ENTREPRENEURSHIP, ENTERPRISE AND COMPETITIVENESS
(a)
(21814)
13002/00 ADD1, ADD2
SEC(00) 1825 VOL 1 and 2
(b)
(21813)
13386/00
SEC (00) 1942
(c)
(21815)
13003/00
SEC(00) 1823
(d)
(21816)
13046/00
SEC(00) 1841
|
Report on the implementation of the Action Plan to promote
entrepreneurship and competitiveness.
Commission staff working paper: "Better, but not the Best.
Enterprise policy action to improve Europe's competitiveness".
Commission staff working paper on the competitiveness of European
industry — 2000 Report.
Commission staff working paper on benchmarking enterprise policy
— first results from the scoreboard
|
| Legal base:
| — |
| |
| Document originated:
| (a) 27 October 2000
(b) 9 November 2000
(c) 30 October 2000
(d) 31 October 2000
|
| Forwarded to the Council:
| (a) 30 October 2000
(b) —
(c) 30 October 2000
(d) 3 November 2000
|
| Deposited in Parliament:
| (a) 23 November 200
(b) —
(c) 23 November 2000
(d) 23 November 2000
|
| Department: |
Trade and Industry |
| Basis of consideration:
| (a) EM of 22 November 2000
(b) EM of 22 November 2000
(c) EM of 24 November 2000
(d) EM of 24 November 2000
|
| Previous Committee Report:
| None; but see (19467) 11772/98; HC 155-xxxix (1997-98), paragraph 7 (4 November 1998)
|
| To be discussed in Council:
| 5 December 2000 |
| Committee's assessment:
| (All) Politically important
|
| Committee's decision:
| (All) Cleared |
Background
21.1 The Business Environment Simplification
Taskforce (BEST) was set up in 1997, at the invitation of the
Amsterdam European Council. It was asked to consider "simplification
of existing and new legal and administrative regulations in order
to improve the quality of Community legislation and reduce its
administrative burden on European business". However the
BEST report also considered wider issues which were affecting
the capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to compete.
Its report was considered at the Cardiff European Council in June
1998 which invited the Commission to draw up a timetable for action
in the light of the report's recommendations.
21.2 In November 1998, we reported on a Commission
Communication on Promoting entrepreneurship and competitiveness,
in which the Commission set out its response to the BEST Report.[52]
In its Communication and Associated Plan the Commission drew together
measures from the BEST Report and other policy initiatives into
a comprehensive framework. The Commission committed itself to
making regular reports on progress in implementing the BEST recommendations,
as reflected in the Action Plan. It also proposed to establish
annual reports by the Commission and Member States to assess progress
in promoting enterprise in the SME context in particular.
21.3 In November 2000, we reported on a proposal
for a multi-annual programme for enterprise and entrepreneurship
(2001-2005) to succeed the third multi-annual programme for SMEs
(1997-2000).[53]
We noted that the Commission regarded the multi-annual programme
as a major instrument for achieving key goals over the next five
years for a competitive and dynamic EU economy. It identified
five objectives which, it believed, would translate broad policy
aims into a specific programme of activity, tailored to the needs
of SMEs.
21.4 In March 2000, the Lisbon European Council
asked the Council and Commission to undertake a number of benchmarking
studies to map progress towards the Lisbon goal of building a
competitive dynamic knowledge-based economy. They were asked to
present the first results of a benchmarking exercise by December
2000.
The documents
21.5 All the documents on which we now report
will be taken at the Energy/Industry Council on 5 December in
its debate on the innovation and competitiveness of European industry.
That meeting will be asked to adopt a Council Decision on the
multi-annual programme for enterprise and entrepreneurship (2001-2005)
which we cleared on 22 November. It will also be asked to adopt
the report on the implementation of the Action Plan to promote
entrepreneurship and competitiveness (document (a)).
21.6 Document (a) covers the Action Plan areas
of:
— education for
entrepreneurial society;
— access to finance for smaller enterprises;
— access to research and innovation;
— improving visibility of support services;
— improving public administration;
— improving employment and working conditions.
It includes a number of conclusions and recommendations as to
where improvements may be introduced.
21.7 Document (b) is a Commission Staff Working
Paper which is particularly relevant to the proposal for a multi-annual
programme for enterprise and entrepreneurship. It sets out the
tasks for the Union in meeting its strategic goal of becoming
the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-driven economy in the
world. The overall message is that the Union is doing well, but
against its major competitors, and particularly the United States,
not well enough. The main problem is perceived to be lack of dynamism.
It sets out areas where progress can be made at European and Member
State level and highlights the BEST process as a central mechanism
for the development of enterprise policy. That approach, and related
programme priorities, will be implemented through the new multi-annual
programme.
21.8 Document (c) is the Commission's annual
report on the competitiveness of European industry. It aims to
provide an analytical contribution to the policy debate on making
the Union more dynamic and competitive. It includes overall comparisons
with the US and Japan and provides analysis of the factors underlying
relative success.
21.9 Document (d) is a Commission working paper
on benchmarking enterprise policy, as requested by the Lisbon
European Council earlier this year. It provides an Enterprise
Policy Scoreboard, which purports to be a diagnostic tool that
attempts to identify issues, both problem areas and best practices,
through cross-country comparison. It comprises categories of indicators
under the headings of entrepreneurship, keeping dynamic, innovative
capacity, progress towards the knowledge-based economy, and market
access.
The Government's view
21.10 In her Explanatory Memorandum of 22 November
2000, the Minister for Energy and Competitiveness in Europe (the
Rt. Hon. Helen Liddell) says that document (a):
"will be a useful tool
in the development of enterprise policy in the EU over the coming
years. The report highlights areas where good practice is in place...
and also includes a number of conclusions and recommendations
where improvements may be introduced. In this sense, the report
fits very neatly into the new BEST procedure of the Multi-Annual
Programme for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (2001-2005), where
the emphasis is on policy development through the identification
and exchange of best practice. The UK will take a close look at
the content and recommendations of the report and enter into full
discussion with our European partners ... The Member States and
the Commission can then decide what action may be taken..."
21.11 As regards document (b), the Minister says
that the conclusions drawn in the paper are consistent with other
developments, such as the European Charter for Small Enterprises
and the proposed multi-annual programme for enterprise and entrepreneurship.
She regards the papers as a useful contribution to enterprise
policy in the EU.
21.12 Ministerial Explanatory Memoranda have
not been provided on the other two documents.
Conclusion
21.13 We have reported on these four documents
because they are all contributions to the debate on enterprise
and entrepreneurship to be held at the Energy/Industry Council
on 5 December. They are, in particular, relevant to the consideration
of the multi-annual programme for enterprise and entrepreneurship
(2001-2005) on which it is hoped to reach a Common Position at
that meeting. But we have no questions to raise on the documents
and clear them accordingly.
52 (19467) 11772/98; see headnote to this paragraph. Back
53 (21202)
8134/00; see HC 23-xxviii (1999-2000), paragraph 12 (22 November
2000). Back
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