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Green Plans in Action: European Union: Industry Advantages: Background
Long-Term Predictability and Tradable Market Solutions
For more information on Emissions Trading
For more information on the First Report of the High Level Group on Competitiveness, Energy, and the Environment
For more information on the review of the current EU ETS
Knowledge-Based Society
Eurochambres, an Association of more than 1,200 European Chambers of Commerce and Industry, recognizes a well-qualified workforce is important to Europe's economy, and promotes education in cooperation with national and regional authorities. Their schools and institutes train more than 3 million students per year, and Eurochambres' network of 44 National Associations and 2,000 regional and local Chambers of Commerce and Industry provide further resources.
SMEs and Entrepreneural Spirit
The Commission Communication on New SME Policy provides a coherent framework for SME actions while integrating objectives of existing enterprise policy instruments to enhance transparency of the European SME policy. It aims at making the "Think Small First" principle effective across all EU policies, pushing for regulatory and administrative simplification. The new approach highlights SMEs' importance to society and commitment to corporate social responsibility, allowing them to improve their performance and competitiveness while having a positive impact on the local community and the environment. Industries also have a responsibility towards SMEs as sub-contractors, e.g. in the car industry.
The new strategic approach includes:
- Streamlining of Community policy instruments, reducing and simplifying legislation
- Promote alternative policy instruments such as standards and voluntary agreements
- Simplify rules related to SME participation in Community programs
- Financial assistance for business support services, skills, technological development, and separate funds for the new cohesion policy
- Narrow the skills gap with training courses for changing labor markets
- Reduce the burden of risk in business transfers, improve transfers of knowledge, tackle negative effects of business failure and examine the possibility of improving social security schemes and bankruptcy procedures
- Promote take-up of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), e-learning and e-business as key elements to improve SME competitiveness
- Improve SMEs access to the Internal Market, facilitate and improve cross-border activities within the EU
- Reduce the information gap between EU institutions and businesses, and create an easy-to-use consultation mechanism
- Promote entrepreneurship education, careers and responsible practices, and improve the publics' perception
- Foster cooperation with Member States and other stakeholders by reinforcing networking with national administrations on SME issues
For more information on SMEs and entrepreneurship
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