Business and industry.
Date: 2019-09-17
Institutions: Directorate-General for Communication
Subjects: EU Member State, EU growth strategy, EU industrial policy, European Union, business policy, competition (EU), economic growth, job creation

Business 
and industry

The EU aims to make industry and business more competitive  
and to promote jobs and growth through a business-friendly environment.

The EU’s business and industrial policy is designed to improve the business environment, promote a climate of entrepreneurship and 
job creation and give small businesses easier access to finance and markets. Small and medium-sized enterprises represent 99 % of 
all businesses in the EU, providing two thirds of total private-sector employment. EU policies encourage the creation of new businesses 
and support innovative enterprises in their efforts to scale up. Enhanced trade agreements open markets for EU businesses, and action 
can be taken to prevent unfair competition from outside the EU. The EU aims to:

 ● strengthen its industrial base and promote the transition to a low-carbon economy;
 ● promote innovation as a means to generate new sources of growth;
 ● encourage small businesses and promote an entrepreneurial culture;
 ● guarantee an EU-wide market for goods; and
 ● maximise the benefits of the EU’s investment in space.

What the EU does

The  EU  is  committed  to  helping  business-
es  and  industry  to  be  competitive  and  to 
generate  growth  and  new  jobs.  The  aim 
is to help European companies to become 
smarter,  more  innovative  and  more  sus-
tainable.  Industrial  policy  contributes  to 
competitiveness  by  establishing  appropri-
ate  framework  conditions  (such  as  smart 
legislation  and  skills  development).  The 
European  Commission  has  de-
veloped 
sector-specific  action 
plans  and  legislation  to  support 
more  than  a  dozen  key  industrial 
sectors,  including  the  chemicals, 
automotive, 
food,  healthcare, 
biotechnology  and  aeronautics 
industries. The Commission is also 
responsible  for  sectors  with  geo-
strategic  implications  and  a  high 
degree of public intervention, such 
as defence, security and space.
The European Commission, together 
with  the  European  Investment  

Bank,  launched  the  Investment  Plan  for 
Europe. As part of the plan, the  European  
Fund for Strategic Investments was created 
to  mobilise  investment  across  Europe.  By  
November  2018  the  plan  had  mobilised 
€360 billion worth of investments. The fund 
provides  guarantees  in  support  of  projects 
financed by the European Investment Bank, 
focusing  on  infrastructure,  innovation  and 

http://bit.ly/2n2DlHY

Find out more: https://europa.eu/european-union/topics/enterprise_en

smaller companies. Around 850  000 small 
and  medium-sized  companies  are  set  to 
benefit  from  improved  access  to  finance. 
The  Commission  manages  several  EU  
programmes  to  support  innovation  and  
entrepreneurship, including:

 ● COSME – the programme for the 
competitiveness  of  enterprises  
and  small  and  medium-sized 
enterprises;

 ● Horizon  2020  for  research 

and innovation;

 ● Galileo  for  satellite  navigation 
and Copernicus for earth obser-
vation, which deliver services that 
benefit millions of people and bu-
sinesses

The  EU  also  offers  businesses  a 
number  of  support  services  in-
cluding  the  Enterprise  Europe 
Network and Erasmus for Young 
Entrepreneurs.

@EU_Growth/@EEN_EU

ONLINE
Information about the European Union in all the official languages of the EU 
is available on the Europa website at: https://europa.eu/european-union/ 
index_en

IN PERSON
All over the European Union there are hundreds of Europe Direct information 
centres. You can find the address of the centre nearest you at:  
https://europa.eu/european-union/contact_en

ON THE PHONE OR BY EMAIL
Europe Direct is a service that answers your questions about the European 
Union.

You can contact this service:

 ● by freephone: 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (certain operators may charge for these 

calls),

 ● at the following standard number: 00 32 2 299 9696 or 
 ● by email via: https://europa.eu/european-union/contact_en

READ ABOUT EUROPE
Publications about the EU are only a click away on the EU Publications website:  
https://publications.europa.eu/en/publications

EUROPEAN COMMISSION REPRESENTATIONS
The European Commission has offices (representations) in all the Member 
States of the European Union:  
https://ec.europa.eu/info/about-european-commission/contact/local-offic-
es-eu-member-countries_en

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LIAISON OFFICES
The European Parliament has a liaison office in every Member State of the 
European Union:  
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/at-your-service/en/stay-informed/liaison-of-
fices-in-your-country

EUROPEAN UNION DELEGATIONS
The European Union also has delegations in other parts of the world:  
https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/area/geo_en

Agriculture and rural development
Banking and financial services
Borders and security
Budget
Business and industry
Climate action
Competition
Consumers
Culture and media
Customs
Digital economy and society
Economy, finance and the euro
Education and training
Employment and social affairs
Energy
Environment
EU enlargement
European neighbourhood policy
Food safety
Foreign affairs and security policy
Fraud prevention
Humanitarian aid and civil protection
International cooperation  
and development
Justice and fundamental rights
Maritime affairs and fisheries
Migration and asylum
Public health
Regional policy
Research and innovation
Single market
Sport
Taxation
Trade
Transport
Youth

Questions about the European Union?  
Europe Direct can help: 
00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11, 
http://europedirect.europa.eu 

This factsheet is part of the 
publication ‘The European Union: 
What it is and what it does’. 
An interactive version, containing 
links to online content, is available 
in PDF and HTML format at:  
http://www.publications.europa.eu/
webpub/com/eu-what-it-is/en/

Manuscript completed in May 2019

The European Commission is not liable for any consequence stemming from the reuse of this 
publication. 

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2019

© European Union, 2019

Reuse is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. 

The reuse policy of European Commission documents is regulated by Decision 2011/833/EU (OJ 
L 330, 14.12.2011, p. 39).

For any use or reproduction of photos or other material that is not under the copyright of the 
European Union, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holders.

All pictures: © Shutterstock, © Fotolia

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Getting in touchwith the EUOther factsheets in the series ‘What the European Union does’