The mission of the festival, which was founded in 2003, is to promote music by emerging artists outside major centres and to showcase highly talented artists, while providing the community with entertainment and culture.

Finally, the spirit that drives entrepreneurs, large or small, is given a definition that will enable measures to be put in place to simplify the red tape involved in the creation and operation of businesses, their transfer and the essential forms of tax relief.

However, certain issues must be raised. I would draw the Commissioner’s attention to the need for greater coordination of European funds with the objectives of sustainable development within the EU and real balance between the regions. These objectives require the promotion, as already mentioned, of alternative means of transport such as the railways, the sea and cabotage which will reduce congestion on the roads and stimulate the ports. These objectives also require the role played by the Cohesion Fund to be integrated into a regional development strategy which aims to establish industries in small and medium-sized towns and in the rura ...[+++]l areas which form four-fifths of the EU. They also require integrated support from the Structural and Cohesion Funds for structures allowing technology to be distributed democratically, particularly by following the process decided in Lisbon and promoting investment leading to new businesses and jobs. Finally, these objectives also require a civil and social dialogue and the participation of research bodies subordinated to this strategy.

Offices of this kind could rapidly be set up in the form of pilot information centres (three in the larger countries, two in the smaller ones) with the help of the Commission's information offices. b) Programme of transnational cooperation between training centres for small businessmen : the aim is to set up a transnational network of business management training institutes and work out ad hoc programmes with these institutes. c) Promotion of the spirit of enterprise in Europe : the intention is to work out European training programmes for use in secondary schools and vocational training schools in each country. d) Mobility of heads of b ...[+++]usinesses within the Community : the Commission will compile a practical handbook on the setting up of businesses in Europe indicating in nine languages the formalities involved in each country.

The schemes envisaged are based on the following objectives: - strengthening the timber sector by support for the processing industry (ECU 0.4 million); - developing the socio-economic fabric and industrial and small-business enterprises by support for the provision of premises and investment in production; support for persons setting up new businesses and schemes to help advisory services and to prepare entrepreneurs for the Single Market in 1993 (ECU 3.9 million); ------------------ (1) About BFR 325 million. -2- - developing tourism by promoting leisure facilities and other activities, supporting infrastructure and preparing sites, not forgetting tourist accomodation (ECU 3 mi ...[+++]llion); - improving the water supply to industrial and tourist centres by setting up a water works and increasing the installed piping (ECU 0.4 million).