 2011, after a fall of 2.1% in September.
The European Commission is presenting a strategy to promote better access to finance for SMEs with an EU Action Plan which includes increasing financial support from the EU budget and the European Investment Bank and a proposal for a regulation setting uniform rules for the marketing of venture capital funds.
With a budget of € 2.5 billions over the period 2014-2020, the Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs, COSME is a funding instrument, which is largely continuing the activities under the current Competitiveness and Innovation programme (CIP).
In September 2011 compared with August 2011, the euro area (EA17) industrial new orders index 2 fell by 6.4%. In August the index rose by 1.4%. In the EU27 new orders decreased by 2.3% in September 2011, after a fall of 0.3% in August.
The Commission today presents a new approach to ensure that the EU responds better to the needs of small businesses. From now on, the European Commission will seek wherever possible to exempt micro-enterprises from EU legislation or introduce special regimes so as to minimise the regulatory burden on them.
The field of innovation for social purposes is developing rapidly all over the world, with new institutions and methods, growing confidence and evidence of impact. Social innovators are changing the way governments work, the way civil society achieves impact, and the actions of business.
A new European network of mentors to promote female entrepreneurship through the sharing of know-how and experience has been launched by the European Commission.
