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The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, is in Brussels today and tomorrow morning [Wednesday 30th and Thursday 31st May] to attend EU Council of Ministers meetings on Competitiveness and Trade.

Among the items to be discussed at today’s Competitiveness Council meeting are:

· the EU’s €2.52 Billion Competitiveness and SME Programme (COSME) to run from 2014 to 2020 (see note below),

· plans for growth and jobs in the Single Market

· the proposal for a Directive on Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications,

· a proposal for a modernised Public Procurement Directive,

· proposals to institute alternative and on-line dispute resolution in cross border on-line transactions.

· internal market governance and the digital single market

· the Unified Patent Court and a timetable for promptly advancing the EU patents legislative package through the European Parliament and for final Council approval by July this year

Tomorrow’s Trade Council will provide the EU’s 27 Trade Ministers the opportunity to discuss strategic trade policy topics. These include making decisions on opening free trade talks with key trading partners outside the EU, evaluating the progress of trade talks underway or providing guidance to the Commission on the many topics that influence global trade and investment flows. At tomorrow’s meeting, a range of EU trade agreements will be discussed by Ministers, and they will also discuss the role of trade in the EU’s growth agenda. Exploring the potential for more trade and investment with Asia and the USA will be a focus as part of efforts to boost Europe’s recovery.

Speaking in Brussels, Minister Bruton said:

“For many months now the Irish Government has been seeking to put jobs and growth at the top of the agenda in Europe. At today’s Competiveness Council and tomorrow’s Trade Council I will be discussing with Ministers from 26 other EU countries ways in which the EU can act together to enhance jobs and growth across the continent.

“One of the key items up for discussion is the €2.5billion COSME programme, which will help facilitate access to finance for SMEs, help SMEs operating outside their home market and seeking to access new markets, all of which are key objectives for the Irish Government. We will also be discussing the creation of a single market for digital services, creating a unified patent system with one court to encourage innovation across the EU, improvements to public procurement rules to help more SMEs benefit from Government contracts, and boosting trade with high-growth emerging economies. On many issues like this, we can achieve so much more by acting together as a Union of 27 countries and over 500million people than we ever could as individual countries.

“The EU has a major role to play getting growth and jobs back into the Irish economy again. I look forward to discussing these issues with Ministers from across the EU, and making progress on implementing proposals that can make a real difference to our economy”.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Programme for the Competitiveness of enterprises and SMEs (COSME) 2014-2020

The new Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (COSME) will run from 2014 to 2020, with a planned budget of €2.5bn (current prices).

Objectives

· facilitating access to finance for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)

· creating an environment favourable to business creation and growth

· encouraging an entrepreneurial culture in Europe

· increasing the sustainable competitiveness of EU companies

· helping small businesses operate outside their home countries and improving their access to markets

COSME will:

· ensure continuity with initiatives and actions already undertaken under the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP), such as the Enterprise Europe Network, building on results and lessons learnt.

· continue the many successful features of the EIP, while simplifying management of the programme to make it easier for entrepreneurs and small businesses to benefit.

· support, complement and help coordinate actions by EU member countries. COSME will specifically tackle transnational issues that – thanks to economies of scale and the demonstration effect – can be more effectively addressed at European level.

Expected results

· easier access to finance for entrepreneurs and small businesses

· more prominent role for self-employment and business development as important sources of growth and job creation

· in individual EU countries: a more competitive industry, more entrepreneurs and higher employment rates.

Main beneficiaries

· Existing entrepreneurs (small businesses in particular) – easier access to funding for development, consolidation and growth of their business.

· Future entrepreneurs (including young people) – assistance in setting up their own business.

· National, regional and local authorities – tools for effectively reforming policy: reliable, EU wide data and statistics, best practice and financial support to test and scale up sustainable solutions for improving global competitiveness.

Impact on competitiveness of businesses large and small

COSME is expected to contribute to an annual increase of €1.1bn in the EU's GDP.

The Enterprise Europe Network is expected to assist 40,000 companies with partnership agreements, resulting in:

· 1,200 new business products, services or processes annually

· €400mn annually in additional turnover for assisted companies.

Access to finance will be easier for entrepreneurs, in particular those willing to launch cross-border activities, resulting in an expected annual increase of €3.5bn in additional lending and/or investment for EU companies.

What happens now?

The Commission's proposal will be discussed by the European Parliament and the Council, which must agree to adopt it. COSME should start on 1 January 2014.

ENDS

For further information contact:

Conor Quinn, Press Advisor to Minister Bruton, Tel: +353 1 631 2218, +353 87 374 3783, email: conor.quinn@djei.ie