Competences of the Agency as defined in Commission Decision 2004/20/EC amended by Commission Decision 2007/372/EC

1. The Community policy on the environment shall contribute to preserving, protecting and improving the quality of the environment; protecting human health; prudent and rational utilisation of natural resources and promoting measures at international level to deal with regional or worldwide environmental problems. (Article 174 of the Treaty) 2. The Community policy on industry shall ensure that the conditions necessary for the competitiveness of the Community's industry exist by speeding up the adjustment of industry to structural changes, encouraging an environment favourable to initiative and to the development of and cooperation between undertakings, fostering better exploitation of the industrial potential of policies of innovation, research and technological development. The Member States shall consult each other in liaison with the Commission and, where necessary, shall coordinate their action. The Commission may take any useful initiative to promote such coordination. (Article 157 of the Treaty)

Objectives Within the framework of the Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs, the European Union has taken measures to promote and develop competitiveness and innovation. These measures include the establishment of the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) 2007-2013 (Decision No 1639/2006/EC), notably with the Intelligent Energy — Europe (IEE) and Entrepreneurship and Innovation (EIP) programmes. They also include the Marco Polo programme (Regulation (EC) No 1692/2006). The main objectives are to foster competitiveness of enterprises, in particular SMEs; to promote all forms of innovation, including eco-innovation; and to promote energy efficiency and new and renewable energy sources in all sectors, including transport. Under these Community programmes, the Agency is responsible for implementing the tasks concerning Community aid, except for programme evaluation, monitoring of legislation and strategic studies, or any other action which comes under the exclusive competence of the European Commission.

Tasks In the context of implementing the Community programmes for which the delegation of tasks from the Commission to the Agency was effective in 2007, notably the IEE I since 1 July 2005, IEE II since 26 July and EIP since 1 November 2007: — To manage all phases in the lifetime of specific projects. — To adopt the instruments of budget implementation and to carry out, where the Commission has empowered it to do so, all the operations necessary to manage the Community programme and, in particular, those linked to the awarding of contracts and grants. — To gather, analyse and pass on to the Commission all the information needed to guide the implementation of the programme. — As regards the EIP, also to be-in charge of project management of the business and innovation support network.

1. Steering Committee Comprises five members appointed by the European Commission. It adopts the Agency's annual work programme after approval by the European Commission. In addition, it adopts the administrative budget of the Agency and its annual activity report. 2. Director Appointed by the European Commission. 3. External Audit Court of Auditors. 4. Discharge authority Parliament acting on recommendation of the Council.

Final Budget (A) 137,3 (53,2) million euro (100 % general budget of the European Union of which 63,7 million euro for IEE, and 73,5 million euro for EIP. The Agency implements the operational budget under the responsibility of the Commission). (B) 6,9 (5,2) million euro (100 % Community subsidy) for the administrative budget that the Agency implements autonomously. Staff at 31 December 35 (16) TA posts listed in the establishment plan of which 22 (16) were occupied. Other posts: Contract staff: 77 (30) posts planned of which 47 (25) were occupied. Total staff at 31.12.2007: 69 Responsible for Operational tasks: 54 (31) Administrative tasks: 15 (10)