For the first time, the European Commission has authorised the continued use of a substance considered of “very high concern” under the Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).

The European Commission is loosening the legislation belt for several sectors and ensuring that the highest, uniformed safety standards exist throughout all Member States. One aspect of this is taking 28 separate, national laws – piling up to several hundred pages of legislation – and scrapping them for single, homogeneous EU regulations. Recently it was decided that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), cableways installations and gas appliances will be subject to this business- and consumer-benefitting policy.

Entrepreneurs in the EU Member States, from chocolate makers in Belgium to roof makers in Slovenia, were given the business boost they needed thanks to the successful Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) from the European Commission.

Proving their unyielding commitment to stimulating the economy from the foundation up, the European Commission and the European Investment Fund (EIF) signed an agreement on 22 July that will guarantee Small & Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Europe access of to up to €25 billion of additional finance over the next seven years.

Exactly 500 years after the mathematician and astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus released a groundbreaking manuscript that named the sun, rather than the earth, as the centre of the solar system, the EU Earth observation programme bearing his name is breaking ground of its own. Now, more and more Earth observation data and information is made available to European businesses, researchers, governments and citizens.

The development of the global automotive industry has accelerated since 2009 as third markets creep up behind Europe, changing the trade flows and the automotive value chain. However, the economic crisis underscored the need to keep the car manufacturing base in the EU and to keep it competitive in order to support jobs and the economy.

Toxicologists in the EU Member States need accurate testing methods and processes to apply alternatives to animal testing. Employing alternative approaches, to comply with regulation, always involves complex scientific discussions.

The role of European Ombudsman was established in 1995 to give EU citizens and businesses a place to direct complaints and queries. Working to make EU institutions run in an ethical, transparent way, Ireland’s Emily O’Reilly is the first woman to take on the job after being voted in on July 2013. In an interview with Enterprise & Industry Magazine, Ms. O’Reilly explains the workings of the role and advises people on what to do if they have a complaint or an issue regarding the EU.

Since he took office in 2010, European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani has made it a priority to reignite Europe’s entrepreneurial spirit to lead the EU out of crisis. In addition to facilitating financial support and promoting digital innovation, EU initiatives have been successfully educating and encouraging women and young people to realise new business opportunities.

Economic growth is increasingly concentrated in markets outside the EU: By 2030, an estimated 60 % of world growth will take place in emerging economies. Led by European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani, representatives and business delegations from Europe are visiting growth markets throughout the world to increase the chances of success for EU companies.

Despite their economic and environmental advantages, low-energy buildings with high CO₂ and energy cost saving potential still have a limited market uptake. By promoting access to finance for European construction and slashing trade obstacles in the internal market, the European Commission is helping to create a solid foundation for the construction industry while simultaneously moving Europe towards its resource efficiency goals.