Final Report of the Expert Group - European Commission - Europa

to establish links with businesses and the community, and how to review and evaluateactivities.Departments of Economy and Finance1) Where appropriate or relevant, recognise that student companies are a pedagogicaltool and should not be subject to the same requirements and procedures as realcompanies;2) Ensure that legal and administrative barriers to the setting up and implementationof mini-companies are removed;3) Grant mini-companies simplified rules as regards taxation, including exemptionsfrom paying VAT and income tax when earnings do not exceed a set amount, and asregards insurance against liability;4) Give student companies the possibility to deal with real businesses, to offer theirproducts to shops, to open a bank account.The European Commission:1) Raise the awareness of all relevant national departments (including those responsiblefor Education, Employment, Industry and Enterprise) of the importance of studentcompany programmes for entrepreneurial education and for the acquisition of a set oflife skills, so that these programmes can achieve more recognition at national level.2) Promote the exchange of knowledge and good practice between different countriesand between the actors involved, including business associations3) Disseminate information and promotional material on these programmes, clearlyshowing that they contribute to reaching the objectives set by the EU for education,employment and growth.4) Support events, at European or national level, that are showcases of the activity ofstudent companies (such as trade fairs).5) Promote the development of European surveys that evaluate the impact of suchprogrammes.All relevant actors:1) Public authorities at all levels, business partners and schools are encouraged toincrease the dissemination and take-up of student company activities so as to allow allpotentially interested students to have access to these programmes.2) Increase research on the impact that participation to these programmes has onstudents’ life development and more generally on society. This would include not onlyskills acquired, but also career choices, college courses taken and number of businessstart-ups created by alumni. More evidence of the impact of these programmes wouldhelp to get entrepreneurship education on to the agenda of policy makers andeducational authorities.58