The Kick-off meeting of Road-CSR project took place 1st - 2nd February 2017 in Larnaca (Cyprus). The first project-team event was organized by the Lead Partner "Larnaca and Famagusta Districts Development Agency" to present and launch the project.
In the two days meeting, except from the reporting activities, finances and communication issues of the project a full presentation of the project activities was done as well as the presentation of the policy instruments addressed by each partner and how can they been improved. The partners of the project are all experienced in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as they have developed actions such as promoting, sensitizing, informing and training a culture on CSR principles, encouraging the integration of the latter in the daily work of the companies, the policies and laws of their countries. As well, a set of indicators to test the minimal requirements for CSR companies through a self- evaluation form has been used for many years in some countries as well as relevant improvements in the law to incorporate the CSR principles.
During the kick-off meeting the partners raised the issue that CSR is becoming an increasingly important element of the policy agendas. An ever more diverse range of businesses are adopting CSR principles as a part of their business model. Therefore, there is the need to apply CSR principles to SMEs to help them become more competitive, sustainable, innovative and accomplish long term profitability with social justice and environmental protection. Based on this, the partners agreed that there is the need of improving the national and regional policies and find solutions that will benefit the SME making them sustainable and competitive. For accomplishing this they will have on board with them the stakeholders group that will participate in the exchange of experience process.
Next Road-CSR joint/international seminar with stakeholders group and a Steering Committee meeting will be hosted at the beginning of June 2017 by "South Bohemian Agency for Support to Innovative Enterprising" (www.jaip.cz) in Czech Republic.
