ENTERPRISE AND INDUSTRY : EHEALTH AND INNOVATIVE TEXTILES AMONG FIRST LEAD MARKETS.

Six action plans have been presented by the European Commission, on 7 January, with the aim of driving up consumer demand in specific markets, namely eHealth, sustainable construction, protective textiles, bio-based products, recycling and renewable energy.

The action plans form the first stage of what the Commission is calling its new Lead Market Initiative (LMI). It claims that the six markets have a substantial potential for growth and job creation, if an appropriate public policy actions are taken at EU and member state level.

BETTER LEGISLATION

The plans contain a set of measures to be undertaken between now and 2010 in order to increase consumer demand. These measures will include new legislative proposals from the Commission, as well as the modification and abolition of existing EU law. Examples provided by the Commission include a need to "streamline" the existing 1996 Council Directive 96/61EC on integrated pollution, prevention and control. Another is the Commission's desire to propose new "support measures" for the recycling industry that will work in tandem with the existing 2002 Directive 2002/96/EC on electronic waste, as well as the End-of-Life Vehicles Directive (2000/53/EC). The Commission also mentions a need to address deficiencies in national law. The action plan for sustainable construction notes, for example, that the development of the industry is currently hampered by insufficiently coordinated construction regulations at national level.

The plans also suggest the possible creation of new labelling schemes to promote products developed within the lead markets. These include labels indicating when something is an "EU bio-based product," or when something is "remade in Europe" (a label to promote recycled products).

PROCUREMENT

Another major feature of the plans is public procurement. The Commission has already published, in February 2007, guidelines on how member states can make better use of public procurement to support innovative products and services (SEC(2007)280). The action plans stress the need to introduce these good practices for the six lead markets, and for progress to be monitored at EU level.

Other areas covered in the action plans include improving business support services delivered through the Structural Funds, and speeding up the process of developing new technical standards.

The Commission notes that the six areas chosen...