SMEs in the EU

News and information about the European Union's policies for small and medium-sized businesses.

EUROCHAMBRES' better policy-making priorities for the next EU term — 30 January 2014, 22:28 CET

EUROCHAMBRES presented 10 better European policy-making priorities for the next five year EU legislative term during a major conference the association hosted today in the European Parliament.

Establishing a company in Estonia — 28 January 2014, 13:24 CET

Legal form; How to register a private limited company; The process of establishing a company; Branch of Foreign Company; Notaries - all the information you need on how to set up a company in Estonia, from the Estonian Investment Agency

Mission Growth: Europe at the Lead of the New Industrial Revolution — 22 January 2014, 18:44 CET

Europe's economy cannot survive in a sustainable way without a strong and profoundly reshaped industrial base. New technologies have dramatically changed our life and our economy in the past 20 years. Political systems collapsed, new players emerged on the markets, as well as new materials, new technologies and workers who are better skilled than ever. The wind of change is blowing at a time when Europe is facing a severe economic and social crisis. But this situation and the changes are also an opportunity.

Commission calls for European Industrial Renaissance — 22 January 2014, 18:54 CET

The European Commission is urging EU Member States to recognise the central importance of industry for creating jobs and growth, and of main-streaming industry-related competitiveness concerns across all policy areas. This is the key message of the communication 'For a European Industrial Renaissance', adopted on 22 January.

Energy 2030 & European Industrial Renaissance: Unilateral climate action contradicts 20 pct industrial target — 25 February 2015, 18:28 CET

EUROCHAMBRES is critical of the incoherence between the communications on industrial policy and energy 2030 presented today by the European Commission, arguing that they reveal a lack of governance and coordination between the administration’s services.

Revision of Public Procurement Directives — 15 January 2014, 19:56 CET

New EU rules on public procurement and concession contracts approved by the European Parliament on 15 January 2014 are expected to ensure better quality and value for money when public authorities buy or lease works, goods or services.

New rules for risk finance — 15 January 2014, 20:48 CET

The European Commission has adopted new guidelines setting out the conditions under which Member States can grant aid to facilitate access to finance by European SMEs and companies with a medium capitalization (the so-called "midcaps"). Certain SMEs and midcaps, in particular innovative and growth-oriented SMEs in their early development stages, have difficulties to get funding, independently of the quality of their business potential. State aid can help address this funding gap, not by replacing existing funding channels but by attracting fresh money into new ventures through well-designed financial instruments and fiscal measures. These guidelines are part of the Commission's State Aid Modernisation (SAM) strategy, which aims at fostering growth in the Single Market by encouraging more effective aid measures and focusing the Commission's scrutiny on cases with the biggest impact on competition. The guidelines will enter into force on 1 July 2014.

New de minimis regulation on State aid receives lukewarm welcome from SMEs - UEAPME — 19 December 2013, 21:09 CET

UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers’ organisation, gave a lukewarm welcome to the new de minimis Regulation on State aid, adopted yesterday by the European Commission.

European SMEs getting greener - Eurobarometer no 381 — 18 December 2013, 19:01 CET

Compared to last year, European SMEs are becoming more resource efficient and are contributing substantially to the transition towards a low-carbon economy, according to the results of the 2013 Eurobarometer survey on "SMEs, resource efficiency and green markets" published today. For example, the survey shows that 42% of EU SMEs now have at least one full or part-time green employee - a 5% increase from 2012 which exceeds the expectations set by businesses almost two years ago.

Protection against unlawful acquisition of undisclosed know-how and business information (trade secrets) — 28 November 2013, 23:48 CET

The European Commission has today proposed new rules on the protection of undisclosed know-how and business information (trade secrets) against their unlawful acquisition, use and disclosure. The draft directive introduces a common definition of trade secrets, as well as means through which victims of trade secret misappropriation can obtain redress. It will make it easier for national courts to deal with the misappropriation of confidential business information, to remove the trade secret infringing products from the market and make it easier for victims to receive damages for illegal actions.

COSME — 21 November 2013, 23:14 CET

COSME is the EU programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) running from 2014 to 2020 with a planned budget of €2.3bn. COSME will support SMEs in the following area.

COSME - new programme to foster the competitiveness of SMEs — 21 November 2013, 23:17 CET

The European Parliament today adopted the COSME programme, a new programme for the competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). COSME aims to ease the access to credit problems that small businesses currently face. With a EUR 2.3 billion-budget over the period 2014-2020, the Programme for the Competitiveness of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (COSME) will for instance provide a guarantee facility for loans to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) of up to EUR 150,000. From now until 2020, 330,000 EU firms are expected to benefit from this facility. In addition, COSME will assist businesses and citizens in the following ways: 1) entrepreneurs will benefit from easier access to markets in the EU and beyond, 2) citizens who wish to become self-employed but currently face difficulties in setting up or developing their own business will receive tailored services and assistance, and 3) Member States' authorities will be better assisted in their efforts to elaborate and implement effective SME related policy reform.

Heads of State need to deliver now on youth expectations for jobs, say SMEs — 12 November 2013, 17:06 CET

Gunilla Almgren, UEAPME President, represented Crafts and SMEs in Paris during the conference where Heads of State and Labour Ministers joined for a follow-up and first assessment of the initiatives taken since the Berlin meet-up in July.

SME survey: Recession comes to an end; recovery at arm's reach — 17 October 2013, 20:52 CET

Index nearing 70-point line; smaller companies in services and construction hardest hit; recovery on its way

REFIT - Fit for growth - making EU law lighter — 03 October 2013, 22:55 CET

Red tape is often accused of stifling businesses, especially the smallest ones, and of interfering too much in people's daily lives. With 74% of Europeans believing that the EU generates too much law, a European Commission Communication takes another step in ensuring that EU legislation is fit for purpose. In the Communication, the Commission sets out in a practical way, policy area by policy area, where it will take further action to simplify or withdraw EU laws, ease the burden on businesses and facilitate implementation. The Commission has also announced its intention to publish a scoreboard to track progress at European and national level in this regard.

High Level Group on Administrative Burdens — 20 September 2013, 13:59 CET

The High Level Group on Administrative Burdens advises the Commission on the administrative burdens placed on businesses, in particular small businesses. It concentrates on how to simplify existing EU legislation and make national public administrations more efficient and responsive to the needs of companies – particularly smaller ones – when implementing EU legislation. The Commission's initiative for the reduction of administrative burdens by 25% between 2007 and 2012 was supported by the High Level Group. It is expected, in the medium term, to lead to an increase of 1.4% in EU GDP, equivalent to €150 billion.

New EC de minimis aid proposal ignores the reality of SMEs, says UEAPME — 18 September 2013, 15:36 CET

Ahead of the multilateral meeting on the de minimis aid Regulation that the European Commission has with Member States on Friday 20th September, UEAPME – the European craft and SME employers' organisation – puts out a warning that the new Commission proposal is not in line with the reality of SMEs.

UEAPME presents its main achievements for Crafts & SMEs — 17 July 2013, 23:01 CET

UEAPME, the European Craft and SME association, is the agenda setter for SME policy in Europe and defends the interests of Crafts and SMEs towards European Institutions and other European stakeholders. Today in Brussels, UEAPME President Gunilla Almgren presented UEAPME's most important achievements since the beginning of her Presidency in January 2012. "SMEs do not have the necessary resources to fight their battles alone neither at national level nor – of course – in a European context. Our role is therefore crucial to them and we try our best to improve the environment for Crafts and SMEs in the EU", President Gunilla Almgren introduced.

SMEs miss support measures in the Environmental Action Programme — 11 July 2013, 14:44 CET

UEAPME welcomes the specific references to SMEs but regrets that the set of SME measures in the Environmental programme fall short

E-invoicing in public procurement — 27 June 2013, 13:56 CET

The European Commission has today proposed a draft directive on e-invoicing in public procurement, accompanied by a communication setting out its vision for the full digitisation of the public procurement process, so-called 'end-to-end e-procurement'. E-invoicing is an important step towards paperless public administration (e-government) in Europe – one of the priorities of the Digital Agenda - and offers the potential for significant economic as well as environmental benefits. The Commission estimates that the adoption of e-invoicing in public procurement across the EU could generate savings of up to €2.3 billion.

Financial reporting obligations for limited liability companies (Accounting Directive) — 13 June 2013, 13:16 CET

The European Parliament on 12 June voted in new Accounting and Transparency Directives, a modernisation of financial reporting obligations, which should see costs reduced, in particular for SMEs.

SMEs say no to collective redress, but react positively on antitrust damage proposal — 12 June 2013, 22:17 CET

UEAPME stresses that there is no need for a collective redress system, but welcomes the proposal that antitrust damages should be ruled at national level.

UEAPME requests more focus on innovation for SMEs — 30 May 2013, 15:27 CET

At the Clean Sky SME Day, coinciding with the European Competitiveness Council discussion on the future Research and Innovation programme Horizon 2020, Gunilla Almgren, President of the European SME organisation UEAPME, put forward her main concerns about the ongoing negotiations between the European Parliament, Commission and Council.

Draft de-minimis Regulation needs some improvements, says UEAPME — 23 May 2013, 15:26 CET

UEAPME, the European craft and SME employers' organisation, reacts in a generally positive manner to the draft proposal of the European Commission for a revised Regulation on de-minimis aid.

Banks must back the real economy and facilitate SMEs' access to finance — 02 May 2013, 23:25 CET

The European Builders Confederation EBC took the occasion of the SMEs Finance Forum held today in Dublin to alert and raise the issue of access to finance for construction small and medium enterprises in front of the European Institutions, the Irish Presidency of the European Council and other SMEs representatives.