Implementing the Small Business Act in Partnership

1. The Committee of the Regions’ European Entrepreneurial Regions SchemeA Pilot Project for 2011 and 2012 Implementing the Small Business Act in Partnership with the support of

2. Launch of the processDecision of the CoR Bureau11 February 2009 • Context: Every region needs to take targeted actions in order to mitigate the social and economic downturn. • The CoR intends to provide an additional stimulus for EU regions to make change happen on the ground. • The CoR’s EER Award Scheme is made to develop adequately the competitiveness of the regions by setting up a new ‘springboard’ at the regional level. • The EER scheme is made to build further on its Opinion on the ‘SBA for Europe’, to contribute to the new post 2010 EU-Strategy for Growth and Jobs; and the recommendations of its WP on ‘Multilevel Governance’.

3. Main Principles of the EER • A CoR contribution to the European Council’s request " to give priority to preparing labour markets for future recovery: creating a friendly environment for entrepreneurship and job creation, …, transforming Europe into a competitive, knowledge-based, inclusive, innovative and eco-efficient economy " (European Council Conclusions 18-19 June 2009) • A forward-looking PoliticalCommitment on the development of the entrepreneurial potential of the region. • Comparable to the EU’s ‘Capital of Culture’ scheme, the ‘EER Award Scheme’ is to be developed as a stimulating EU quality label. • The EER is a sustainable and inclusive scheme, open for all regions, regardless of the wealth, size or competences a region might have. • The EER brings a partnership approach towards entrepreneurship within the regions (networking with the socio-economic partners, the academic world, the EU, the national level, and other regions).

4. The Eligible Regions • Eligible region for EER-label application are those territories endowed with a political level responsible to it, that clearly have the competences to implement an overall entrepreneurial vision within the region. • Entrepreneurial regions which are successful or lagging behind are both welcome to participate • In the domestic context, these “regions” are defined variously as regions, nations, Länder, communities, autonomous communities, departments, etc. • The key point for eligibility is the development of the region’s entrepreneurial potential

5. Application Procedure • Candidate regions have to submit a maximum 15 page forward-looking political EER ‘Vision Plan’. • The ‘Vision Plan’ should consist of 3 main points that the regions intend to schedule during the EER year: 1. The Presentation of the vision; 2. The Plan of Action: mainstream ‘a SBA for Europe’; introduce entrepreneurship in schools; support at critical levels of business growth; development of cluster policy; demonstrate optimal use of (EU) public funding; and building up cost-efficient forms of partnership between public and private sector. 3. Communication and activities during the EER year. • This political forward-looking plan will be then assessed by the EER Jury.

6. Composition of the EER Jury • The Jury is composed of nine members 1. Mr. Luc VAN DEN BRANDE, President of the Jury, President of the Committee of the Regions 2. Ms. Constance HANNIFFY, Chairwoman of the CoR Ecos Commission and Rapporteur of the CoR opinion on the Small Business Act, 3. Ms Christine CHAPMAN, Member of the CoR Ecos Commission and Rapporteur of the CoR opinion on the post 2010 Lisbon Strategy, 4. Ms. Mechthild WÖRSDÖRFER, Representative of the European Commission, DG Enterprise and Industry, Head of Unit Promotion of SMEs competitiveness, 5. Mr. Mikel LANDABASO, Representative of the European Commission, DG REGIO, Head of Thematic Coordination and Innovation Unit, 6. Mr. Bendt BENDTSEN, Member of the European Parliament and newly elected President of the SME Circle (gathering more than 60 MEPs), Former Danish Minister for Economic and Business Affairs 7. Mr. François MOUTOT, Representative of UEAPME, Director General of Permanent Assembly of Chambers of Metiers, 8. Mr. Peter MIHOK, Deputy-President of Eurochambres, President of the Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry 9. Mr. Paul JACOBS, Representative of BusinessEurope, Vice-President of SME Committee. • This Jury is the one which will nominate the winning regions on the basis of a genuine assessment of the submitted “EER Vision Plans” of the candidate regions.

7. Criteria Points of the Application • The Application is based on a 100 point criteria chart • 30 points for the completeness of the proposed efforts • 10 points are earned for the overallpresentation • 10 points for the ambitions of the political vision • 10 points for the sustainability and ‘low carbon economy’ oriented plan • 10 points for the degree of social inclusion, innovation, corporate social responsibility and entrepreneurship • 10 points for theintegration of the measures proposed • 10 points for the stakeholders’involvement in the plan • 10 points for the activities and communication during the EER year

8. The EER Ceremony • There will be EER regions selected every year at the EER Ceremony organised by the CoR. • The EER award ceremony will take place once a year preferably in the margins of a CoR’s Plenary Session, allowing the Jury to present their good points (exchange of good practices) and allowing winning regions to present their Political EER Vision to the CoR members (spill-over effect). • The EER label can only be given to a maximum of 3 regions at a time. Candidate regions may however submit a joint action plan for the activities and communication during the EER year itself.

9. Timeline for the EER label • February 2009 : CoR Bureau Decision • July 2009: Discussion and guidelines of ECOS Commission • 7 October 2009: Launch of the CoR’s EER pilot scheme during the Open Days • 15 January 2010: Deadline for submission of Applications • February 2010: Granting of the first EER Label(s) for 2011 and 2012 • Year 2011: First ‘EER’ Year • Year 2012: Second ‘EER’ Year • After a thorough evaluation of the pilot projects, the EER scheme could be consolidated and strengthened at a second stage through e.g. new partners and additional funding.