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The European Commission, Research Directorate General, recently published a new call for
tender for a study called 'Enabling technologies and open innovation: analysis of conditions
for transfer of knowledge'. The purpose of the study is to identify how to bridge the gap
between research outputs and the access to the market.

BUSINESSES will benefit from increased rates relief following an announcement by Social Justice and Local Government Minister, Carl Sargeant.

From October 1 until the end of next September at least, half of businesses in Wales will not pay business rates.

TREGEDAR-BASED Penn Pharma has been officially presented with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

It is second time the pharmaceutical company has received the award, with the first coming in 2003.
 

Major changes to the Welsh Assembly Government's funding for farmers in Wales are due to take place with the arrival of Glastir on 1 January 2012. Glastir, the new sustainable land management scheme, will pay farmers to deliver specified environmental goods and services. 

The European Commission provides financing through Calls for Proposals for programmes and events that explain and promote the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and thereby inform farmers and raise public awareness of CAP issues and objectives.

The European Water Partnership (EWP), a non-profit organisation, is in the process of testing draft standards for sustainable water management in industrial production processes. Pilots will soon be launched for the agriculture sector and urban areas.

A CENTRE designed to support the digital media industry in Wales was this week launched by the First Minister.

Carwyn Jones was invited to the University of Glamorgan’s Atrium building in Cardiff to unveil its new Centre for Media Innovation and Enterprise.
 

A £23.6m investment to grow Wales’ marine sector has been unveiled by the Welsh Assembly Government. As part of the investment, Bangor University’s SEACAMS (Sustainable Expansion of the Applied Coastal and Marine Sectors) project, backed by £12.6m from the European Regional Development Fund will go ahead.

The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has announced the launch of a new grant scheme by WRAP Cymru that offers capital support to SME manufacturing businesses that want to use recyclate as an input, or increase recyclate use in manufacturing processes or packaging.

This call for evidence seeks views on the European Commission’s green paper on policy options for progress towards a European Contract Law for consumers and businesses. It aims to assess the impact of the policy proposals on individuals and organisations in the United Kingdom.

Fast-growing small firms will gain access to fresh sources of money by 2012 via a network of specialist stock exchanges under new European Commission proposals due next month.

EU Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier is set to adopt a French-inspired blueprint for helping SMEs to tap into stock markets as part of the European Single Market Act, due to be published in October.

A FACTORY is looking to increase its green credentials by generating its own solar and wind power.

A GROWTH in sales of smartphones have helped boost revenues and put Cardiff hi-tech venture IQE into the black.

The UK Government is consulting on revised, consolidated Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations. The changes are largely just consolidating the previous regulations, however, there are changes that bring the law up-to-date with recent case law. These include: • changes or extensions to Schedule 2 development may now require an Environmental Impact Assessment; • extending screening to all changes or extensions to Schedule 1 development; • a requirement to give reasons for negative screening; and • a simplification in relation to Multi stage consents.

Electronic commerce constitutes an important means to promote cross-border trade, improving the accessibility of Europe’s population to more varied products, to more qualitative products, and exerting greater price competition in the on-line and off-line world. However, 10 years after the adoption of the 'directive concerning certain legal aspects of information society services and, in particular, electronic commerce' the so-called Electronic Commerce Directive, the development of retail electronic commerce remains limited to less than 2% of European total retail trade.

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has published proposals to identify eleven chemicals as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) and possible candidates for authorisation. Interested parties are invited to comment on the eleven proposals by 14 October 2010.

On 3 August 2010, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) announced the Government’s decision to establish an independent body to monitor and enforce the revised Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) which came into force on 4 February 2010.

Relevant to UK-based importers, wholesalers and manufacturers of feed for both food-producing and non-food producing animals; farming businesses throughout the UK that produce feed materials In addition to existing requirements, you will have to: • Ensure that complementary feeds do not contain levels of additives of more than 100 times the maximum level of additives allowed in complete feeds. • Ensure that any claim for a specific composition or function of a feed can be easily understood by purchasers and checked by enforcement officials. If asked to support your claim, you must be able to provide either documented company research or scientific evidence in the public domain. • Include in a product's labelling all additives which have a maximum inclusion rate. This declaration must include the additive name and/or identification number, the added amount, and its functional group.

The Welsh Assembly Government believes that Wales should be at the forefront of the transition to a low carbon economy and wants to make it as easy as possible for Welsh businesses to make the most of the opportunities associated with renewable energy. In order to do this, renewable energy installers must be accredited to the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, however many are restricted by the cost and complexity of this process, which is presenting a real barrier. This new programme will address this issue and will ensure that businesses in Wales have the opportunity to reap the economic benefits associated with the move to renewable and low carbon energy solutions.

Small businesses can benefit from the provision of €110m of European funding to help complement their core research capability via the European Commission’s ‘Research for SME’s programme’. This scheme provides financial support to SMEs to outsource research and technological development to 'RTD performers', such as universities and allow the SMEs to increase their research efforts, extend their networks, and acquire technological know how.

Press Release: Commission welcomes European Parliament approval of new legal framework for Intelligent Transport Systems The European Commission has welcomed the European Parliament vote in favour of a new legal framework for Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).

The new directive entitles self-employed women and assisting female spouses of self-employed workers for the first time to maternity benefits and creates autonomous social protection rights for assisting spouses of self-employed workers.

Press Release:Commissioner Ma¡ire Geoghegan-Quinn announced nearly 6.4 billion euro of European Commission investment in research and innovation.

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), released an IT tool that enables companies to check which information from their registration dossiers will be made public on the internet.

Partial guarantees to UK banks in support of UK exports.