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Repeating the message |
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March’s European Business Summit in Brussels saw senior representatives of European industry coming together to send a strong message to the European Council on the need for action to improve growth and competitiveness. Speakers were in no doubt that the overall targets set were necessary, but that action to meet them was, so far, insufficient. |
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Growing interest |
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One key session at the European Business Summit in March was a preview of the Commission’s forthcoming Innovation Action Plan. Expected to be adopted in late summer, this plan aims to put innovation at the heart of Europe’s enterprises. |
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Patently unclear |
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The proposed regulation creating a Community patent foundered again at the March 2004 Competitiveness Council meeting, despite unanimous political agreement reached a year before. Frustration is mounting at the continued absence of progress on a measure explicitly needed if the Lisbon objective is to be met. |
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A more flexible approach to aid for R&D |
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The European Commission has recently adopted a Regulation extending the block exemption on state aid rules for SMEs to cover R&D activities. Governments will now be able to speed up aid programmes and issue individual grants for small firms without having to notify the Commission in advance. |
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Entrepreneurship targets |
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The European Commission’s new action plan sets an ambitious agenda for boosting entrepreneurship. Following up a Green Paper consultation with stakeholders, the plan’s key actions for 2004-05, plus others for 2006 and beyond, include some novel ways to encourage new businesses as well as extend existing work in other areas. |
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