The European Commission is devoted to making Europe the world's most competitive, dynamic knowledge-based economy by 2010. At the Agglomération of Montpellier, the European Union stands at the heart of our projects.

EUROPEAN PROGRAMMES IN THE LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON FOR 2007 TO 2013 ARE UNDERWAY

These programmes are an integral part of knowledge-based economy objectives (Lisbon Strategy), and devoted to stimulating growth and sustainable development (Göteborg Strategy). More specifi-cally, the strategic goals for the use of the structural funds for 2007-2013 are to develop innovation and a knowledge-based economy, environmental quality and balanced growth across the regions. A website devoted to this programme in the Languedoc-Roussillon region from 2007 to 2013 has been created: www.languedoc-roussillon.eu

CLOSER TIES WITH THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO DEVELOP ECONOMIC, TECHNOLOGICAL, SCIENTIFIC AND FINANCIAL PARTNERSHIPS : LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON CENTRE IN BRUSSELS

Montpellier Agglomération is investing in this centre to organise theme-based workshops whose goals are to :

• provide greater exposure for the Commission and its support programmes for businesses, labora-tories, universities, the region's most dynamic players...
• lobby the Commission by promoting the centres of excellence in our region and,
• promote the reputation of our regional centres of excellence with counterpart clusters to help spur their international development.

INSERT EUROPE, AN INITIATIVE BACKED BY MONTPELLIER AGGLOMÉRATION TO STIMU-LATE THE GROWTH OF TECHNOLOGY-CENTRIC SME/SMI, BY ALLOWING THEM TO TAKE PART IN EUROPEAN PROGRAMMES 

The Languedoc Roussillon Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CRCI), with financial sup-port from the Languedoc Roussillon Regional Directorate for Industry, Research and the Environment (DRIRE) and the Languedoc Roussillon Region, is heading up a new joint operation aimed at local businesses and laboratories, to help them take advantage of the opportunities created by the Euro-pean Commission's 7th R&D Framework Programme (FP7).
This collective endeavour, INSERT Europe, provides assistance for interested businesses and re-search labs to apply for the European R&D programmes involved and to help them compile their ap-plications.
Goal: educate 50 local SMEs and research labs and allow 15 of them to coordinate and submit re-sponses to European calls for proposals.