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The European Commission adopted two new "off-the-shelf", i.e. "ready-to-use" financial instruments for ESI Funds investments, to ease access to funding for young businesses and urban development project promoters.  In the 2014-2020 period, the Commission is encouraging Member States to double their European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds investments used through financial instruments, such as loans, equity and guarantees, in line with the objectives of the Investment Plan.

This workshop will provide participating stakeholders with the opportunity to discuss current best practices and future prospects for low and medium season tourism. It will take place in Brussels on 13 September 2016, from 9:30 to 17:00. Increasing transnational travel during the low seasons can stimulate economic growth, jobs and contribute to the competitiveness of the sector. 

The European Commission launched a tourism communication campaign ‘Europe. Wonder is all around.' The campaign aims to entice European citizens to discover the hidden wonders of Europe. This tourism effort asks European citizens to take the lead: share their favourite destinations and in this way make others more aware of and motivate them to travel to the diverse, sustainable and high-quality tourist destinations in Europe.

The EU-funded SOLARH2 project has established a pan-European research network that is tapping into the potential of solar fuel, a clean energy source that could one day replace fossil fuels. Relying on fossil energy sources such as oil, gas and coal is no longer viable given finite supplies and the consequences of CO2 emissions for the planet.

"The European Union needs more efficient economic governance and it is necessary to dedicate its resources to investments and social cohesion" said Georges Dassis at the Luci sul lavoro (Spotlight on work) festival in Montepulciano, Italy, on 8 July. The President of the European Economic and Social Committee participated in the debate organized by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) alongside Luca Visentini, Valeria Ronzitti, Riccardo Viaggi, Ruth Paserman and Tommaso Nannicini.

The EU must address an alarming fall in public investment in order to tackle growing regional disparity, support sustainable growth and restore faith among citizens, politicians across Europe said today during a two-day Summit of Regions and Cities in Bratislava. Meeting in the Slovak capital a week after Slovakia took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first time, local and regional leaders adopted a declaration that calls on the EU to improve regulation and attract greater private-public investment to create more jobs and tackle the investment gap.

The European Cluster Conference 2016 will be held in Brussels from 30 November 2016 through 2 December 2016. The conference itself will take place on 1-2 December 2016 at the Crowne Plaza Rogier Hotel with a European cluster matchmaking pre-event on 30 November 2016.

On 23rd June 2015, Robert Madelin was commissioned by the President of the European Commission to conduct an innovation policy review. The overall quality and breadth of contributions underlines both a general recognition that innovation is critical to Europe's future and a willingness to see a truly European collective effort in the global innovation race.

JRC scientists have analysed the status of the European distribution system operators (DSOs) and built indicators and representative electricity distribution network models based on a comprehensive collection of data. The objective is to help the DSO community to provide policy-makers with more accurate figures for better informing energy policies.

EU spending on education is in line with the Union’s objectives, but provisions for establishing a clear link between education and employment are not always used, according to a new report from the European Court of Auditors. “Unemployment is one of the biggest challenges that the European Union has faced in recent years. Investment in education is crucial, as the EU unemployment rate has been three times lower for people with a higher level of education,” says Iliana Ivanova, the ECA Member responsible for the report. “For that reason, the Europe 2020 strategy identifies targets for education objectives."

The European Commission and the European Investment Fund (EIF) today launched a €121 million guarantee initiative to support SMEs in the cultural and creative sectors via financial institutions. This scheme is expected to create more than €600 million worth of bank loans over the next six years.

The Hellenic Forum is organized for the 4th consequent year by the National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos” and is under the auspices of the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event envisages opportunities for the development of links and affiliations between members of the research community and industry as well as distinguished scientists living and working abroad. Over its five days duration, a broad range of topics will be covered around Nanotechnology, Energy & Environment, Life Sciences and ICT.