EUREKA NEWS

The Cypriot EU presidency announces its priorities "for a better Europe".

date of publication > 11-July-2012

 As Cyprus assumed the rotating EU Council Presidency on 1st July 2012, the Cypriot government has recently announced the work programme for the next sixth-month period. The Cypriot Presidency aims to make Europe more efficient and sustainable, with a better performing and growth-based economy, more relevant to its citizens with solidarity and social cohesion and closer to its neighbours.

 

 Negotiations on the new seven-year Multiannual Financial Framework and the EU’s forthcoming framework programme for research and innovation, ‘Horizon 2020’, are on top of the Presidency’s agenda. They aim to take the negotiations further at European Council level and come to an agreement before the end of 2012.

 

 The Council will have to address pending issues, so that they can formulate the new Cohesion Policy, with underlying objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy, to improve economic, social and territorial cohesion.

 

 The research and innovation dossier will be an important part of the Presidency’s programme, where the negotiations on Horizon 2020 will be brought forward. The promotion of the European Research Area will be a central part of it. It will include discussions on the competitiveness of SMEs, legislative initiatives on the Single Market Act, SMEs access to finance, Public Procurement legislation and the Directive for Professional Qualifications.
 
A relevant priority here, especially for EUREKA and Eurostars is facilitation of access to funding for SME’s. To this light, the Presidency will review the expected Communication on Industrial Policy and propose relevant Council conclusions.
 
The Cypriot Presidency will also focus on boosting the entrepreneurship as part of Europe’s strategy for competitiveness and growth and initiate discussions highlighting the most appropriate policy measures in fostering entrepreneurial culture in Europe.
 
These priorities also reflect key strategic objectives to increase the competitiveness and innovation capacity of European industry and SMEs, as laid out in its Strategic Roadmap and the Turkish EUREKA Chairmanship annual programme. In addition, EUREKA’s Eurostars Programme, which is also referred as an example by the Commission’s communication on Horizon 2020, promotes market-oriented innovation of R&D-performing SMEs.
Read the full programme here.