European Union: Albania joins the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme

3rd July, 2008  

The European Commission and Albania have signed a Memorandum of Understanding according to which the latter joins the Entrepreneurship and Innovation pillar of the European Union Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP).  This will allow Albanian businesses to take full advantage of best practices on entrepreneurship, SME policy, competitiveness and innovation in the EU and to participate in the new Enterprise Europe Network to increase the competitiveness of Albania's enterprises, especially SMEs. This will complement a favourable regulatory framework for SMEs, which has been updated through Albania's participation in the European Charter for Small Enterprises since 2003.

Montenegro, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey and Israel have also already joined the CIP .

Related Links : Commission press release    ; 
IPR-helpdesk document "The Competitiveness and Innovation Programme in a Nutshell"

Related news item in IPR-Helpdesk : 2008/01/04. European Union. Albania will join the 7th Research Framework as an associated country