On 11-12 May, Malta plays host to the eighth meeting of the 36 Euro - Mediterranean industry ministers giving particular attention to entrepreneurship in the bid for improved competitiveness and an open trade area between the two blocs. The meeting is supported by the European Commission with Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani joining ministers for the meeting in Valetta.

Ministers will review achievements from a joint 2009-2010 work programme which gave particular emphasis to entrepreneurship promotion in education. Ministers will hear how the Southern Mediterranean governments and a group of feisty universities road-tested a set of common indicators to promote ‘across campus’ entrepreneurship education - considered vital in the region’s efforts to cope with graduate unemployment and political and social stability.

The meeting also considers the next two-year programme where human capital developments remain firmly on the policy radar. The 2011-2012 action plan includes specific emphasis on ensuring that management and trade skills contribute better to cleaner and more sustainable enterprise development.

Read more on the key results of the human capital activities from the 2009-2010 work programme of the Working Party on Euro-Mediterranean Industrial Cooperation which steered the activity plan for ministerial group.

The Working Party’s activities form a key pillar of the Southern Mediterranean’s efforts to accommodate the small business policy lines of the Euro-Mediterranean Charter for Enterprise

ETF supports the Working Party on Euro-Mediterranean Industrial Cooperation with the human capital priorities agreed by the EU and Southern Mediterranean industry ministers.