The innovation performance of the EU and its regions is increasing. The European Commission's 2019 European Innovation Scoreboard and Regional Innovation Scoreboard published last week show that the EU's innovation performance has been improving for four years in a row. For the first time ever, Europe's innovation outperforms that of the United States.
Events to look out for
EU Clean Air Forum – 28-29 November, Bratislava (SK).This Forum will focus on three themes: air quality and energy; air quality and agriculture; and clean air funding mechanisms. It will bring together decision-makers, stakeholders, experts and entrepreneurs in a two-day conference to reflect on the development and implementation of effective air policies, projects and programmes.
Funds available
The European Commission increases support for the EU's beekeeping sector. The European Commission will provide €120 million to the EU's beekeeping sector over the next three years to support its essential role in agriculture and the environment. This represents an increase of €12 million compared to the support provided for the period from 2017 to 2019.
Anthilia Capital Partners and European Investment Fund together for Italian small businesses. Anthilia Capital Partners will further strengthen its support of Italian SMEs thanks to a subscription of €40 million by the European Investment Fund (EIF) in Anthilia BIT III. This is a closed private debt fund, reserved for qualified investors with a track record in investing in debt instruments, specifically bond emissions from Italian-based SMEs, and will have a maximum tenor of 10 years.
EU policies for better business
Barriers to trade: EU continues opening up export markets for European firms. The European Commission's report released today confirms the continuous rise in barriers encountered by European companies in foreign markets. Thanks to the EU's firm response, 123 such barriers have been eliminated since 2014, allowing for more than €6 billion extra exports in 2018.
Get involved
Public consultation on communication channels for EU tax information. The European Commission needs your feedback to improve several EU tax products such as the "Taxes in Europe Database", the "Taxation Trends Report", the "Tax Policies in the EU" Survey and the "Taxation Papers" series.