European Council Adopts Competitiveness And Innovation Programme

by Ulrika Lomas, for LawAndTax-News.com, Brussels

16 October 2006

The European Council on Thursday adopted a decision establishing a competitiveness and innovation framework programme (CIP) for the years 2007 to 2013, and accepting all amendments voted by the European Parliament at first reading, under the Council-Parliament co-decision procedure.

The decision was adopted, without discussion, at the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council meeting.

The programme aims to:

• Foster the competitiveness of enterprises, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs);
• Promote all forms of innovation including eco-innovation;
• Accelerate the development of a sustainable, competitive, innovative and inclusive information society; and
• Promote energy efficiency and new and renewable energy sources in all sectors including transport.

These objectives will be pursued through the implementation of three specific programmes:

• The entrepreneurship and innovation programme, which provides for new types of financial instruments aimed at supporting SMEs;
• The information and communications technology policy support programme, focusing on the development of coordinated actions, the sharing of good practices and the deployment of interoperable solutions within Europe's information society; and
• The intelligent energy-Europe programme, aimed at fostering sustainable development, security of supply and competitiveness as relates to energy.

The total budgetary envelope amounts to EUR3.2 billion1 for the seven-year period, of which 60% is for implementation of the entrepreneurship and innovation programme (approximately one fifth of which will go to promote eco-innovation), and 20% each for the other programmes.

The CIP is designed to contribute to the enhancement of competitiveness and innovation capacity in the EU, and to advancement of the knowledge society and sustainable development based on economic growth, in line with the EU strategy for growth and jobs.

It will run parallel to the Community framework programme for research and technological development for 2007-2013.

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