SMEs in the EU

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

Doing business in Belgium: Sustainability — 30 March 2012, 00:39 CET

The following guidlines provide information about the environmental regulations in Belgium that help companies run sustainable businesses without adversely impacting the environment.

Reducing administrative burdens on small businesses - guide — 23 February 2012, 19:40 CET

European Commission efforts to reduce regulatory burden, including administrative burden, are part of its smart regulation agenda. Smart regulation is intended to ensure that European laws benefit people and businesses. It is essential if the EU is to deliver the ambitious objectives for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth set out by the Europe 2020 Strategy. The Commission therefore evaluates the impact of legislation during the whole policy cycle: when a policy is designed, when it is in place, and when it is revised. As smart regulation is a shared responsibility of all those involved in EU policy-making, the Commission works with the European Parliament, Council and Member States to encourage them to apply smart regulation in their work. Below are an overview of Commission achievements and examples of administrative burden reduction.

Doing business in the UK: Staff welfare — 30 March 2012, 00:48 CET

Labour legislation covers basic workplace standards which employers must follow. These include protection against discrimination, the right to equal pay and the national minimum wage.

Consultation on the future of European Company Law — 21 February 2012, 00:14 CET

The European Commission has launched a public consultation to seek views from all stakeholders on European company law from 2012 onwards.

Consultation on the future of European company law - guide — 21 February 2012, 00:14 CET

The European Commission has launched an in-depth consultation on the future of European company law. Europe needs a company law framework that is adapted to the needs of the society of today and to the evolution of the economic environment. EU company law has played a central part in building the single market. The Commission says it is now time to see whether today's needs are still met by the existing legal framework. An on-line public consultation paper has been launched to collect comments from all stakeholders. The deadline for sending contributions is 14 May 2012.

Doing business in the UK: Sustainability — 15 January 2018, 22:09 CET

UK legislation requires businesses to comply with minimum social and environmental rules. This guide provides general information on environmental rules and sustainability.

Medical devices — 31 January 2018, 15:43 CET

The diversity and innovativeness of the medical devices sector contributes significantly to enhancing the safety, quality and efficacy of healthcare in the EU. Covering a wide range of products, from simple bandages or sticking plasters to the most sophisticated X-ray equipment, the medical devices sector plays a crucial role in the diagnosis, prevention, monitoring and treatment of diseases. It also helps improve the quality of life of those with disabilities.

Easier access to EU funds - guide — 08 February 2012, 23:28 CET

Since the presentation of its proposal for the next multi-annual financial framework (MFF) last June, the European Commission has proposed over 120 changes to simplify the rules governing EU funding for Small and Medium Enterprises, towns and regions, students, scientists and others. Today's communication "A simplification agenda for the 2014-2020 MFF" brings them altogether in one single document. The key question now is whether the European Parliament and the Member States are ready to make the life of EU funds' beneficiaries easier by reducing the administrative burden on them.

European Foundation — 08 February 2012, 22:35 CET

The European Commission has presented a proposal for a European Foundation Statute in order to facilitate the cross-border activities of public benefit purpose foundations and make it easier for them to support public benefit causes across the EU.

Proposal for a Regulation on the Statute for a European Foundation - guide — 08 February 2012, 22:49 CET

The European Commission has presented a proposal for a European Foundation Statute to make it easier for foundations to support public benefit causes across the EU.

Extending a Community Trade Mark outside the EU — 31 January 2012, 01:46 CET

A Community Trade Mark (CTM) application or a registered CTM can be used as the basis to extend protection internationally via an International Registration (IR). This is governed by the Madrid Protocol system, which offers CTM owners/applicants the possibility to have their trade marks protected in several countries besides the EU member states by simply filing one application directly with their own national or regional trade mark office.

EU Summit: Reform the OJEU regulations and help Europe grow — 29 January 2013, 17:04 CET

Over the next 24 hours EU Prime Ministers gather for the latest Summit trying yet again to solve the EUs debt problems. They will also be considering how to boost growth through measures to help SMEs.

EU business early warning tool — 24 January 2012, 19:11 CET

This tool prepared by the European Commission offers a preventive screening of your business that might save you a lot of time and money in the future. It helps you to react to warning signals and to think about how to prevent problems in the first place.

eBSN eBusiness Solutions Guide — 24 January 2012, 19:12 CET

This web-based guide is created by the European Commission as part of the European eBusiness Support Network (eBSN). It provides a review of the eBusiness and IT solutions market and supports companies and consultants to find and select appropriate software products, solutions, and service providers.

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.

Financial Reporting: burden reduction for micro-entities - guide — 15 December 2011, 23:34 CET

The European Parliament has voted to approve measures to considerably simplify life for more than 5 million of the smallest companies in Europe. The measures will allow these companies to benefit from a very simple system of financial reporting, which will mean they can free up resources to invest in their businesses and deliver further growth.

European Social Entrepreneurship Funds - guide — 07 December 2011, 19:21 CET

Social businesses are companies that have a positive social impact and address social objectives as their corporate aim rather than only maximising profit. It is a growing sector in Europe, already representing 10% of all European businesses and employing over 11 million paid employees. While these businesses often receive public support, private investment via funds that invest in social entrepreneurs remains vital to their growth. However, such specialised social investment funds are rare or are not large enough. Cross-border investment in such funds is unnecessarily complicated and expensive. With today's proposal for a Regulation, the Commission lays the foundations for a strong European market for social investment funds. It introduces a new "European Social Entrepreneurship Funds" label so investors can easily identify funds that focus on investing in European social businesses. The approach is simple: once the requirements defined in the proposal are met, managers of social investment funds will be able to market their funds across the whole of Europe. To get the label, a fund will have to prove that a high percentage of investments (70% of the capital received from investors) is spent in supporting social business. Uniform rules on disclosure will ensure that investors get clear and effective information on these investments.

Venture capital for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) - guide — 07 December 2011, 20:16 CET

The EU Action Plan to improve access to finance for SMEs presents the various EU policies and measures to make access to finance easier for Europe's 23 million SMEs. It covers actions to improve the venture capital market and facilitate access to financial resources. It contains also financial products to ease access to bank lending, for an amount of at least € 20 billion allocated to SMEs from the new Multiannual Financial Framework. A new survey published today shows that difficult access to finance is among the top concerns (15%) of SMEs. Almost two-thirds (63%) of the EU SMEs who applied for a bank loan during the last six months received the whole amount they asked for. However, 11% of the applications were rejected and 17% received less than they applied for. In addition 4% declined the loan offer from the bank because they found the conditions unacceptable. So about one third of the SMEs did not get the finance they had planned for.

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.

Small Business, Big World - new partnership to help SMEs seize global opportunities — 09 November 2011, 18:34 CET

European small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) should better profit from fast growing emerging markets, such as in China, India, Russia or in regions like South East Asia and Latin America. This is the key issue to overcome the crisis addressed in the European Commission communication ‘Small Business, Big World - a new partnership to help SMEs seize global opportunities’ presented today. The priority for Europe now is to overcome the crisis boosting competitiveness and growth. Major markets such as China, India, Russia and Brazil, with strong growth rates and potential represent significant opportunities for EU companies. Exports outside the EU to expanding markets could trigger new dynamism for European economy. Internationalisation is the step SMEs need to take and to seize these opportunities.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) - Promoting international activities of SME — 09 November 2011, 17:28 CET

In a globalised world, SMEs need to be able to confront an increasing competition from developed and emerging economies and to plug into the new market opportunities these countries will provide. There is a direct link between internationalization and increased SMEs performance. International activities reinforce growth, enhance competitiveness and support the long term sustainability of companies. Yet European SMEs still depend largely on their domestic markets despite the opportunities brought by the enlarged single market and by globalization at large.

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).