Under the so-called Enterprise Experience programme the Commission will send out all of its senior staff (administrators) from the Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry to work for one week in a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME); this includes Gunther Verheugen and his office. This unique programme is designed to enhance the knowledge of all 350 senior civil servants in the Commission`s Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry about the environment in which enterprises, and in particular SMEs, operate. Enterprise Experience will help Commission officials to better understand the needs of SMEs and to better appreciate business-specific problems. This will also facilitate the Commission`s objective to improve the quality of its lawmaking under its Better Regulation drive. Commission officials going local to gain hands-on business experience, to listen and explain the EU is part of the Commission`s intention to reach out to Europe`s citizens.

For more information on the Enterprise Experience programme including some case studies, please see http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/exp_prog/index.htm

Source: Foundation Robert Schuman