Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme 2007-2013
Between 2007 and 2013, some 350 000 SMEs will receive EU support to invest in all forms of innovation and growth. On 1 June 2006, the European Parliament adopted the first "Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme" (CIP). It will support actions that develop the capacity of enterprise and industry to innovate, with a budget of € 3.6 billion in the next seven years. It will also boost energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, environmental technologies and a wider take-up and innovative use of information and communication technology (ICT). The Austrian Presidency has signalled that the Council is also likely to support the CIP programme making it the first to be adopted in a series of programmes under the new financial perspectives. It represents a coherent and integrated response to the Lisbon objectives of growth and jobs from 2007-2013.
CIP has three main pillars:
- the Entrepreneurship and Innovation programme,
- the ICT Policy Support programme and
- the Intelligent Energy - Europe programme.
The action plan for energy efficiency encourages SMEs to use green investments co-financed by the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme in order to develop and promote eco-innovation.
