Employers and Enterprise

The European Union’s EU2020 Strategy (PDF <1mb) has three mutually reinforcing priorities: smart, sustainable, inclusive, growth.

This is underpinned by seven flagship initiatives to catalyse progress.  Some of these relate to economic development and cover innovation; the digital agenda; decoupling economic growth from resource use and promoting a shift towards a low carbon economy; an industrial policy for the globalised era; an agenda for new skills and jobs and combating poverty.

Linked to this, EU policy areas that potentially impact on Cumbrian businesses include:

• Economic and monetary affairs
• Enterprise
• Trade
• Competition
• Internal market
• Taxation
• Research and innovation

Europe Direct Cumbria can therefore support local businesses with these policy areas through a number of mechanisms:

1. Signposting to EnterpriseEurope Network.  For businesses in Cumbria, this is a telephone advice service.  EEN’s aim is helping small companies make the most of the business opportunities in the European Union is the Enterprise Europe Network's mission.  Europe Direct Cumbria periodically undertakes joint promotional activities in Cumbria with EEN.

2. Providing support to the business sector through the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership.

3. Private sector partners may wish to partner Cumbria public sector bodies in consortial funding bids as appropriate - see Funding and Partner search.

4. Encouraging access to the EU’s Research and Innovation Framework programme – see Research and Innovation.

5. Europe Direct Cumbria as part of its communication and dissemination role holds or attends events to promote awareness of EU policy and programmes.  If you have an event you would like us to take part in please discuss this with us.

State Aid

The objective of State aid control is, as laid down in the founding Treaties of the European Communities, to ensure that government interventions do not distort competition and trade inside the EU.  In this respect, State aid is defined as an advantage in any form whatsoever conferred on a selective basis to undertakings by national public authorities.

In some circumstances, government interventions are necessary for a well-functioning and equitable economy.  Therefore, the Treaty leaves room for a number of policy objectives for which State aid can be considered compatible i.e. for services of general economic interest, as long as they do not distort competition in such a way as to be against the public interest.  The monitoring of State aid carried out by the European Commission therefore consists of striking a balance between the positive and negative effects of aid.