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You are here: Home Members European craft and SME employers' organisation SMEunited launches UEAPME into the future

SMEunited launches UEAPME into the future

08 November 2018
by UEAPME -- last modified 08 November 2018

At yesterday's Extraordinary General Assembly, UEAPME decided on SMEunited as the new name for the association for Crafts and SMEs in Europe.


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SMEunited stands strong for all micro, small, medium-sized and craft enterprises in Europe, giving them a powerful and unique voice towards the European Institutions and stakeholders. SMEunited aims at "Shaping Europe for SME, shaping SMEs for Europe".

At last night's launch event "Steps into the Future", SMEunited President Ulrike Rabmer-Koller and Secretary General Véronique Willems unveiled the association's new name and its memorandum for the 2019 European elections. In the memorandum, SMEunited put forward that strengthening SMEs and Crafts means a successful future for Europe.

This name change and the presentation of the memorandum "Strengthening Crafts and SMEs for the future of the European Union" were announced at last night's launch event "Steps into the Future" by SMEunited President Ulrike Rabmer-Koller.

She reiterated that "SMEs are the foundation of the European Union, for our economy and our society. The European Union should therefore recognise these businesses in delivering polices adapted to the size, challenges and needs of the 24 million SMEs and Crafts in Europe."

Europe will only be able to tackle the challenges ahead and increase welfare, growth and employment with prosperous SMEs. Ms Rabmer-Koller put forward the fact that "Our enterprises are more than willing to contribute to a stronger Europe, but can only do so if they stay competitive, if they can innovate and exploit business opportunities offered by digitalisation and circular economy."

Stepping into the future and giving SMEs and Crafts the right visibility are some of the various reasons for the name change. "To give small businesses more visibility and a more powerful voice, we gave our association the new name SMEunited. The name SMEunited sends a strong signal that we will continue to stand-up for the interest of all SMEs and Crafts in Europe with the aim of shaping Europe for SMEs and strengthening SMEs in Europe with our members," underlined Ms Rabmer-Koller.

European SMEs and Crafts, with their employees, constitute a major electing category of all that will be voting in the European elections in 2019. Instead of talking about SMEs and Crafts, European decision makers need to act by replying to their challenges and needs, allowing them to invest and create jobs. Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises ask for a coherent policy approach and considerably improved framework conditions for running their business through the SMEunited priorities for the European elections.

The memorandum covers the 10 policy priorities for SMEs and Crafts at European level to overcome their main challenges and concerns.

"Strengthening SMEs for Europe is the underlying message of our 10 priorities in our memorandum for the upcoming elections," stated Ms Rabmer-Koller.

"SMEs need more than ever to be taken into account for the future of the European Union. Among other things, as the drivers of social progress, SMEs need an entrepreneurial society, skilled staff, finance to innovate and invest, a level playing field, and a true implementation of the Single Market."

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. Combined, we represent more than 12 million enterprises with around 55 million employees across Europe. SMEunited is also a recognised employers' organisation and European Social Partner.

SMEunited