Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-02-11-Speech-2-297"
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"en.20030211.12.2-297"2
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".
Mr President, first of all thank you to Commissioner Liikanen, it is a pleasure to see you here. I always think of him as the Commissioner for innovation who is friendly to SMEs, and I have certainly found him to be both of those, so we are very lucky to have him.
Establish easy and affordable access to legal advice.
Encourage cross-border trade to ensure a European e-economy. That is very important.
Use benchmarking to promote and establish best practice, to integrate SMEs in the e-economy.
Allow Member States to offer low interest loans and tax incentives to support SMEs. I know Commissioner Monti might have a problem with that but I think it is essential.
Establish close cooperation between business, the educational sector and government agencies in order to close the IT skills gap.
One of the most important aspects is to offer financial incentives to the unemployed and the elderly, those who are retired. I am not asking Member States to change their rules on retirement, but I am asking for the EU to consider that people who are already retired should have financial incentives to train and acquire skills. When they work using those skills they should not be taxed at all, that is my preference. You might wish to impose a nominal tax, but preferably no tax at all. This actually reduces the import of labour, and also immediately pumps in money to people who are likely to spend their money in rural areas and therefore boost rural economies.
To offer financial incentives to technical support companies to allow SMEs affordable access. This is one of the weakest things that we have in the EU: people are quite happy to buy equipment and technology, but where is the technical support if anything goes wrong? It is very expensive and very unreliable and we need to offer financial incentives in that respect.
I hope we will soon have every EU citizen wearing what I would like to call the ‘Hand C’ not a ‘PC’, a wristwatch that is a combination of a PC, mobile phone and an LCD screen that will enable us to communicate audiovisually, process data, buy, sell and pay by voicemail, watch any sport and listen to our favourite music. Technology can offer us this today, Commissioner Liikanen, let us produce more with ease, let us have less stress and more fun.
The Lisbon European Council dream for the EU to be the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010 cannot be realised unless we stimulate and I mean
SMEs. SMEs drive economic growth; they train people with poor skills; they identify local needs and respond by producing or processing the products required. They create employment, wealth and security for the local community.
What are the hindrances, difficulties and bottlenecks facing SMEs in the EU? Why are they not growing as fast as those in the USA? Excessive red tape, high direct and indirect taxation, expensive and inadequate access to loans and grants, insufficient allowance for 'upskilling' workers and a lack of sponsored apprenticeships.
Papas and Mamas in Europe in their fifties and sixties own and manage their businesses traditionally. They are reluctant to invest in new technology because, firstly, they suspect that the investment will not offer sufficient advantage. Secondly, they do not understand the scope and function of new technology in increasing productivity and expanding sales. Thirdly, they are concerned about security of supply, quality, payment and legal liability.
My report has analysed the problems facing SMEs and offers a programme of action to stimulate them, so that they can compete globally. I would like Commissioner Liikanen to take very careful note of this summary, which is what I think the EU needs to do and do now.
Review existing regulation of the e-economy and cut drastically whatever burdens small businesses.
Reduce the administrative burdens on businesses by simplifying data collection, especially tax collection.
Cut red tape, especially for self-employed people.
Tackle on-line security issues by reinforcing the dependability and reliability of networks used by enterprises."@en1
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"stimulate"1
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