EUROPEAN ENERGY POLICY: SECURITY - SUSTAINABILITY – COMPETITIVENESS

Unimpeded access to energy sources for the production of goods and services is a prerequisite for the steady and sustainable development of European economies. This imposes a further liberalization of the energy markets in the countries of the Union so as to increase competitiveness, and to reduce and stabilize the cost of energy as they have an impact on the price of most goods. It is also necessary to construct transport networks so as to link European energy networks to new and developing energy production plants, especially those situated on the periphery of the European Union (Russia, the Balkans, the region of the Caspian Sea, the Mediterranean and the Middle East). Finally, it is necessary that both businesses and consumers should use energy more rationally, and that the proportion of energy from renewable sources should increase so as to ensure long-term sustainability of development and preservation of the environment.
Our policy was based on three axes so as to be consistent with the targets set at Lisbon and the Johannesburg commitments on environmental issues. more>

A FAVOURABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR ENTERPRENEURSHIP AND COMPETITIVENESS – INDUSTRIAL POLICY

Small businesses are the driving force behind the European economy and at the same time employing the greater part of the workforce. In addition to this, new businesses – mainly those enterprises based on innovative ideas – provide the greatest number of new and better job opportunities. The success of small businesses depends on the existence of favourable conditions for their growth. It also requires an environment which values enterprise, primarily because this encourages people to open new businesses. The Greek Presidency therefore made strengthening the role of such businesses its main priority. more>

RESEARCH - TECHNOLOGY – INNOVATION

The transition to a knowledge-based economy is made up of three components. One component is innovation, in other words converting knowledge into products or services with added value. That is applying knowledge in ways that improve people’s lives and make businesses more competitive. This creates new jobs and, in addition to education, presupposes occupational training and the encouragement of the entrepreneurship. The second component is the production of knowledge itself through research and technological development (RTD). Innovation is, of course, not confined to the research results, but without research, technological innovation is bound to dry up sooner or later and it is not possible to exploit ideas which increase prosperity through increasing production, or improve welfare and so on. Finally, the third component is the promotion of advanced technology and research technology strategies, in other words those that determine the cutting edge of technology, as opposed to research, which simply applies existing technology, albeit in an improved way. more>

STRENGTHENING THE INTERNAL MARKET, BUILDING UP CITIZEN’S TRUST AND THEIR EFFICIENT CONSUMER PROTECTION

• The Internal Market
• Consumer policy

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A EUROPEAN STRATEGY FOR TOURISM

Tourism is an area of vital importance to the European Union, accounting for approximately 5% of GDP and employment, a percentage which approaches 12% if the activities it creates in other related areas are also taken into account. There are, of course, some European countries where the percentage is considerably higher, and this is expected to increase after enlargement. Under the Spanish Presidency, the European Commission announced its approval of ten measures under the title of ‘Towards collaboration for the future of tourism in Europe’, but no significant progress was made in implementing the measures.

Having placed tourism on its list of priorities, the Greek Presidency made new headway on a European policy on tourism through the Competitiveness Council at the 2003 European Spring Council, which officially recognized the significance of competitiveness in the tourist industry. more>