Europe needs a more dynamic enterprise culture, says Prodi
The European economy needs to be more dynamic, enterprising and innovative if it is to meet the challenges of combating unemployment and social exclusion whilst maintaining a globally competitive industry, said European Commission President Romano Prodi, speaking at 2000 Hanover Fair in Germany on 19 March 2000. A healthy enterprise culture will also enable Europe to make the transition to the 'new economy' where information technologies are fundamentally changing market structures, said Prodi. The President's statements provide a taster of what will be discussed by heads of States and Governments gathered in Lisbon for the special summit on employment, economic reform and social cohesion, where they will define a long term socio-economic strategy for Europe. The European Commission has called for a dynamic 'Enterprise Europe' to be created by 2005, which 'will be a challenge for all of us,' said Prodi. 'I believe if we face today's challenges with the same vision, courage and determination as Europe's founding fathers, and if we summon the political energy that was so evident in constructing the Single Market and introducing the euro, we can indeed create an inclusive, dynamic society. Enterprise Europe will be the New Europe.' Currently there is not enough support to set up or expand new businesses, and there are too few entrepreneurs, said Prodi. 'Europe badly needs go-ahead people to create vibrant small and medium sized firms that can grow rapidly and become leading companies. Europe needs risk takers - people who are prepared to take chances and who are not held back by fear of failure. 'This means we must create in Europe an attractive and simple business environment that really helps small firms.' Prodi went on to outline how this could be achieved. Creating an entrepreneurial and innovative Europe should begin at school, he said. The cost of setting up new businesses must also be reduced, and company registration procedures should be simplified and the bureaucratic burden cut. Furthermore he suggested that risk finance capital should be more available. Europe also needs the right skills for the new digital economy, said the Commission President, so Europe must invest heavily in training and retraining the workforce and educating children. European businesses must be encouraged to adopt a policy of 'let's go and get it', rather than 'wait and see', he said. The Commission, or the eCommission as the President phrased it, will take the lead in ensuring an innovative and inclusive Information Society. 'I intend the Commission to be at the forefront of these changes by becoming an 'eCommission', leading the field in the use of information technologies, and a shining example of an efficient, modern and accountable administration.' The Commission is already doing much to address the challenges and needs of the Information Society, said Prodi. The Commission's eEurope initiative 'offers a coherent and realistic strategy for bringing Europe fully into the digital age and the new knowledge economy,' he said, and 'is designed to ensure that Europe catches up with the US in Internet penetration and usage, in e-commerce and in the number of high-tech start-ups'. The initiative includes targets for digital literacy and for connecting all European schools to the Internet by 2001. Prodi said the Commission would employ a benchmarking system to ensure that these targets are met.
Countries
Germany