CELEX: 51988PC0396
Language: en
Date: 1988-07-05
Title: Amended Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION concerning a Community measure for the creation and development of Business and Innovation Centres and their network (presented by the Commission pursuant to the third paragraph of Article 149 of the EEC Treaty)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
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COM (88) 396
Vol. 1988/0143
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                        COM(88 ) 396 final
                                        Brussels , 5 July 1988
                         Amended Proposal for a
                            COUNCIL DECISION
   concerning a Community measure for the creation and development
          of Business and Innovation Centres and their network
   ( presented by the Commission pursuant to the third paragraph of
                     Article 149 of the EEC Treaty )
 ---pagebreak---                                                                С *>П 3^4
                             Explanatory memorandum
                                                        i
On 22 January 1987 the Commission transmitted to the Council a proposai for
a Decision concerning a Community programme to create and develop Business
and Innovation centres and their network .
On 18 December 1987 Parliament adopted a resolution in favour of the proposai
and also suggested certain amendments .
In the light of Parliament' s opinion and of the results of the examination
of the proposai within the Council , the Commission is amending its original
proposai , pursuant to Article 149 (^)
                                     (3) of the EEC Treaty .
                                         oï the EEC Treaty .
1 C0M(86)785 final; OJ NO C 33, 11.2.1987, p.5 .
                                                                       г
 ---pagebreak---                        Proposai for a Council Decision
Concerning a Community measure for the creation and development of business
and innovation centres and their network
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES                  '
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community
and in particular Article 235 thereof ,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament ,
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee ,
Whereas in accordance with Article 2 of the EEC Treaty , the Community
has as its task , inter alia , to promote a harmonious development of economic
activities and continuous and balanced expansion throughout the Community ;
Whereas Article 130 of the Treaty provides for the Community to develop
and pursue its actions leading to the strengthening of its economic and
social cohesion and in particular for it to aim at reducing disparities
between the various regions and the backwardness of the least-favoured
regions ;
Whereas the Commission has presented a communication on reform of the
structural Funds ( C0M(87)376 final );
Whereas the Council recently approved the main lines of the policy followed and the
strategy in   the action programme for small and medium-sized enterprises ,
which recognizes that the development of a stable and innovative small and
medium-sized business sector is an essential element in the strengthening
of the Community 's economy and is of prime importance for the effective
development of industrial areas in decline or lagging behind and for the
creation of additional jobs ;
Whereas it has been recognized that the accelerated development of small
and medium-sized enterprises requires the combined and organized use of
the factors contributing to business creation :
Whereas , to that effect , one of the essential objectives of Community
regional policy is to strengthen and exploit the regions' potential for
internally generated development ; whereas business and innovation centres
are a major instrument for making optimum use of that potential
in areas with an industrial basis ;
                                                                             3
 ---pagebreak---                                  - 2 -
Whereas each Business and Innovation Centre is a Locally based organization
with entrepreneurial management whose purpose is the deliberate creation of
innovative new SMEs with growth potential and the modernization and strengthen¬
ing of existing SMEs ;
Whereas the Treaty has not provided the necessary specific powers ,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION
 ---pagebreak---                                                  3
                                      Artide 1
1. With a view to contributing to the strengthening of small and medium-sized
   enterprises and to the exploitation of the regions ’potential for internally
   generated deve Lopment , the Commission shall promote the creation and
   development of Business and Innovation Centres , hereinafter referred to as
   " BICs ", which shall have the task of creating and developing independent
   small and medium-sized enterprises , including cooperatives .    The      ~
   measures shall include support for cooperation between BICs , in particular
   through the European Business and Innovation Centre Network ( EBN ).
2. This measure shall be implemented in areas with an industrial basis which
   are situated in regions covered by the European Regional Development Fund or
   an integrated Mediterranean programme , or which are situated in ECSC
   employment areas .
   Criteria for the selection of these areas are set out in Annex 1 .
3. The Commission shall ensure a balanced geographical distribution of the
   appropriations , taking into account the socio-economi c situation of the
   regions referred to in paragraph 2 .
                                     Artide 2
   1 . BICs shall be locally based , publi cly-privately owned,
   professionally managed and ultimately self-financing organizations , whose
   object is to organize and operate a fully comprehensive system for :
   - detecting and selecting potential entrepreneurs and innovative ventures ;
   - providing potential entrepreneurs and existing small and medium-sized
      enterprises , including cooperatives , which are capable of diversification
      and / or modernization with a comprehensive programme of services necessary
      for the preparation , start-up and success of their new activities , including
      in particular : entrepreneurial training and counselling as an auto-selective
      process ; technical assessment ; technology search , assessment , development
      and transfer ; business management ; marketing ; finance ; and preparation
      of business plans ;
   - supplying equipped premises to new businesses in their start-up phase .
2. The capital of BICs may be held by local and régional
   authorities , local or regional interest groups , banks , firms and private
   individuals .     No party may hold a percentage high enough to give it
   potential control .
 ---pagebreak---                                         - 4 -
                                   Article 3
 3ICs shall establish formal relations with the various
 local and regional , public and private development and financial
organizations , capable of performing some of the functions mentioned in
Article 2 above .
                                   Article 4
The Commission- may grant financial contributions to the following operations ,
a description - of which is given in Annex 2 :
- the preparation and launching of BICs up to a ceiling of 50% of the
   cost of the work and fora maximum of two years ;
- the development of methods , models and -procedures for the improvement
   of BIC s management and services ;
- measures to promote the création of BICs .
                                   Article 5
1.    Local sponsoring organi zat ions may submit to the Commission a request
for a Community contribution to the financinq of the work on preparinq and
launching BICs .
2.    These organizations shall inform the competent authorities in the
Member States of their request .     The Commission shall establish , through
contact with the competent authorities of the Member States , that the
assistance it provides is consistent with any measures taken and finance
provided by them in respect of the same operations .
                                   Article 6
For six years from the date of their creation , BICs shall be required to
submit to the Commission each year a report on the results achieved .
 ---pagebreak---                                                            Annex 1
      Indicative List of criteria for the sélection of areas for the
         location of business and innovation centres ( Article 1.(2 )
Business and innovation centres are promoted in areas 'eligible for
assistance under the ERDF and IMPs and in ECSC employment areas .
Nevertheless , the BICs are designed for areas with an industrial basis
which meet particular conditions as regards development or industrial
redevelopment .    In outline , the factors which should be taken into
consideration when identifying these areas are :
- Is it a zone or employment area with industrial activities ?
- Does it have a development structure , such as chambers of commerce ,
  banks , development agencies ?
- Is there a source of technical expertise e.g. a university , college of
  technology , research centre ?
- What are the training and counselling possibi lities ?
- What is the labour force ?
- Are there good communications ?
 ---pagebreak---                                                             Annex 2
                           List of operations (Article 4 )
A. Preparatory work for the organisation and launching o(f BICs .
   Preparatory work includes :
   -  the organization and testing of the functions and services of a
      Business and Innovation Centre , in particular : detection, screening
      and traini-ng of candidate entrepreneurs and SMEs wishing to diversify
      or modernize ; preparation of business plans ; technical assessment ;
      local and international technology search ; advisory services in
      managerial , legal , taxation , commercial and financial matters ;
      provision of common premises ;
   -  the hiring of consultants with expertise in the setting-up of BICs ;
   -  the préparation of business plans for BICs ;
   -  the setting-up and launching of BICs .
B. The development of methods , models and procedures for the improvement of
   BICs management and services .
   This includes the search for and testing of methods , models and procedures'
   related to the effective operation of BICs ; in particular : business planning
   methods , procedures for technology search and assessment , international
   marketing for SMEs and BICs .
C. The promotion of Business and Innovation Centres in specified areas .
   Operations include :
       the organization of technical seminars in areas of particular interest
       for Community régional policy , where BICs are to be promoted;
       the hiring of consultants with expertise in the setting-up of BICs .
 ---pagebreak---                                         5
                                  A rti cle 7
 This measure shall initially be for a period of four years (1 988-91 ) . The
 amount necessary to carry it out during this period is estimated at
1 5 500 000 ECU, to be provided out of the General Bucjget of the European
 Communities .                                     .
                                  Arti cle 8
 The Commissi-on shall be responsible for the implementation of this Decision .
 It shall report to the Council and to the European Parliament on the
progress and results of the measure every second year from the date of this
 Decision .
 In the light of the results achieved / the Commission shall, if appropriate,
draw up at the beginning of the fourth year a proposai for the continuation
of this measure and for possible amendments and to adapt it to the require -
ments of other less-f avoured régions , together with appropriate resources .
                                  Arti cle 9
 This Decision shall take effect on the day of its publication in the
Official Journal of the European Communities .
 Done at Brussels ,
                                                                              ;
 ---pagebreak---                            FICHE FINANCIERE
1.    Ligne budgétaire concernée : art . 543 - Reconversion industrielle
2.    Base légale :
      Décision du Conseil , Art . 235 du Traité CEE .
3.    Proposition de classification
      Dépense non obligatoire
4. .  Description et justification de l' action :
4.1 . Objectifs : créer et développer les centres d' entreprise et innovation
      ainsi que leur réseau , en tant qu' instrument de la politique régionale
      pour la mise en valeur du potentiel du développement endogène des
      régions .
4.2 . Personnes concernées : organismes publics ou privés chargés de la créa
      tion de centres d' entreprise et innovation .
5.    Nature de la dépense et mode de calcul
5.1 . Nature de la dépense : contribution aux coûts des opérations envisagés
      dans l' annexe 1 .
5.2 . Calcul de la dépense : contribution forfaitaire ; dans le cas des opéra
      tions visées dans l' Annexe 2A cette contribution ne dépasse pas les
      50% du coût envisagé .
6.    Incidence financière de l' action sur les crédits d' intervention
6.1 . Echéancier des crédits d' engagement et de paiement .
                                     CE ( Mio ECU )         CP ( Mio ECU )
      1988                              4,4                    1,5
      1989                              5                      4,9
      1990                              5                      5,5
      1991                              1,1                    3
      1992                                                     0,6
      Part du financement communautaire dans le coût total des opérations :
      50% environ .
6.3 . Modalités de financement de l' action pendant l' année en cours :
      50% du coût des opérations , à charge de l' Art . 543 du Budget Général .
7.    Incidence financière sur les crédits de personnel et de fonctionnement
      courant   : aucune .