Brussels, 02/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - In conclusions adopted on Monday 1 December, the Competitiveness Council welcomes the European Commission's strategy to promote world class clusters in the EU (see EUROPE 9765), by supporting action to encourage cooperation between clusters at European level and better orienting European policies to encourage excellence and strengthen links between companies and the research sector. The Council encourages member states to include policies on clusters in their national reform programmes, drawing on guidelines for innovation and investment in R&D. It welcomes the Commission's intention to provide member states and clusters with detailed and operational information on location, financing and internationalisation of SMEs through the European Cluster Observatory. It also invites the Commission and member states to enhance the promotion of closer cooperation among European cluster and to intensify cluster networking, including transnational networking, and to cross-fertilisation between sectors, technologies and competences. The Council also welcomes the Commission decision to set up the European Cluster Policy Group to draw up a strategic vision. It underlines the importance of clusters, which, by making it easier for SMEs, and in particular innovative SMEs, to collaborate among themselves and with large companies, universities and research organisations, ands also with related knowledge-intensive service companies and financial institutions, provide a framework that is conducive to the development and internationalisation of SMEs. The Council also support the review to be carried out by the Commission in 2010 of European policies on state aid for R&D and innovation. Lastly, it welcomes the Commission's intention to launch a pilot initiative for the excellence of cluster management that may lead to cluster managers. (E.H./transl.rt)