04/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - Commission launches new consultation to improve European start-up environment. As part of the Single Market Strategy (EUROPE 11417 and 11420), the European Commission launched a new consultation on Thursday 31 March to improve the start-up environment. The consultation will focus on four different phases: the "stand-up phase", the period preceding the creation of the company; "the start-up phase", which includes the creation of the enterprise; the "scale-up phase", which characterises the phase of a company's expansion, and finally the "exit-phase" when an entrepreneur sells their business or proceeds to a merger with a bigger company. The aim is to more accurately target existing barriers in the internal market that are hampering the activity and expansion of innovative European companies. The consultation will end on 30June. (PH)