Agenda Raad Concurrentievermogen: Lissabon, Kaderprogramma Innovatie (en)

woensdag 4 mei 2005

The EU Competitiveness Council will meet in Brussels on Tuesday 10 th May at 14.30 under the chairmanship of Jeannot Krecké, Luxembourg Minister of the Economy and Foreign Trade. The European Commission will be represented by Vice President Günter Verheugen, responsible for Enterprise and Industry.

Informal lunch discussion

Vice President Günter Verheugen i will speak to Ministers about modern industrial policy. The revised reinvigorated Lisbon strategy which the Commission put forward in February underlines the necessity of a strong industrial base to create jobs and growth. In this context a modern industrial policy will be a key element of our success. The Vice President will discuss with Ministers the preparation of a Commission Communication on Modern Industrial Policy that is currently in the making.

Follow-up to the Lisbon strategy - Integrated Guidelines

The discussion will focus in particular on the micro-economic guidelines and a series of three questions circulated by the Luxembourg Presidency. At the Council meeting on 18 April, Vice President Verheugen presented the new 3 year "Integrated Guidelines Package" for 2005-to 2008. Recommending concrete priority actions it lays out a comprehensive strategy of macroeconomic, microeconomic and employment policies to redress Europe's weak growth performance and insufficient job creation. In addition this week the European Commission tabled a working document which provides guidance to Member States to draw up their respective national reform programmes in terms of structure and content. The Commission is asking Member States to publish their national programmes not later than 15th October 2005. The national reform programmes are expected to be forward-looking political documents setting out a comprehensive three year strategy to implement the integrated guidelines to deliver growth and jobs.

Competitive and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP)

This is the first exchange of views in the Council on the Programme and will be based on a series of questions prepared by the Luxembourg presidency. Last month Vice President Verheugen presented the Competitive and Innovation Framework Programme to Ministers in Luxembourg. This proposal has an emphasis on targeting SMEs and the aim of enabling them to have access to innovation. The CIP has a budget of € 4.213 billion for the period 2007 - 2013 and will support actions that develop the capacity of enterprise and industry to innovate.

Whilst building on tried and tested programmes, CIP also includes many new elements such as:

  • a risk capital instrument for High Growth and Innovative Companies (GIF2)
  • securitisation" of banks' SME loan portfolios
  • enhanced role for innovation and business support networks
  • demonstrators of technological and organisational solutions to

European ICT-services

  • a twinning programme for policy makers..

Any other business

Situation of the textiles sector - request from Italy and France

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