Press Release: Innovation gets more attention in Europe, but more efforts are needed if Europe is to become fully competitive, says Commission

The European Commission has adopted broad policy lines designed to enhance innovation in Europe. Innovation policy is an essential element of the agenda set at the Lisbon Summit in March 2000. This Summit was the turning point in recognising the need to tackle the challenges of the New Economy by, for example, endorsing the Commission's eEurope action plan and launching a benchmarking exercise. 'There are reassuring signs that with an appropriate policy mix, Europe's economic performance can be upgraded. But more needs to be done if Europe is to become fully competitive', said Mr Erkki Liikanen, Commissioner responsible for Enterprise and the Information Society, elaborating on the newly published Communication 'Innovation in a knowledge-driven economy'. The Innovation Scoreboard set out in the Communication is the first concrete implementation of the benchmarking exercise called for in Lisbon. Its aim is to identify best practices in the Member States in innovation policies. The Commission's Communication recommends that Member States step up efforts to get rid of obstacles and rigidities and change attitudes which prevent full advantage being taken of the knowledge society.