SMEs Are Key for the Future of Europe

19 February 2019
by smeunited -- last modified 19 February 2019

Today, in Bucharest, SMEunited President Ulrike Rabmer-Koller met with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and with Minister Radu Oprea (Business Environment, Commerce and Entrepreneurship). Representatives from SMEunited Romanian member organisation CNIPMMR joined the discussions. During the meetings, they focussed on the preparation of the Future of Europe debate at the upcoming Sibiu Summit in May, and SME priorities.

SMEunited President Ulrike Rabmer-Koller used the meeting with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis to highlight the importance of SMEs for the European Union and its future. She emphasised that Europe is at a crossroad with political tensions all around, in particular the threat of a hard Brexit. The discussion on the future of Europe should therefore continue.

Moreover, she underlined that "SMEs expect the debate on the Future of Europe to aim for progress as regards three dimensions: ensuring a stable political and societal environment, improving the conditions for growth and job creation, and improving fairness for carrying out business within the single market and globally." She welcomed the fact that this debate will continue at the Sibiu Summit in May and asked to involve the European Social Partners in the preparation of the Sibiu Summit on the future of Europe.

In view of the upcoming European elections, Ms Rabmer-Koller explained how important SMEs are for Europe's economy and society and said that "SME owners, their families and employees will have a strong impact on the outcome of these elections. We have to show Europe's added value for SMEs and make sure that European decision makers recognise SMEs as the basis for growth, jobs and welfare.  Ms Rabmer-Koller also  handed over the SMEunited Memorandum for the elections to Mr Iohannis and presented the ten policy priorities for the European Institutions' next term.

At the meeting with Minister Radu Oprea, Ms Rabmer-Koller welcomed the agreement on the Platform-to-Business regulation as a first important step towards more fairness for smaller providers using platforms for their business. She continued on the importance of digital transformation for SMEs and priorities for SMEs' prosperous development.

SMEunited is the association of Crafts and SMEs in Europe with around 70 member organisations from over 30 European countries. SMEunited represents national cross-sectoral Craft and SME federations, European SME branch organisations and associate members. SMEunited was formally known as UEAPME.

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