Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-01-18-Speech-3-426"

PredicateValue (sorted: default)
rdf:type
dcterms:Date
dcterms:Is Part Of
dcterms:Language
lpv:document identification number
"en.20060118.25.3-426"2
lpv:hasSubsequent
lpv:speaker
lpv:spokenAs
lpv:translated text
"Mr President, I would like firstly to congratulate Mrs Vlasto on the report she has produced, which I believe to be a very exhaustive, but at the same time very clear, report. I would also like to thank Commissioner Verheugen for being here today and for the explanations he has given us. Secondly, it is a cliché to say that small- and medium-size enterprises are the backbone of the European economy. However, the fact that it is a cliché does not make it any less important. Two-thirds of companies in Europe are classified as SMEs. Europe has 25 million small- and medium-sized enterprises which, in employment terms, provide no fewer than 95 million jobs. The objective, however, is not just for SMEs to struggle on, but rather for them to be able to prosper and grow strong. To this end, we need a model in which SMEs do not just develop by means of merger or acquisition, which is the traditional model, but rather through the growth of the small- and medium-sized enterprises themselves. I would like to stress some of the aspects taken up in the report presented by Mrs Vlasto. I agree with her that incorporating the report on implementing the European Charter for Small Enterprises into the report on implementing the Lisbon process could lead to a certain marginalisation of the SME concept. Furthermore, I believe that we must enhance the annual bilateral dialogue with representatives of SMEs and promote the participation of SMEs through the use of instruments suited to their needs, such as incentives to encourage SMEs to enter the world of research and development. I would like finally to refer to something that the Commissioner raised in his speech: it is not possible to have strong small- and medium-sized enterprises if entrepreneurial activity is constantly being undermined. I therefore believe that it is extremely important that we, once and for all, opt decisively to emphasise the social value of entrepreneurial action. I believe that this is fundamental to the future of small- and medium-sized enterprises."@en1

Named graphs describing this resource:

1http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/rdf/English.ttl.gz
2http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/rdf/Events_and_structure.ttl.gz
3http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/rdf/spokenAs.ttl.gz

The resource appears as object in 2 triples

Context graph