Conclusions of the Competitiveness Council: Single Market and Innovation

27^th February 2012

During the Competitiveness Council on 20th and 21st February, the 27 Competitiveness Ministers looked into the different means available to support businesses in order to facilitate the revival of growth and employment. As part of the single market three priorities were selected: the reform of accounting rules, the modernisation of public procurement and the improvement of access to funding on the part of SME's. The Danish Presidency of the Council of European Union also recalled its determination and the need to return quickly to an agreement on the subject of the single European patent. Moreover ministers debated the future of innovation in Europe, notably via the Framework Programme 2014-2020, and the European Institute for Innovation. They debated the funding and governance of the GMES, an EU space programme that runs parallel and is complementary to Galiléo.

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