New Funding Opportunities for Businesses

Culture

If you are working in the cultural sector and wish to set up cultural projects or be supported as an organisation, you may benefit from the Culture programme, which is divided into two strands with different types of activities and deadlines

• Support for cultural projects (strand 1) - Cultural organisations are given support for projects to work together across borders and to create and implement cultural and artistic activities -1 October 2008, 1 February 2009, 1 May 2009
• Support for organisations active at European level in the field of culture (Strand 2) - 1 November 2008

Entrepreneurship

Are you setting-up your own business and willing to learn from the experience of a successful entrepreneur’s company in another Member State? The Commission is offering grant under the following funding programme

• Erasmus for young entrepreneurs, 20 August 2008

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)

• Using ICT to improve public participation to legislative and decision-making processes, eParticipation - 29 August 2008

Life Long Learning

If you have an interest and role in vocational education and training as well as in the qualifications sector, you may be eligible to the Life Long Learning programme:

• Actions to test and develop the credit system for vocational education and training (ECVET), Life Long Learning programme - 13 August 2008
• Actions to develop and implement the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), including national and sectoral qualifications frameworks – 13 August 2008

Ongoing Funding Opportunities for Businesses

Audiovisual sector

If you are a company working in the audiovisual sector, the MEDIA programme can cover up to 50% of your project costs. MEDIA supports the development and distribution of thousands of films as well as training activities, festivals and promotion projects throughout the continent. Funding is currently available for six types of project:

• Promotion and market access of movies, MEDIA 2007 – 4 July 2008
• Movie distribution and production, MEDIA 2007 – 7 July 2008
• Promotion of movies internationally, MEDIA 2007– 9 July 2008
• Video on Demand and Digital Cinema Distribution, MEDIA 2007 – 14 July 2008

Biopharmaceutical sector

If you are undertaking research in the pharmaceutical sector you may be able to access funding for up to 75% of the eligible project costs for research activities through IMI (Innovative Medicines Initiative).

• Research in the pharmaceutical sector, Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) –15 July 2008

Environment, energy and transport

If you are developing environmental technologies or are engaged in eco-innovation you may be able to access funding through the Intelligent Energy Europe or Eco-innovation programmes:

• Renewable energy and energy efficiency, Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) – 26 June 2008
• Eco-friendly products and services, Eco-innovation programme – 11 September 2008

The eco-innovation programme finances projects in the areas of material recycling, sustainable buildings, food and drink industrial processes, green businesses and smart purchasing. Priority will be given to applications from SMEs.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)

If you are developing technical, ICT based solutions, you may be able to get funding under the ICT Policy Support Programme:

• Projects to increase the use and uptake of ICT; ICT Policy Support Programme – 9 September 2008

Research & Innovation

If you are carrying out market-orientated research and development, you may be able to access funding from the European Union which supports R&D in a range of technological areas, including electronic computing technology.

• Research in embedded computing technologies, ARTEMIS – 3 September 2008
• Research and development undertaken by SMEs (any technological area), Eurostars programme - 21 November 2008

Science

If you are part of an interdisciplinary, scientific research network this funding could be for you. The COST programme aims to strengthen the foundations for scientific excellence across Europe; it does not fund research itself.

• European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical research (COST) – Preliminary proposals by 26 September 2008; final proposals by 14 November

Vocational Training

If you are delivering vocational education and training, or if your company is eager to offer training opportunities to staff members, the European Union runs funding programmes for cooperation with Asia and Oceania in the field

• Training for company executives eager to succeed in the Japanese or Korean market, Executive Training Programme (ETP ) – 30 September 2008

Funding opportunities for large businesses:

If you are involved in large-scale infrastructure projects, funding opportunities for trans-European transport or energy networks may be of interest to you. The 2008 Annual Work Programmes set out the types of projects for which funding is available.

• Trans-European Transport Network, TEN-T 20 June 2008
• Trans-European Energy Network, TEN-E 30 June 2008

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For more information, please click here for the TED section of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry website, or contact Tessel van Essen on 020 7203 1838.

EU Press releases

• Energy: Agreement between EU nuclear regulators on safety, waste and decommissioning
• Media: New proposal to strengthen global element of MEDIA funding programme for film
• Justice and Home Affairs: Launch of new Justice Forum for dialogue with stakeholders
• Energy: Launch of the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation
• Employment: Political agreement on Working Time and Temporary Agency Workers Directive
• R & D: Commission doubles its investment in robotics
• Health: Proposals for an improved EU-wide animal health strategy
• Professional qualifications: Commission acts to ensure implementation of legislation in the UK
• Telecoms: European emergency number 112 enters into operation
• Chemicals : New European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to manage implementation of REACH
• Electronic identity: Pilot project for cross-border recognition of national e-identity systems
• Justice and Home Affairs: Proposal for a European Criminal Records Information System
• Finance: Commission initiates Excessive Deficit Procedure for the UK

Click here for more EU press releases

EU Legislation and consultations

Agriculture

Proposals for a ‘Health Check’ of the EU Common Agricultural Policy, Defra consultation The consultation follows the 20 May publication by the European Commission of proposals for the ‘Health Check’ reforms of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This is an important review of the CAP with potentially significant implications, particularly for farmers across the EU, as well as more environmentally-conscious farming and for cutting prices for consumers.

Provision of information for agricultural products in the Internal Market and in third countries, EC legislation Commission Regulation 2008/501 establishes a new single framework for the provision of information and promotion measures for agricultural both inside and outside the EU. The new legal text merges the existing two pieces of legislation into one text, thus harmonising and simplifying the existing rules.

Chemicals

Enforcement of REACH in the UK, Defra consultation The consultation seeks comments on the draft Regulations and administrative arrangements for the enforcement in the UK of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Council and Parliament on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals; commonly referred to as REACH.

Consumers

Late payment in commercial transactions, EC consultation This consultation has been issued in order to explore possibilities to propose better and more effective rules to combat late payment between businesses or between public authorities and businesses within the EU. Directive 2000/35/EC provides for obligatory interest to be paid in case of late payment in commercial transactions. Many stakeholders, however, have indicated that this present law contains too many loopholes and weaknesses to be fully effective.

Environment

Proposed Directive on Industrial Emissions, Defra consultation Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) applies to about 45,000 industrial installations in the EU, about 4,000 of which are in the UK. Each installation is required to have a permit containing emission limit values and other conditions. In November 2005 the Commission launched a review of the IPPC Directive, which led to the publication of a formal proposal for a Directive in December 2007. The consultation thus welcomes views on these proposed amendments.

Proposed amendment of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme from 2013, EC consultation The proposed amendments to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme Directive discussed in this consultation accompany proposals for a new Directive on renewable energy. This allocates amongst the Member States the responsibility for achieving emissions reductions outside the EU ETS sectors.

Revision of the Car Labelling Directive, EC consultation The Commission has already proposed legislation to reduce the CO2 emissions from passenger cars. The Car Labelling Directive also ensures that buyers of new cars are informed about the fuel consumption and the associated CO2 emissions of these cars. However, the provisions in the Directive have been found to be not as effective as they could be, and therefore the Commission is seeking comments on proposed amendments to the legislation.

Ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe, EC legislation Directive 2008/50/EC seeks to merge five existing pieces of environment legislation into one. The legislation focuses mainly on reducing emissions of key airborne pollutants, in particular the fine dust particles that cause a wide range of health problems.

Food Safety

Proposed amendments to the Food Safety Act, FSA consultation The Food Safety Act 1990 is an important Act in the UK, which updated previous laws on food safety and consumer protection. The proposed amendments take into account recent changes in EC legislation on food safety, in particular Regulation 178/2002, and the Food Standards Agency has updated its guidance on compliance with this legislation. It is therefore seeking comments on this revised guidance to compliance.

Information Society

Review of the Public Sector Information Directive, EC consultation The purpose of this online consultation is to gather information from as many sources as possible, including public sector stakeholders and commercial and non-commercial re-users (universities, NGOs) on their views on different aspects related to the implementation, impact and scope of the PSI Directive. Transposition of this Directive was completed in all EU Member States in May 2008.

Confused about how EU legislation affects your business? Any other queries on EU affairs or trans-European matters? Take advantage of our free enquiry service: Phone 020 7489 1992 or mail

Click here for the EU’s Enterprise and Industry online magazine

Business Events

Fourth Annual Competition Policy Conference, UK, 20 June 2008

Kosovo Business and Investment Summit, Kosovo, 25-26 June 2008

European Business Network Annual Congress, Hungary, 25-27 June 2008

The Credit Crunch and the London Economy Seminar, UK, 26 June 2008

Finance in Framework Seven Workshop, Italy, 26 June 2008

The Benefits of Open Innovation and Techniques for Collaboration, UK, 26 June 2008

Workshop on FP7 Possibilities for the London Business Community, UK, 1 July 2008

Sustainability in the Urban Environment, UK, 2 July 2008

EMT Seminar: Roles of Government and Industry in Translational Research, UK, 9 July 2008

Eighth European Conference on e-Government, Switzerland, 10-11 July 2008

Understanding Commercial Agreements and Dispute Resolution within the European Union,, UK, 10 July 2008

European Conference on Information Management and Evaluation, UK, 11 September 2008

SME Banking in Europe Conference, Belgium, 11-12 September 2008

Third European Conference on Entrepreneurship and Innovation, UK, 15-16 September 2008