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The new Board of the Greek International Business Association (SEVE), which emerged from the elections of the 39th Annual General Assembly of the members of the Association, had its first meeting for the formation of the Administrative Committee of SEVE, on 02/06/2014. The Board unanimously elected as President Dr. Kyriakos Loufakis, President and CEO of LOUFAKIS CHEMICALS SA and the other members of the Administrative Committee of SEVE. The incumbency of the new Board, is two years and will last until May 2016, as specified in the articles of Association.
 

Brussels, 2 June 2014 – The European Commission has today adopted a series of economic policy recommendations to individual Member States to strengthen the recovery that began a year ago. The recommendations are based on detailed analyses of each country's situation and provide guidance on how to boost growth, increase competitiveness and create jobs in 2014-2015.

The ‘Week of Innovative Regions in Europe’ (WiRE2014) will take place this year in Athens (June 12-13^th) under the auspices of the Greek EU Presidency. Since 2010, the Week of Innovative Regions in Europe (WIRE) Conference Series serves as a key instrument in setting the European Regional Agenda and provides the most significant forum for policy dialogue on Regional Strategies, Innovation and Growth. Today, the Conference Series has been established as a key actor in cultivating the debate leading to recommendations for optimal use of policies for regional development.

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The European Commission has adopted a "Partnership Agreement" with Greece setting down the strategy for the optimal use of European Structural and Investment Funds in the country's regions and cities. This paves the way for €15.52 billion current prices in total Cohesion Policy funding (including European Territorial Cooperation funding) and €4.2 billion for rural development to be invested in the country’s real economy. The allocation under Fisheries and Maritime Policy will be finalised and published this summerread more

The elections which were held on Monday 05/26/14, in the context of 39th Annual General Assembly of the members of the Greek International Business Association, came up with the new Board of the Association for the next two years.  Note that the new Board of SEVE , which is renewed at 35%, has even more pronounced presence of large manufacturing companies of the country, which shows the emphasis of the Association in the processing and production procedures, combined with openness and innovation as growth drivers of the Greek economy. The new Board will meet on Monday 06/02/14 and will elect the Chairman and the Members of the Administrative Committee of SEVE.

The European Commission has published today the Innobarometer 2014 survey to understand the views and attitudes of EU enterprises towards the role of public support in the commercialisation of innovations. The survey highlighted that the main hurdle to the commercialisation of innovative goods or services is the lack of financial resources.

The European Commission has adopted a "Partnership Agreement" with Greece setting down the strategy for the optimal use of European Structural and Investment Funds in the country's regions and cities for 2014-2020. Today’s agreement paves the way for Greece's return to recovery and growth, and its transformation into a productive economy. It sets out how €15.52 billion in total Cohesion Policy funding in current prices and €4.2 billion for rural development to be invested in the country’s real economy.

The European Commission conference on Mobilising Social Policy Innovation ( IP/14/562 , SPEECH/14/392) held on the 19 and 20 May showed broad agreement amongst the participants on the need for social policy innovation and social enterprises to be given a greater role in delivering the social outcomes European citizens expect. Social policy innovation needs to be based on partnerships bringing together public sector, civil society organisations, social entrepreneurs and other private actors. "Social policy innovation is crucial to realising our vision of Europe, the vision that the Europe 2020 Strategy seeks to build — a Europe based on a social market economy fit for the 21st century and capable of fostering smart, sustainable and inclusive growth", said László Andor. "The time for action is now. Social policy innovation needs to be embedded in policy-making and linked to social policy priorities", he added.

KEPA becomes member of the Bureau of European Design Associations (BEDA). KEPA has been a key partner in European Design projects, while at the same time is the leader association in Greece, promoting European Commission's  flagship on Design.

The first estimate for the euro area (EA18) trade in goods balance with the rest of the world in March 2014 gave a 17.1 billion euro surplus, compared with +21.9 bn in March 2013. The February 2014 balance was +14.2 bn, compared with +9.8 bn in February 2013. In March 2014 compared with February 2014, seasonally adjusted exports fell by 0.5% and imports by 0.6%.

These data are released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

The first estimate for the March 2014 extra-EU28 trade balance was a 3.9 bn euro surplus, compared with +14.7 bn in March 2013. In February 2014  the balance was +4.7 bn, compared with +1.2 bn in February 2013. In March 2014 compared with February 2014, seasonally adjusted exports fell by 1.2% while imports remained stable.

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Euro area GDP up by 0.2%, EU28 up by 0.3%, +0.9% and +1.4% respectively compared with the first quarter of 2014

Seasonally adjusted GDP rose by 0.2% in the euro area (EA18) and by 0.3% in the EU28 during the first quarter of 2014, compared with the previous quarter, according to flash estimates² published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In the fourth quarter of 2013, GDP grew by 0.2% in the euro area and by 0.4% in the EU28.

An Informal Council of EU Environment Ministers, chaired by Greek Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, Yannis Maniatis, convened yesterday (14.5.2014) in Athens. Commissioners for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard, and Environment Janez Potočnik, participated at the meeting, along with the competent Ministers of Member States, candidate countries (including almost all Balkan countries) and countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).