Scientific research drives the production and exploitation of knowledge, it generates ideas and solutions that foster economic growth, competitiveness and employment and it helps address long-term challenges, such as climate change and population ageing The overarching objective of the Seventh Framework Programme for Research[1] (FP7) is to help build the European Research Area, a European internal market for researchers, scientific knowledge and technology which increases scientific and technological excellence through more competition, more coordination of research activities, and more focus of programmes and policies ...[+++] on major societal challenges With its scientific and technological priorities focused on sustainable development, FP7 is central to the implementation of the Lisbon strategy, to support Europe's sustainable growth in a globalised economy and to transform it into a dynamic and low-carbon knowledge-based economy responding to society's needs.

Summary code: Education, training, youth, sport / Lifelong learning / Transversal measures / Lifelong learning Education, training, youth, sport / European statistics Employment and social policy / European statistics Information society / European statistics

36. Welcomes the Commission's engagement to systematically introduce political economy analysis at country level and recommends that this include an analysis of the political and legal situation of CSOs and LAs;

1. Considers it necessary to increase understanding of the challenges facing society, and takes the view that policies concerned with supporting innovation should be reoriented and used to address those challenges, such as climate change, resource and energy efficiency, health, and demographic change; stresses the importance of synergy effects between innovative employment policies and skill development for innovation with a view to developing new skills and creating jobs in a sustainable economy ...[+++] in order to prevent and remedy societal challenges and crucial health and social problems such as poverty and social exclusion; recommends taking advantage of the various Member States’ capacity to initiate innovative partnerships swiftly, as has been the case in the pilot European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing;

The Swiss cantons and their long tradition of direct democracy have been the historic drivers of an immigration policy which works to the benefit of the national economy and ensures that immigrants are well integrated into Swiss society.

These are: Chapter 3 – Freedom to Provide Services; Chapter 6 – Company Law; Chapter 7 – Intellectual Property Law; Chapter 9 – Financial Services; Chapter 10 – Information Society and Media; Chapter 17 – Economic and Monetary Policy; Chapter 18 – Statistics; Chapter 20 – Enterprise and Industrial Policy; Chapter 29 – Customs Union and, finally, Chapter 32 – Financial Control.