European craft and SME employers’ organisation

UEAPME is the employers' organisation representing exclusively crafts, trades and SMEs from the EU and accession countries at European level. UEAPME has 84 member organisations covering over 12 million enterprises with 55 million employees. UEAPME is a European Social Partner.

Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan sets right priorities, say SMEs — 09 January 2013, 13:53 CET

UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers' organisation, welcomed the "Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan" unveiled today (Tuesday) by the European Commission. According to UEAPME, the action plan sets out the right priorities to put entrepreneurship back on the agenda, giving Member States a clear signal to act in this respect.

EU patent: SMEs welcome unitary system, urge Italy and Spain to join — 11 December 2012, 17:41 CET

UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers' organisation, warmly welcomed the votes at the Competitiveness Council yesterday (Monday) and at the European Parliament today (Tuesday) paving the way to a unitary patent system in the EU.

Marketing scams: SMEs welcome Commission's communication — 27 November 2012, 13:32 CET

UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers’ organisation, warmly welcomed the communication on misleading marketing practices adopted by the European Commission today (Tuesday) after years of insistence from our association and its members.

Small Business Act: commitments are finally becoming actions, survey finds — 14 November 2012, 00:12 CET

Similar average but different performance on administration for Commission and Parliament; all 10 SBA policy areas trending upwards

Macroeconomic Dialogue: SMEs call on unions to stop opposing reforms — 12 November 2012, 19:00 CET

UEAPME calls for policy mix to restore confidence, undertake reforms and support growth; criticises unions’ resistance to reforms

Business confidence slides down as recession hits SMEs, survey finds — 16 October 2012, 15:38 CET

European SMEs have moved from high uncertainty to downright pessimism as the economic outlook has worsened towards a full-fledged recession, according to a survey conducted by UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers’ organisation, and its members.

Single Market Act II: not the greatest of sequels, say SMEs — 03 October 2012, 19:32 CET

UEAPME welcomes points on transport, energy networks, second chance; concerned with costs linked to e-invoicing and MIF

Cloud computing: EC strategy goes in the right direction, say SMEs — 27 September 2012, 15:31 CET

UEAPME welcomes focus on data security, legal certainty, access to broadband; doubts basis for model contract terms

SMEs' jobs potential is the key to solve the employment crisis — 06 September 2012, 22:52 CET

With unemployment hovering around double digits and Europe on the brink of a new recession, it is absolutely crucial to better take into account the needs of SMEs as the main source of jobs in the EU. This is the message brought forward by UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers' organisation, on the occasion of the "Employment Policy Conference" opening today in Brussels.

Energy efficiency: trialogue deal can hinder small retailers, warns UEAPME — 21 June 2012, 12:43 CET

The agreement reached this week between the EU institutions at their "trialogue" meeting on the Energy Efficiency Directive is a step forward towards the 20% energy savings target, although it leaves too much room for manoeuvre to Member States, according to UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers' organisation.

Basel III: Parliament's committee vote a key step in the right direction, say SMEs — 15 May 2012, 12:35 CET

UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers' organisation, warmly welcomed yesterday's vote at the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee on the implementation in the EU of the "Basel III" rules on capital requirements.

"Employment package" too shy on SMEs as job creators, warns UEAPME — 18 April 2012, 15:27 CET

The "employment package" presented by the European Commission today is spot on when it comes to addressing both the demand and supply sides of labour markets and encouraging structural reforms. However, it is too limited on the key role of small and medium-sized companies as job creators, according to UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers' organisation.

Parliament and Council must bring "Horizon 2020" in line with SMEs' needs — 22 March 2012, 15:40 CET

UEAPME issues position paper; calls for 15% dedicated budget, single entry point; rejects attempts to dilute SME definition

Cohesion policy for 2014-2020 must keep a clear focus on SMEs — 15 March 2012, 20:47 CET

The new cohesion policy for 2014-2020 must closely associate economic and social partners in programming at all levels, including in the identification of priorities, and secure “ring-fenced” budget quotas for SMEs’ competitiveness and innovation-related activities, according to UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers’ organisation.

Stable business confidence hides worrying developments, survey finds — 01 March 2012, 11:02 CET

European small businesses are in “wait and see” mode as uncertainty prevails over confidence and a mild recession is under way, according to a survey conducted by UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers’ organisation, and its members.

White Paper on pensions: occupational pensions must remain attractive, say SMEs — 16 February 2012, 14:30 CET

The proposals put forward by the European Commission's White Paper setting out an agenda for adequate, safe and sustainable pensions unveiled today (Thursday) must avoid raising the cost of occupational pensions for employers and workers, according to UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers' organisation.

Electronic waste: Parliament vote far from being ideal, warn SMEs — 19 January 2012, 17:59 CET

The compromise on the revision of the Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive approved by the European Parliament's plenary today (Thursday) is far from being ideal despite the attempts made to respond to the concerns of small retailers, according to UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers' organisation.

Professional qualifications: EC proposal is going too far on many aspects — 21 December 2011, 23:20 CET

Today’s proposals by the European Commission to modernise the EU system for the recognition of professional qualifications is going too far on many important aspects, according to UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers’ organisation. On the positive side, the organisation welcomed the creation of a European professional card and the increased compulsory use of online means to provide information to professionals and to citizens.

Public procurement: SMEs welcome simplification, warn about transparency — 20 December 2011, 18:30 CET

The package of measures to modernise the EU public procurement rules unveiled by the European Commission today (Tuesday) contains some remarkable proposals and improvements to facilitate the participation of SMEs to public tenders. However, the increased recourse to the so-called “negotiation” procedure will trigger risks in terms of transparency, non-discrimination and equal treatment, according to UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers’ organisation.

SMEs welcome EC plan on access to finance, call for tax reforms to boost venture capital — 07 December 2011, 13:29 CET

Tax systems main obstacle to uptake and provision of venture capital; “Basel III” implementation must not harm SME loans, warns UEAPME

SMEs broadly welcome new "Erasmus for all" programme — 24 November 2011, 13:14 CET

UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers' organisation, welcomed the "Erasmus for all" proposal by the European Commission, which suggests allocating EUR 19 billion towards promoting skills and learning mobility of young people in what will become the successor of the current Lifelong Learning Programme.

Commission's strategy on internationalisation is spot on, say SMEs — 09 November 2011, 17:04 CET

UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers' organisation, warmly welcomed the "Small Business, Big World" communication released by the European Commission today (Wednesday).

"Responsible business package": good news on accounting, bad news on CSR, say SMEs — 26 October 2011, 16:15 CET

UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers' organisation, was left with mixed feelings by the "responsible business package" presented by the European Commission yesterday (Tuesday).

Cohesion policy: SMEs overall satisfied with Commission's proposals — 06 October 2011, 14:20 CET

UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers’ organisation, was left overall satisfied by the legislative proposals on the new cohesion policy programming period unveiled by the European Commission today (Thursday).

SBA implementation slowing down and far from being complete, survey finds — 05 October 2011, 19:09 CET

Although more open to including SMEs' concerns in legislation, the European institutions still have a long way to go when it comes to "thinking small first" on business support and administration, according to a survey conducted by UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers' organisation.