Trade with Greece
16
E
ntrepreneurship is the growth engine
of our economy:
85% of new jobs in the
private sector are created by SMEs, and a
significant contribution to job creation in Europe
comes from newly-founded businesses, which
are generating more than 4 million new jobs every
year.
Fostering the entrepreneurial know-how, skills
and attitudes of our citizens is not an easy task. It
can only be done with a holistic perspective,
cross-sectoral coordination and the active
involvement of the member states, regions, local
governments and stakeholders. To address these
challenges, the European Commission has
adopted a call to action embodying a series of
measures to reignite the entrepreneurial spirit in
Europe and generate economic growth, via the
Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan.
In a nutshell, the plan aims at creating an envi-
ronment in which entrepreneurs can flourish and
grow, and at boosting the culture of entrepreneur-
ship in Europe.
Our goal is to make Europe one
of the most entrepreneurial areas in the world.
To achieve this, besides introducing entrepre-
neurship education as an essential element of the
educational systems that train the new genera-
tions of European entrepreneurs, we need to
reduce the regulatory burden faced by SMEs, and
support their needs by investing in innovative
research, business support schemes, networks
and partnerships, and exploring the untapped
entrepreneurial potential of specific groups.
In January 2013, Greece will take over the EU
presidency. It has been hit hard by the economic
crisis, but has managed to re-invent itself by swift-
ly undertaking economic, social and political
reforms.
Greek businesses have faced many challenges
Our goal is to make
Europe one of the most
Entrepreneurial Areas in
the World
By Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the European Commission,
Commissioner of Industry and Entrepreneurship
The last few years have been economically
challenging both in Europe and beyond.
Europe is struggling to overcome the worst
downturn and unemployment seen in decades.
This is why it is essential to find new ways to
create growth and jobs in Europe.
