Brussels/Stavanger, 04/10/2005 (Agence Europe) - Delivering a video message to open the work of the Eurochambers 13th Annual Congress held on 29 and 30 September in Stavanger on the theme “Entrepreneurial spirit and employment”, the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, recalled that the great innovation in the Lisbon strategy is the entrepreneurial spirit, and that this should be promoted to create more jobs. Mr Barroso considered that Europe needs more people who create start-ups. He felt that employer organisations should be able to use the opportunities provided by the internal market. “I am counting on the Chambers of Commerce and Industry to do so”, he said. The outgoing president of Eurochambers, Christoph Leitl (who was elected honorary president of the organisation) strongly regretted in his speech that Norway was not a member of the EU. “We are outside the EU but, frankly, we are somewhere in the EU which, for us, is a very major trading partner!”, Mr Soland, Mayor of Stavanger, replied (see other article). Pierre Simon, who will take over from Mr Leitl on 1 January 2006, believes the international environment may be improved if one creates a business culture able to boost growth and employment. The Norwegian foreign minister, Jan Petersen, hoped business creation would be facilitated and that young people would be encouraged. Professor Finn E. Kydland, who won the Nobel Prize for Economy 2004, focused his speech on the problem of working hours, while the president of the International Chamber of Commerce, Yong Sung Park, recalled the role of the international trade system. And John Holloway, “Operations” Director of the European Investment Fund (EIF), explained the EIF's support for the development of SMEs. Drawing conclusions from the opening session, Christoph Leitl felt that “Europe must be more optimistic, dare to take risks and gain from these risks as opportunities to be seized”. “What can we do to encourage women in business? Are we doing enough for women at European level?”, asked the dynamic president of the Eurochambers Women's Network, Isabelle Moore. Mr Leitl went on to answer, saying: “Women must be encouraged to use their potential and they must be given the possibility to head companies. I say to women: Have more confidence in yourselves. You must have confidence!”
The many speakers at the different workshops at the Congress included Norwegian's Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Tone Skogen, who presented his country's strategy on enterprise policy which, she insisted, is pinning its hopes on the young. Elisabeth Bittner (European Commission, DG Education) felt that the “entrepreneurial spirit must be developed from the youngest age” and “we must allow the young to dream, and give them a passion for business and a spirit of perseverance allowing them to become successful business people”. The young Norwegian company director, Kjorsti Bergsaker-Aspoy (who also works at Statoil), followed closely behind, exclaiming: “In my view, a businessman is someone who looks beyond the horizon and who is able to follow a dream!” “Studies show that, when women create their own business, they are more creative than men (…), they create very powerful networks and they are more willing to begin relations with universities and call for aid. If one is to take the Lisbon Agenda seriously, then one must eliminate the obstacles preventing women from achieving their potential, and good infrastructures must be set up allowing women to reconcile family and professional life”, Isabelle Moore said. The vice-president of the Eurochambers Women's Network, Sophia Economacos, presented concrete actions carried out by the Chambers of Commerce of Spain so that women may take part in business life, Austria which provides childcare on works premises, Germany which proposes services to women managers, Italy which establishes a link between the creation of enterprises by women and sustainable trade, and Greece which actively fights against female unemployment. Albrecht Mulfinger (European Commission, DG Enterprise) recognised that women were under-represented in innovation, the Internet and construction and said it is necessary to give greater visibility to women business leaders and to help them to create their own companies.