Press Release: Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia join EU competitiveness programme

Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are the first non EU/EEA countries to join the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) under which the European Commission promotes innovation, entrepreneurship and growth in small and medium-sized enterprises (SME's). On 18 October 2007, European Commission Vice President Günter Verheugen and Mrs Vera Rafajlovska, Minister of Economy of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, signed a Memorandum of Understanding formalising the Republic’s entry to the Entrepreneurship and Innovation pillar of CIP. A similar agreement was signed between VP Verheugen and the Croatian Ambassador to the EU, Mr Branko Baričević, on 1 October 2007.