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20 May 2010

Historic meeting for Barents region

Representatives of the Barents countries met in Umeå on 18-19 May to discuss raw material and energy assets in the region. Minister for Enterprise and Energy Maud Olofsson invited her counterparts to this meeting, which was the first of its kind within Barents cooperation.

"Having been on the periphery, we are now the centre of attention. The entire world needs raw materials and renewable energy, and this can provide many new jobs in the region. I believe in increased cooperation in the area of knowledge; businesses in the region face the same kinds of issues and challenges. One example is how to make most effective use of our forests," says Ms Olofsson.

19 May 2010

European Commission goes with Swedish proposal on a Digital Agenda for Europe

Today the European Commission adopted a Digital Agenda for Europe, a five-year programme the aims of which include increasing access to ICT services in society and enhancing trust and security for those using these services. Sweden has been a driving force in developing the proposal.

"I am pleased that people have listened to what we - ICT users, enterprises and politicians - discussed in the context of our Presidency conference in Visby in November last year. In the Visby Declaration, we underlined the importance of a horizontal approach to IT policy, the need for increased access, security for users and ICT as an important part of creating sustainable and green growth," says Minister for Communications Åsa Torstensson.

Areas of responsibility

  • Business development

    Issues relating to business development, small and medium-sized companies, supply of capital, entrepreneurship, simplification of rules, issues relating to patents and innovation, cooperative enterprise and general conditions for enterprise growth.

  • Competition

    Issues concerning competition, freedom of trade and certain questions relating to business law as well as EC rules on state aid to the business sector.

  • Electronic communications

    Issues concerning electronic communications.

  • Energy

    Security of supply, reliable electricity transmission, renewable energy, wind power, electricity certificates and improved energy efficiency

  • IT

    Infrastructure and responsibility for coordination on issues relating to the use of information technology.

  • Primary idustries

    Forest industries and other energy-intensive primary industries, vehicle manufacturing industries together with their subcontractors and recycling.

  • Regional growth

    Regional aid areas, support to enterprises and regional policy coordination. Regional Growth Programmes. Target programmes 1 and 2, and the Community initiatives Interreg, Urban and Leader+. European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP).

  • R&D

    Research and development within technology, space exploration, energy, transport and communication, working life and testing and measuring techniques.

  • State-owned companies

    Management of enterprises wholly or partly owned by the state.

  • Tourism

    Tourism policy, international marketing of tourism.

  • Transport

    National and international transport of passengers and goods (roads, air traffic, shipping, railways). Competition conditions for Swedish transport companies. Infrastructure for roads and railways. The EU Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).