Events to look out for
EREK International Conference: make it happen with resource efficiency - 25-26 September 2019, Brussels (BE).
IP Horizon 5.0 Conference: Mapping opportunities and challenges in a globalised economy - 26-27 September 2019, Alicante (ES).
Funds available
€190 million in financing for small and medium businesses (SMEs) in Finland. Finnish SMEs will receive a further boost in access to finance, thanks to a guarantee agreement signed between the EIF and the Finnish specialised financing company Finnvera. The agreement will facilitate guarantee loans for growth-seeking SMEs in the country.
EU policies for better business
Brexit ‘no-deal' preparedness: Final call to all EU citizens and businesses to prepare for the UK's withdrawal on 31 October 2019. The European Commission published the 6th Brexit preparedness Communication reiterating its call on all stakeholders in the EU27 to prepare for an undesirable, yet possible ‘no-deal' scenario. It is in this spirit that the European Commission published a detailed checklist to help those businesses that trade with the UK to make final preparations. In order to minimise disruption to trade, all parties involved in supply chains with the UK – regardless of where they are based – should be aware of their responsibilities and the necessary formalities in cross-border trade. Additionally, the Commission has proposed that the European Solidarity Fund and the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund are available to support businesses, most affected by a ‘no-deal' scenario. These proposals will need to be agreed by the European Parliament and the Council.
Report mapping sustainable fashion opportunities for SMEs. The European Commission published a report mapping the current initiatives and key organisations in sustainable fashion and textiles across Europe. The report also gives an overview of opportunities and challenges related to adopting environmentally and economically sustainable business models in this sector.
TARIC, the integrated Tariff of the European Union, is a multilingual database integrating all measures relating to EU customs tariff, commercial and agricultural legislation. The database gives all economic operators a clear view of measures to be taken when importing goods into the EU or exporting goods from the EU.