The Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) is an Executive Agency of the
European Commission. EASME was founded in 2003 as the Intelligent Energy Executive Agency (IEEA) and was renamed the European Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (EACI) in 2007, finally becoming EASME in 2014. It is responsible for managing specific programmes in the fields of
energy, the
environment
Environment most often refers to:
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* Natural environment, all living and non-living things occurring naturally
* Biophysical environment, the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism or ...
, and
business
Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for pr ...
support. Its goal is to promote
sustainable
Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livin ...
development while improving the competitiveness of
European industries.
While the Agency has its own
legal identity
In law, a legal person is any person or 'thing' (less ambiguously, any legal entity) that can do the things a human person is usually able to do in law – such as enter into contracts, sue and be sued, own property, and so on. The reason for ...
, it reports to several
Directorates-General of the European Commission, which remain responsible for programming and evaluation of the programmes.
Organisation
The Agency was created in 2003 to implement th
Intelligent Energy – Europe(IEE) programme, which seeks to foster market conditions for the development of new energy technology and is overseen by the European Commission's
Energy Directorate-General. IEEA was the first Executive Agency to be established.
In 2007, its mandate was extended to include the Commission's 2007-201
Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme 2007-2013(CIP) and th
2007-2013. It was also renamed EACI. In practice, this meant that the bulk of the Agency's work was split into three programmes from other DGs. It continued working on IEE. The agency then also became involved in the operations of the Eco-Innovation programme, which was overseen by DG Environment and provides assistance to pre-market environmental products. It also handled parts of the Marco Polo programme, which works to shift road haulage to rail and water transport, and was managed by DG Mobility and Transport.
In 2014, the agency changed its name to EASME, and it became responsible for other programmes in addition to IEE and Eco-Innovation. It currently handles the operations of parts of
Horizon 2020
The Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development, also called Framework Programmes or abbreviated FP1 to FP9, are funding programmes created by the European Union/European Commission to support and foster research in the Europea ...
, the EU Research and Innovation programme. EASME is also responsible for the majority of COSME, the EU programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. It also operates part of LIFE, a financial instrument to support conservation and environmental actions in the EU. Finally, EASME is managing parts of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, which finances the EU's maritime and fisheries policies.
EASME is a temporary agency, initially established for a period beginning on 1 January 2004 and ending on 31 December 2008. This period has been extended to 2024.
EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW)
EASME works with the Energy Directorate-General to organise an annual event, the EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW), which aims to bolster the development of renewables and greater energy efficiency through knowledge-sharing and the showcase of new ideas. EUSEW was first launched in 2006.
European Union - Sustainable Energy Week - HOME
Retrieved on February 5, 2014.
The Agency also helps give visibility to separate events through its Energy Days. These are organised by independent actors, and promoted by EASME.
External links
EASME websiteEU Sustainable Energy WeekCommission Decision 2004/20/EC of 23 December 2003 setting up an executive agency, the "Intelligent Energy Executive Agency", to manage Community action in the field of energy in application of Council Regulation (EC) No 58/2003Commission Decision 2007/372/EC of 31 May 2007 amending Decision 2004/20/EC in order to transform the Intelligent Energy Executive Agency into the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation
References
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Agencies of the European Union
Energy policies and initiatives of the European Union
2004 in the European Union
2004 establishments in Belgium
Government agencies established in 2004
Organizations related to small and medium-sized enterprises