1. EU SME policy The “Small Business Act” for Europe and its Review
Maria Pia Vigliarolo – DG Enterprise and Industry – Small Business Act, SME Policies

2. What is an SME ?

3. SMEs - EU’s growth engine
67.4% of private jobs

4. SMEs - EU’s growth engine
58% of total business turnover

5. Difficulties faced by SMEs
Business and regulatory environment
Access to finance
Availability of skills
Access to markets
Access to research and innovation
Networking among companies

6. EU’s SME Policy SME Policy Internal Market Trade policy Regional
Competition
policy
SME Policy
Social
Policy
R&D
Education
Policy
Consumer & health
protection policies
Fiscal
policy
Environmental
Policy

7. Working tools
Cooperation and partnership with the Member States (exchange of good practices)
Regular dialogue and consultation with SMEs and SME business organisations (SME Envoy)
Cooperation with Commission to implement the “Think Small First” principle

8. Working tools
Policy development: Small Business Act for Europe (SBA) and SBA Review
EU Support Programmes, including
Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP)
SME dimension in other programmes (FP7, structural funds)

9. The “Small Business Act”
Adopted in June 2008
Main objective: create a common framework for SME initiatives and implement the “Think Small First” principle
10 principles and a set of policy actions to implement them
About 90 policy initiatives and 5 legislative acts (national and European level)

10. The 10 SBA principles 1. Support entrepreneurship
2. Give a 2nd chance (failure)
3. “Think Small First” (reduce burdens)
4. Public administration responsive to SME needs (e-government)
5. Improve access to public procurement & use of state aid
6. Facilitate access to finance
7. Benefit from Single Market opportunities
8. Access to skills and innovation
9. Eco-innovation/environment opportunities
10. Access to external markets

11. Why a Review of the SBA?
Good progress since the adoption of the SBA but:
Need to continue improving SME business environment and to focus on new challenges (crisis)
Need for stronger governance to ensure the implementation of the SBA at European and national level

12. The SBA Review (2011) Three priority areas: Entrepreneurship
smart regulation
access to finance
access to markets
Entrepreneurship
Enhanced governance
48 new actions

13. Enhanced governance: the network of the SME Envoys
European level: the EU SME Envoy listens to SMEs and their representatives and act as internal “watchdog” for EU policy making.
National level: Member States have appointed their national SME Envoys (regional Envoys can be nominated)

14. Enhanced governance: give SMEs a greater role
SMEs will have their say with the SME Assembly: representatives of small businesses from all over the 27 Member States will gather yearly
European SMEs representatives are part of the Network of the SME Envoys

15. What do we propose in the Review?
Smart regulation
Better start-up conditions
Goal: start a business in 3 days for €100

16. What do we propose in the Review?
Smart regulation
Simplification of administrative rules
SME Test for all proposals for new legislation (minimise burden for micro-companies)
Only once principle – no need to resubmit documents that are already with administration

17. What do we propose in the Review?
Better and easier access to capital
SME access to capital – guarantees and venture capital
Simplify rules for greater access of SMEs to EU funds
Greater and easier access for SMEs to internet data on financing opportunities and in their own language

18. What do we propose in the Review?
Better and easier access to markets
Facing unfair commercial practice
Improve access to public procurement for SMEs: Code of good practices
A new strategy for EU SMEs going international

19. What do we propose in the Review?
Promoting entrepreneurship
Mentoring schemes for women entrepreneurs
Promote second chance
Best practices in business transfer

20. COSME Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs
Strengthening the competitiveness and sustainability of European enterprises
Encouraging entrepreneurship and promoting SMEs
Main target audience: SMEs, Entrepreneurs, Business Support Organisations, regional and national Administrations
Foreseen budget: € 2.5 billion from 2014 to 2020

21. Specific actions to improve access to finance
Equity Facility for Growth
Loan Guarantee Facility

22. Specific actions to improve access to markets
Enterprise Europe Network
600 business support organisations in 50 countries
information and qualified services for SMEs at their doorstep, including information on access to EU funding programmes
help in finding international business partners
making full use of EU-wide business support, technology transfer services
engaging European SMEs in shaping EU legislation
Also:
EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation
Business environment benchmarking with third countries (Western Balkans, Euromed, Eastern Partnership)

23. Supporting SME activities outside the EU
90 % of world growth outside Europe by 2012 (OECD)
Only 13 % of EU SMEs now active outside EU
European added value consists in:
Providing better overview, more coherence, visibility / transparency : we are already starting a « mapping » exercise and the creation of a dedicated portal
Promoting clusters and networks for SME internationalisation
Complementarity: avoiding duplication with measures already taken by MS

24. Specific actions to improve framework conditions
Horizontal approach: affecting all sectors, including manufacturing and services
Implementation of the “Think Small First Principle” and the “Small Business Act”
Adjustment to a low-carbon, climate-resilient, energy and resource efficient economy
Promoting smart use of new technologies and the integration of SME in global industrial value chains

25. Specific actions to promote entrepreneurship
European Enterprise Promotion Awards
Erasmus for entrepreneurs
Female entrepreneurship (ambassadors and mentoring schemes)
European SME week
Transfer of enterprises
Specific target groups: young, old and female entrepreneurs
Women only account for 34.4% of the self-employed in Europe

26. Next steps
Ongoing: Parliament and Council negotiations on the basis of the Commission proposal
Ongoing: Parliament and Council negotiations on EU budget (including overall budget for COSME)
Mid 2013: Adoption of legislative acts by Parliament and Council on COSME
1/1/2014: start of COSME

27. Where to find information
SBA and SBA Review
European Small Business Portal
SME Performance Review