A recent Eurobarometer survey showed that administrative burdens and too complex administrative procedures are the second most important obstacle in setting up a business in the European Union. This view was shared by more than 70% of the respondents indicating a serious threat to the growth of enterprises and small businesses in Europe.
Conscious of this risk, the European Commission together with Member states launched the Your Europe Portal aiming at provision of public online information and modern interactive services with a cross-border dimension for European citizens and businesses in order to make information and services accessible as well as to eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy. The Your Europe Portal represents the first significant step towards a new generation of EU-wide e-government services.
The Your Europe Portal is divided into two sections: one for citizens and the other for enterprises. Under the citizens section, users find guides and fact sheets concerning various topics that are important when moving from one country to another, including employment, education, social issues and taxation. Under the business section, users find detailed information on business-related issues across Europe, including registration of companies, public procurement, regulations and funding opportunities.
Businesses in the spotlight
The business section of the Your Europe Portal is designed for European based enterprises and entrepreneurs. It provides them with general EU-wide business information in three working languages (EN, FR and DE), with information at national level on rights and opportunities in running business in different member states in three working languages and in the national language(s), with useful links to external sources of information specific to currently viewed page, and the business section offers services for businesses.
Information on the business section are divided into eight different themes:
- Business Life, covers the full life cycle of an enterprise, from setting up and running the business up to closing it and bankruptcy,
- Funding Opportunities
- Public Procurement
- Regulations and Financing including the internal market rules
- Business Development focusing on broader topics like technical harmonization, environment or property rights.
- Taxation dealing with various taxes and repatriation of profits,
- Social and Human Information covering the employment rights and social security,
- Market Information providing useful information about business directories and business associations.
What can one find in the Business section?
The following table gives an example of a real-life situation where the Portal can offer information and assistance to enterprises or entrepreneurs:
Examples of a real-life situation for enterprises or entrepreneurs: Type of information that you need to search for: How to find an answer to your question on the Your Europe Portal, Business Section:
What is the necessary procedure for setting up a limited company in Germany? General information on rights and opportunities at national level. Information at national level.
- Choose the general area: Business life Choose the EU country: Germany
- Choose your language
- Click on show information
- Click on sub-theme starting business
I would like to contact the Chamber of Commerce in Estonia. Direct access to Member State's administration Information at national level.
- Choose the general area: Market information
- Choose the EU country: Estonia
- Choose your language
- Click on show information
- Click on sub-theme Associations and Organisations
- For direct links click on related links
- Click on the relevant web page
Is there any public procurement opportunity for my business? General EU-wide information. General EU-wide information.
- Choose the general area: Public Procurement
- Choose your language
- Click on show information
I heard that there are good taxation conditions in Slovakia. What is the VAT rate? Specific information on taxes. Information at national level. Information at national level.
- Choose the general area: Taxation Choose the EU country: Slovakia
- Choose your language
- Click on show information
- Click on sub-theme VAT
I would like to receive more personal information about business opportunities in Finland.
- Personalised advice Click on See available Services for Businesses
- Contact the Business Support Network
Who stands behind the portal?
The Your Europe Portal is an initiative of the IDABC, a Community Programme of the European Commission's Enterprise and Industry Directorate-General. The Your Europe Portal is managed in a close co-operation with Internal Market and Services Directorate-General and with the support from Press and Communication Directorate-General.
The key actors in Your Europe portal are the European Commission and the national administrations.
The European Commission provides:
- useful information on the rights of EU citizens and enterprises in the context of the four freedoms in the Internal Market;
- European e-services that require a direct interaction between the European administration and EU citizens and enterprises. Examples of such e-services include EURES, SOLVIT and the Citizens Signpost and;
- facilitates and coordinates the relevant initiatives taken in the Member States.
The national administrations provide:
- useful country-specific information for citizens and businesses on various topics
- interactive e-government services.
The national administrations are responsible for provision of the country specific information. For an instance, the information for the Business Section was provided so far by 12 Member states (Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Slovakia, Spain, The Netherlands and United Kingdom).
In order to facilitate the co-ordination between the different DGs and the Member states, an Editorial Board has been set up in September 2003. It is composed by the representatives of EU 25 and Commission’s officials.
Future challenges
In 2005: The greatest challenge is to consolidate and to complete the current version of the Your Europe Portal with all language and country specific information.
In 2006: Next year the Second generation of the portal will be finalized and launched.
Click online to discover the Your Europe Portal: http://europa.eu.int/youreurope
Background of the Your Europe Portal
The Your Europe Portal is an initiative of the IDABC, a Community Programme managed by the European Commission's Enterprise and Industry Directorate General. It uses the opportunities offered by information and communication technologies to encourage and support the delivery of cross-border public sector services to citizens and enterprises in Europe, to improve efficiency and collaboration between European public administrations and to contribute to making Europe an attractive place to live, work and invest.
To achieve its objectives, IDABC issues recommendations, develops solutions and provides services that enable national and European administrations to communicate electronically and offer modern public services to businesses and citizens in Europe. The programme also provides financing to projects that address European policy requirements and improve cooperation between administrations across Europe.
More information on the IDABC programme can be found at: http://europa.eu.int/idabc
Quelle: Edubourse, 07.03.2005
