Enterprise Europe Network – information divided into sectors

Globalising enterprises

The Your Europe portal provides practical information on citizen and corporate rights and opportunities in the EU. The portal focuses on actual cross-border situations, such as when a European Union citizen wishes to work or study in another Member State or a European enterprise wants to relocate its operations to another Member State or open a branch office in another Member State.

The task of the European Commission Representation in Finland is to bring the Commission closer to ordinary citizens mainly by offering information. In addition to informing, press and media relationships are a key part of the Representation’s activities. Furthermore, the Representation offers reports to the Commission regarding the political situation in Finland.

Europe Information is an EU information centre for citizens aiming to provide answers on the effects of Finland’s EU membership on ordinary citizens’ lives and on Finnish society.

Services’ Point of Single Contact is a section of the Enterprise Finland website that contains information on establishing service sector businesses and providing services in Finland and links to other EU countries’ corresponding points of single contact.

The Finnish EU R&D Secretariat (Tekes) offers information on the EU Research Framework Programme, Eureka/Eurostars Programme and COST Programme, offers advice to companies wishing to be included in programmes, and coordinates the Finnish contact person network.

What’s new? is a continuously updated information page on the Europa server containing the latest information from different institutions and EU bodies. The page is available in English.

REACH is the regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemical substances. The REACH regulation obliges the EU Member States to provide advisory services to enterprises to meet the requirements of the regulation. European Chemicals Agency ECHA  operates in Helsinki and it is responsible for affairs related to the REACH regulation.

EU funding programmes

European Small Business Portal

• EU funding for SMEs
• Online support
• EU SME representative
• SMEs and innovations
• European single market
• EU sector-specific policies
• Support services across Europe
• Globalisation
• European SME policy
• Promotion of entrepreneurship
• Support for SMEs’ competitive edge

CIP – Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme

Structural Funds – ESF and ERDF

EU culture and education programmes ; CIMO is responsible for several EU education programmes in Finland.

Media Plus is an EU aid scheme for the audiovisual industry.

CORDIS  contains research and development information. The Cordis database is formed of approximately ten different sub-databases. Information on single research programmes is available in the Programmes database and information on single research projects is available in the Projects database. Research partner searches can be performed in the Partners database.

EU bodies

The European Commission takes legislative initiatives, implements regulations, the budget and programmes, monitors compliance with Community law, and acts as the representative of the EU.

EUROPA is the official portal of the European Union.

The Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry focuses in its operations on the development of a friendly climate for entrepreneurship and innovations.

The European Ombudsman investigates irregularities detected in the operation of the European Community bodies and institutions and offers reports regarding the irregularities. Citizens of the European Union can lodge a complaint to the European Ombudsman.

The European Parliament monitors in a democratic manner all EU bodies and approves the EU law and budget.

The Council of the European Union is the EU’s main decision-making body. The Council is responsible for exercising legislative power, coordinating the economic policies of the Member States, concluding international agreements on behalf of the Community, etc. Ministerial-level representatives of the Member States attend Council meetings at regular intervals.

Agencies of the European Union

Useful databases

CORDIS contains research and development information. The Cordis database is formed of nearly ten different sub-databases. Information on single research programmes is available in the Programmes database and information on single research projects is available in the Projects database. Research partner searches can be performed in the Partners database.

EuropeAid contains the calls for tender and proposals of the body coordinating the Community aid directed at countries external to the European Union.

EUR-Lex is a portal to European Union law. The website includes a search engine for e.g. treaties, legislation, legislation under preparation, and case law. Furthermore, the site includes the latest issues of the Official Journal and links to legislation databases.

Who is who in Europe is a database containing the organisation and contact information of the European Union and other bodies and a personnel search.

The TED database includes calls for tender regarding the EU countries’ public procurements and contracts.

SOLVIT is an online problem solving network in which EU Member States work together to find practical solutions to problems caused by the misapplication of Internal Market law by public authorities. In principle, SOLVIT deals with all cross-border problems between a business or a citizen on the one hand and a national public authority on the other where there is possible misapplication of EU law. SOLVIT cannot consider problems between enterprises or between consumers and businesses.

The EUROPAGES company directory

Portals and links of the European Commission:

• Information about EU law and about living, working, moving or doing business within the EU
• Information about individual legal advice
• Information about services that assist with problems that are not within the scope of SOLVIT

Citizens’ Signpost Service  contains information on EU rights for citizens.

Market Access

The Market Access Database offers information about customs tariffs, customs regulations and customs fees around the world. Companies can also lodge a complaint online and notify the European Commission of policies restricting importing and investments in the external markets.