Entrepreneurship is the most powerful driver of economic growth and job creation. But which initiative in Europe is most creative and most successful in supporting business set-up and the creation of new jobs? To discover the answer to this question, the European Commission launched the 2013 European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA).

The awards recognise the best public initiatives and public-private partnerships in promoting business development and entrepreneurship. This year, a new category rewarding successful projects contributing to the green economy has been added.

SMEs have a job creation potential as high as 85% of all new jobs. 37% of all Europeans would like to be their own boss if they could. Young people are even more inspired by entrepreneurship: 45% among the 15-24 years old see it as a realistic career option. If this potential could be tapped, millions of new businesses could be added to the current 20.8 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the EU. The EEPA aims to help unleash this potential by honouring successful initiatives in this field.

European Commission vice president Antonio Tajani, Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, said: “We can all learn from these success stories about how to create more jobs and support the recovery of the European economy. The economic miracle in Europe after the war was based on entrepreneurship and bold decisions taken by entrepreneurial personalities. If we want to stimulate growth in Europe, in addition to supporting the development of existing businesses we must also focus on new ones. The Enterprise awards will help ensure that Europe’s enormous entrepreneurial potential can be fully exploited.”