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Commissioner for Regional Policy, Johannes HAHN, gave a keynote speech in AER Session – European Business Summit at Brussels, 14 May 2014, about the role of cohesion policy in strengthening regional competitiveness and boosting business development.

The European Commission has approved under EU state aid rules Greek's map for granting regional development aid between 2014 and 2020. The map is based on the new regional aid guidelines adopted by the Commission in June 2013 (see IP/13/569), which set out the conditions under which Member States can grant state aid to businesses for regional development purposes. The guidelines aim to foster growth and greater cohesion in the Single Market.

The Eurogroup welcomes the recent positive macroeconomic developments in the Greek economy. The renewed growth prospects for Greece reflect the remarkable adjustment efforts undertaken by the Greek citizens and authorities.

Today, the Commission has launched a public consultation on the Europe 2020 strategy, the EU's long-term growth and jobs plan. The consultation will be open until 31 October 2014. Through this public consultation, the Commission is seeking the views of all interested people and organisations on the Europe 2020 strategy. read more

The EU economic outlook is strengthening. While leading indicators point to GDP growth gaining momentum in the near term, the conditions for a sustained recovery in the medium term are also improving. Growth is still set to remain moderate, but a gradual easing related to deleveraging, financial fragmentation, adjustment of external imbalances and uncertainty is noticeable.

The Region of Central Macedonia in cooperation with the European Commission and the Smart Specialization (S3) Platform, hosted international conference on “Digital Innovation for Regional Development”, on the occasion of the Greek Presidency of the EU Council. The Conference took place on Tuesday, April 29, 2014, at the Science Center and Technology Museum “NOESIS” in Thessaloniki.

With less than three months to go, the Greek presidency working tirelessly with its institutional partners, the European Parliament, the European Commission and all Member States, has brought about tangible results in the common quest for solutions benefitting citizens. Over 50 agreements impacting and improving almost every aspect of European citizens’ daily life, have been achieved.

The EU and all EU Member States have become more innovative in recent years. As a result, the EU has closed half of the innovation gap towards the US. However, the differences in the innovation performance within the EU are still very high and diminish only slowly. The innovation gap widens at regional level where the innovation performance has worsened in almost one fifth of EU regions according to the Regional Innovation Scoreboard 2014, which complement the IUS 2014.

With an announcement, the Greek International Business Association (SEVE) stressed that the new licensing framework, which was submitted in parliament today by the Minister of Development, Competitiveness and Kostis Hatzidakis, is moving in the right direction.

On the 30th of April, the Academy of Entrepreneurship, as part of the European Young Innovators Forum (EYIF) innovation hub in Greece will be organizing an event entitled: “ICT and young entrepreneurs: Enhancing Innovation”.

The Region of Central Macedonia in cooperation with the European Commission and the Smart Specialization (S3) Platform, hosts international conference on “Digital Innovation for Regional Development”, on the occasion of the Greek Presidency of the EU Council. The Conference will take place on Tuesday, April 29, 2014, at the Science Center and Technology Museum “NOESIS” in Thessaloniki.

Today in Brussels the European Commission launched the European Design Innovation Platform (EDIP). This project led by the Design Council aims to increase the use of design for innovation and growth across Europe and is co-financed by the European Commission.