Commission creates directory of enterprise and research measures
The Enterprise Directorate-General of the European Commission has created an on-line directory of measures in favour of entrepreneurship and competitiveness. The directory has been developed to enable simple, user-friendly access to the wide range of measures available to help businesses and encourage collaboration between research and enterprise in the EU. It brings together all the information gathered during the compilation of the report on the implementation of the Action plan to promote entrepreneurship and competitiveness, published in October 2000. The information is arranged in the directory according to the six key areas covered by the report: - Education for an entrepreneurial society, and training - Access to finance for smaller enterprises and at an earlier stage, and finance for expanding and high-tech-firms - Access to research and innovation, and better use of patents by SMEs - Improve visibility of support services - Improve public administration - Improve employment and working conditions The measures described by the headings above can be researched individually or by country or sub-theme. The directory also provides an outline of 31 of the national good practice cases identified in the implementation report. Where possible, contact details are given for each of the measures and good practice examples described.