As EU leaders discuss the Europe 2020 proposals to revamp the European economy at a summit in Brussels, six European regions that are already working to create jobs and boost their local economies through their entrepreneurial vision have become the first winners of the European Entrepreneurial Region (EER) label at a ceremony in the Committee of the Regions headquarters in Brussels.

The first EER labels will cover the years 2011 and 2012, with three winning regions per year. They are: Brandenburg (DE), County Kerry (IE) and Murcia (ES) for 2011 and Catalonia (ES), Trnava (SK) and Uusimaa/Helsinki (FI) for 2012.

The European Entrepreneurial Region (EER) is a pilot scheme that will identify and reward EU regions with outstanding entrepreneurial vision, irrespective of their size, wealth and competences. The regions with the most credible and forward-thinking action plan have been granted an entrepreneurial label: "Entrepreneurial region of the year".

The EER label, launched in October 2009 by the then CoR President, Luc Van den Brande, and former European Commission vice-president Günther Verheugen, will help underline the belief that Europe's economic programmes to create jobs and growth will only work if they take existing regional and local visions and strategies on board. The annual award also aims to further stimulate the establishment of innovative and creative regional economic development plans all over Europe.

Encouraging entrepreneurship at local and regional level is a key ingredient for the success of any plan to exit the current crisis. Deploying the right policies to foster not just high-growth but also sustainable growth entrepreneurship is a major challenge. The EER label encourages people to put the Small Business Act for Europe, issued in 2008, into practice at  regional level. The winning regions are examples of how this EU initiative is being rolled out on the ground to create a more dynamic and competitive Europe.

Unlike other regional enterprise awards, the EER label focuses not on past achievements but on regions' vision plans – their ability to think ahead and envisage new ways of using their resources to help entrepreneurs, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to develop successfully. The winning regions all focused on key issues such as a strong focus on working with other EU regions, developing public-private partnerships, encouraging a sustainable, low-carbon economy and promoting social inclusion.

A total of 36 nominations from fifteen different regions of EU Member States were received. The jury, headed by Luc Van den Brande, comprises representatives of the CoR, the European Commission, European Parliament and European business organizations (BusinessEurope, UEAPME and Eurochambres).