Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-12-03-Speech-3-169"
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"en.20081203.16.3-169"2
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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, at the start of the crisis – and we are at the start of a crisis – the question about the future of our small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe has become even more important. For we should recognise one thing quite clearly: the effects of this crisis will be greater for small and medium-sized enterprises than for large ones quite simply because smaller enterprises have no equity base that would permit them to ride out a longer lean period.
This therefore means that it is crucial that the signal to small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe is strong and clear. Therefore, I am very grateful to Jean-Pierre Jouyet and the French Presidency for the generous support that they have given to the Small Business Act and I thank Mrs Herczog and Mrs Fontaine for taking the initiative to discuss this here today.
This is important because the European Council is anticipated with great excitement in the coming week. The people of Europe will look to the Heads of State or Government in the next week and will expect an answer from them, an answer to the questions, ‘How do we get through this crisis, how do we retain our prosperity, how do we retain our jobs, how do we retain our security?’ 23 million small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe will also look to Brussels and await the reply from the Heads of State or Government. That is why I am so happy that Jean-Pierre Jouyet has just said that the support from the European Council will be strong and clear. And without doubt we both agree that this means that we will certainly find more than a few words on this topic in the conclusions. That makes me very happy.
In truth this policy is also only just starting. The European Parliament has a very important role to play here. For here too it holds that words are one thing, actions are what counts. And in the first instance actions for small and medium-sized enterprises take place at national level, at regional level and even at local level. We must ensure that the principles which we enshrine in Europe are brought to life in the Member States and in all our regions.
Small and medium-sized enterprises are not supplicants but the core of our European economy. Only if we give them the framework conditions which they now need will they be able to perform their task within our European economy."@en1
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