Brussels, 23/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - At its plenary session, attended by Enterprise and Industry Commissioner Günter Verheugen, in Brussels on Thursday 19 June, the Committee of the Regions (CoR) adopted an opinion, “Clusters and Cluster Policy”, by Director General of European Affairs of the Autonomous Region of Madrid Antonio Gonzalez Terol (EPP, Spain). The CoR was of the opinion that the EU must do more to promote clusters - which may be defined as a geographic concentration of companies specialising in a single area - as a key element in its business strategy. It called on the European Commission to sort out the fragmentation of approaches set out by the EU to promote clusters and felt the promotion of clusters and support for cooperation among clusters should be brought together in one single approach. The committee proposed that a high level group should be set up to boost coordination between public administrations, universities, research centres and companies in order to encourage greater inter-cluster cooperation.
Verheugen welcomed Terol's opinion, and agreed with the report's proposal for a high level clusters group. “Excellence and mobility must be further encouraged in a partnership approach,” he said. (G.B./transl.rt)