Starting up a Business

Starting up a Business

The European Union continually strives to improve itself and the quality of life for its citizens. Supporting citizens to start their own businesses plays an import role in reaching these objectives. The EU sees small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as key drivers for economic growth, innovation, employment and social integration. To aid the development and sustainability of these enterprises the European Commission offers advice, information and funding to support these initiatives:

• European Small Business Portal - Provides a search engine where you can obtain access to funding by country; advice on cross-border issues, copyright rules, innovation, environment and human resources; also information on EU policy and legislation with regard to starting up a business in the EU.

• Start-up Europe - contributes to the Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan. Startup Europe aims to strengthen the business environment for web and ICT entrepreneurs so that their ideas and business can start and grow in the EU. It offers access support services such as advice, networking, legal assistance and much more.

  • Start-ups - Cyprus

• Your Europe for Businesses - This portal gives you links to all information you need to start up and sustain a business in Europe, such as:

  • VAT and Customs

  • Selling abroad

  • Staff

  • Product requirements

  • Public Contracts

  • Environment

• Information Portal for Funding Programmes in Cyprus and Europe - provides information on all programmes and calls for proposals, both at European and national level. Funding is provided for a number of ventures ranging from starting a business to research.

• Access to finance for SMEs

• EU funding and Grants - Information and direct links to EU funding

Additional information:

• Small business Act for Europe COM(2008)0394 final

• Information on how the Small Business Act helps small and medium enterprises (SME)

• Enterprise Europe Network - provides advice and support for small businesses

Social Europe

The European Union continually strives to enhance its growth and the lives of European citizens. It has developed many policies and tools relating to employment social affairs and inclusion.

The following links provide information on finding work, living and studying in Europe:

• Employment - Searching for work, creating CVs and other relevant documents, starting up a business

• Education

• Traineeships/Internships

• Europe and Youth

• Living in Europe / Freedom of Movement

European Union - Creating key documents for applying for work in the EU

There are many ways that a person can document their qualifications, skills and work experience when applying for work. The difficulty is finding a format that displays your information clearly and concisely. The European Commission in collaboration with CEDFOP have created a website, EUROPASS, that helps you with this problem.

EUROPASS provides set forms for you to create a portfolio (Skills Passport) of all the documents you will need when applying for work:

• Europass CV - tools to help you compose your CV so your skills and qualifications are presented effectively and clearly

• Europass Language Passport - a self-assessment tool for language skills and qualifications (examples). Instructions are provided to help with the assessment.

• Europass Mobility - records knowledge and skills acquired in another European country (examples).

• Europass Diploma Supplement - provides additional information to that included in the official degrees / diplomas and/or transcript, making it more easily understood, especially by employers or institutions outside the issuing country (examples).

• Europass Certificate Supplement - document describing the knowledge and skills acquired by holders of vocational training certificates (examples)

Europass in Cyprus
 

Please note that CVs can also be created and downloaded on the EURES website.

European Union - Working in the EU

There are various ways to search for work in the European Union. The European Commission has grouped the types of work under three broad categories:

• Working in EU Countries

• Working in EU Institutions

• Working in EU Research

When searching for work abroad there are things (additional information, i.e. taxes, work permits, recognition of qualifications, etc) that should be taken into consideration.

Note: for more help contact our representatives in Cyprus

Working in EU Countries

EURES is a European job mobility portal created by the European Commission to provide information, advice and recruitment/ placement (job-matching) services.

EURES is a co-operation network between the European Commission and the Public Employment Services of the EEA Member States (The EU countries plus Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein) and other partner organisations.

Using this portal you can:

• Search for job vacancies by occupation or keyword. (Please remember that although the website can be viewed in different languages the keywords MUST be in English)

• Create an account with EURES, which will allow you to:

  • Create your CV online

  • Create a Skills Passport - European skills passport records the skills you have acquired within a specific sector, making it faster for employers from this sector to find you.

  • Create Profiles and Email Alerts for the types of jobs you are interested in.

• Contact a local EURES Advisor

• Obtain practical information for working in an EU Country

Click here to see a short video on "How to use the EURES Portal - for jobseekers"

Working in EU Institutions

EU Careers (European Personnel Selection Office - EPSO) is the official portal to apply for work in any of the EU Institutions. The portal is available in any of the 24 official EU languages.

To work in an EU institution you must have a good command of at least 2 European Languages: your main language plus English, French or German.

Within the portal you will find and be able to:

• Apply for work:

  • Application Procedures - the application procedure depends on the type of contract and job profile. To apply you will need:

    • Create an account with EPSO (you are only allowed to have one account)

    • Fill in your personal data

    • Fill in the application form. Once completed click the overview tab to check the details are correct. Then validate your application - this needs to be done well before the deadline date.

  • Once your application has been accepted you will be asked to sit the Admissions Tests - Sample tests

  • Selection procedure timetable

  • Having passed all sections to the application process you will be added to the reserve list - for ONE YEAR (when the year is up you need to go through the selection process again!!) - to be selected by any of the EU institutions. NOTE: here it is good to be proactive and contact the various institutions yourself.

• Types of employment offered in EU institutions

• View Job Profiles for both fixed and permanent positions

• Current Job Opportunities

Working in EU Research

EURAXESS - Researchers in Motion provides access to information and support services to researchers wishing to pursue their research careers in Europe or stay connected to it.

The EURAXESS job portal includes a search engine that will allow you to look for positions using keywords, by country, by research field, researcher level, etc. It also provides external links for fellowships and Grants.

Having searched and found a position of interest, click on the position title. A browser window opens giving full description of the position and links where to apply for the position.

Starting up a Business

The European Union continually strives to improve itself and the quality of life for its citizens. Supporting citizens to start their own businesses plays an import role in reaching these objectives. The EU sees small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as key drivers for economic growth, innovation, employment and social integration. To aid the development and sustainability of these enterprises the European Commission offers advice, information and funding to support these initiatives:

• European Small Business Portal - Provides a search engine where you can obtain access to funding by country; advice on cross-border issues, copyright rules, innovation, environment and human resources; also information on EU policy and legislation with regard to starting up a business in the EU.

• Start-up Europe - contributes to the Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan. Startup Europe aims to strengthen the business environment for web and ICT entrepreneurs so that their ideas and business can start and grow in the EU. It offers access support services such as advice, networking, legal assistance and much more.

  • Start-ups - Cyprus

• Your Europe for Businesses - This portal gives you links to all information you need to start up and sustain a business in Europe, such as:

  • VAT and Customs

  • Selling abroad

  • Staff

  • Product requirements

  • Public Contracts

  • Environment

• Information Portal for Funding Programmes in Cyprus and Europe - provides information on all programmes and calls for proposals, both at European and national level. Funding is provided for a number of ventures ranging from starting a business to research.

• Access to finance for SMEs

• EU funding and Grants - Information and direct links to EU funding

Additional information:

• Small business Act for Europe COM(2008)0394 final

• Information on how the Small Business Act helps small and medium enterprises (SME)

• Enterprise Europe Network - provides advice and support for small businesses

Europe and Youths

The Directorate General for Education and Culture (DG EAC), is the branch of the European Commission charged with all aspects relating to European Youths. It has eight main areas of responsibility in the field of youth, outlined in the EU Youth Strategy 2010-2018, covering the education, work, wellbeing, and inclusion of youth across Europe.

A number of initiatives have been put in place to meet these responsibilities, for instance:

• European Youth Portal

• European Youth Card (EYC)

• Erasmus+ programme

• Eurodesk

• Advice on Apprenticeships and Traineeships Schemes (Note, the framework only provided an advice service on apprenticeship and traineeship schemes until the end of 2014)

European Youth Portal

The European Youth Portal (Cyprus) offers European and national information and opportunities that are of interest to young people who are living, learning and working in Europe, such as:

• Volunteering

• Working - jobs, starting a business and traineeships

• Learning - Classroom swaps, ERASMUS+, out of school learning, training (learning a trade)

• Taking part - have your say on EU policy, etc

• Culture and Creativity - Arts and entertainment, science and innovation, and multiculturalism

• Health - Physical and mental health, sports and fitness

• Social Inclusion - learn about your rights, services and community

• Think Global - take part in activities at a global level

• Travelling - plan your journey, transport and accommodation

European Union - Education

The European Commission has provided many resources, information links, tools for all areas relating to Education:

• Learning Opportunities and Qualifications in Europe - Information about courses, work-based learning and qualifications

• Teaching Material, EU Presentations and Kids Corner (online educational games, books, etc)

• Starting school in another EU country

• Eurypedia - The European Encyclopaedia on National Education Systems

• IATE is a multilingual dictionary, database produced by the translation service of the Commission

• EU Repositories and Reference Tools

• Going to a University in another EU Country:

  • Admission and entry conditions

  • Fees and financial help

  • Recognition of academic diplomas

  • Study abroad and scholarship opportunities

  • Working while studying

  See also:

  • Residence rights for students

  • Health care

  • Car registration for students

• Your Europe - This portal provides information on the following:

  

Social Europe - Living in & Moving around Europe

The EU motto is:

"United in diversity"

It signifies how Europeans have come together, in the form of the EU, to work for peace and prosperity, while at the same time being enriched by the continent's many different cultures, traditions and languages.

To ensure it continues to be united and diverse the EU has developed many tools, information centres/organisation, projects & programmes, etc to enrich the lives and participation of its citizens.

Below is a consolidated list of important links to enhance your lives in the EU:

• Life and Business Portal - This portal helps you initiate your search for information and legal advice on your rights to live, work and study abroad, including access to healthcare and consumer rights

• Your Europe - gives you help and advice on living and working in Europe:

• Freedom of Movement - Freedom of movement allows citizens of the European Union (EU) to move to, live in, and in certain circumstances access the welfare system of the EU country to which they have moved. The portal explains your entitlements, benefits, restrictions and links to legislation.

• Visas and Schengen Area - This portal provides all visa related information needed, for both EU and Non-EU citizens, to travel around Europe. Links on related legislation.

• European Health Insurance Card - A free card that gives you access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in any of the 28 EU countries, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, under the same conditions and at the same cost (free in some countries) as people insured in that country. The card is issued by your national health insurance provider.

• Driving licenses - This portal explains where you can use your driving license and the regulations relating to driving in another EU country. It also, explains if you need to change it local one; whether or not it will be valid for the same period in the other country; and, if it is lost or stolen, how can you prove you had a licence in your home country, etc.

• Europe for Citizens - Here you will find all the information you will need on issues relating to EU citizenship. These issues cover:

  • Your rights

  • How to get involved in European politics and shape the EU's political agenda

  • Partaking in debates

  • Volunteering

  • Europe for Citizens programme

• European Ombudsman - The European Ombudsman is committed to ensuring that citizens, NGOs, associations and companies, are aware of their right to complain about maladministration in the EU institutions. The Ombudsman's role is to investigate an EU institution on the grounds of maladministration: administrative irregularities, unfairness, discrimination, abuse of power, failure to reply, refusal of information or unnecessary delay.

• European On-line Information Services Web Chat - Web Chat allows you to talk to an information officer when you cannot find what you want on the EU website.