The President of the Government has called the Regional Strategic Concertation Council for a meeting to take place in Praia da Vitória on Friday. This meeting will be held with the purpose of analysing the measures that make up the Agenda for Employment and Business Competitiveness, approved less than a month ago.

The Extraordinary Council of the Government approved on December 17 a series of sixty measures in order to provide a response to the challenge of employment creation. It should be noted that 70% of these measures are unprecedented in the Region.

Hence, we have two clearly defined and scheduled goals: the urgent need to implement measures intended to mitigate the current economic and social situation in the Azores and the adoption of structural programme that allows the creation of a favourable environment for companies.

The measures under analysis by social partners on Friday's meeting are divided into seven axes: Incentive Policy; Export Promotion and Promotion of the Region; Innovation and Entrepreneurship Promotion; Venture Capital; Support to Financial Restructuring; Support Measures for Employment and Vocational Training and Urban Renewal.

At the Extraordinary Council of Government, Vasco Cordeiro pointed out that the approval of this set of measures demonstrates that the Regional Government is "genuinely committed to addressing the greatest challenge the Azores face - creation of jobs."

The Regional Strategic Consultation Council, chaired by the President of the Regional Government, is the consultation and concertation body in the field of economic, social and environmental policies; it is composed by representatives of the social partners of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

This body includes representatives of workers, employers, Fisheries and Agriculture sectors, local authorities and Private Social Solidarity Organisations, consumer defence and environmental organisations. Moreover, it also comprises representatives of associations in the area of equality of opportunities for women and men, the University of the Azores as well as the Azores representatives at the Economic and Social Council and three personalities of acknowledged merit in the areas of competence covered by the Council.

The meeting is scheduled for Friday, January 11, at the Praia da Vitória Youth Academy at 2 PM.