Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-12-03-Speech-3-168"
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"en.20081203.16.3-168"2
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"Mr President, Mr McMillan, Mr Verheugen, honourable Members, as you have pointed out, ladies and gentlemen, on Monday the Council adopted conclusions on the Small Business Act for Europe, proposed by the Commission. This Small Business Act represents a strong political commitment towards the 23 million small and medium-sized enterprises. As Mrs Fontaine highlighted, it is also an important response to the economic crisis we are currently experiencing. That is why, together with Hervé Novelli, who regrets that he cannot be with us, I am convinced, to reassure Mrs Fontaine and Mrs Herczog, that the European Council will express strong political support for the goals of this Small Business Act.
As you have emphasised, the Small Business Act cannot solve all of the current economic problems, but it should ensure that essential steps are taken to tackle the financial crisis and the consequent economic slowdown. That is why, on Monday, we also adopted an action plan committing the Member States to implementing these urgent measures. This act is highly significant, and the French Presidency is particularly pleased with the very meaningful plan. Mrs Fontaine gave a good outline of the strong recommendations it contains.
First and foremost, we need to look at the problem of SME financing. From this point of view, we must praise the efforts of the European Investment Bank, as it is to inject EUR 30 billion between 2008 and 2011. Beyond this, however, we must also make certain that the late payments directive is reviewed so as to relieve businesses’ cash flow problems. The Small Business Act and the action plan propose to ensure that SMEs are paid within thirty days. I do not know whether we will achieve this objective, but I am convinced that this is the direction we should be taking. Reducing late payments means easing SME cash flow, at a time when one in four solvency cases in Europe are caused by excessive delays in payment.
Boosting the venture capital market is another important factor, since this market, as you are aware, is too restricted in Europe compared with the United States. We have plans to establish a European venture capital mechanism as well as recognition of venture capital funds between Member States.
Our other priority, as you have pointed out, ladies and gentlemen, is simplification. SMEs suffer even more than large businesses do from red tape and the various administrative tasks they are required to perform. It is for this reason that we must indeed implement and apply the Think Small First principle, which consists of considering the interests of SMEs in all Union legislation.
We also hope to establish an SME test, and impact assessments, I can assure you, will be carried out and made public for every Community text that affects SMEs, and it would be desirable for the Member States to do the same. In addition, we are undertaking not to ask SMEs for the same information several times over – in other words, we will seek to do everything in one go.
With regard to funding and simplification, there are more significant measures. SMEs must be able to benefit fully from the single market and in particular from the ability to export. That is why adopting the European company statute will also enable SMEs, by establishing their subsidiaries on the different European markets, to gain greater benefit from this market.
To respond to the questions that have been asked, and in light of the request made by the Competitiveness Council to the European Council, the Council, at the highest level, and the Commission, have committed to monitoring this action plan closely, in particular within the context of the national reform programmes accompanying the Lisbon process.
We are genuinely very pleased with the momentum that last Monday’s action plan was able to give to this work. It is indeed the Council’s belief that SME policy is one of the key areas in our common fight against the economic crisis and for the speedy recovery of the European Union’s economy."@en1
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