Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-02-15-Speech-2-623-000"
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"en.20110215.30.2-623-000"2
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"Madam President, I will try to be succinct, as I was when I was a Member of the European Parliament. We are dealing with issues of great interest, above all, the Commission’s willingness to support entrepreneurship and to improve the context in which businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), operate, while supporting them in gaining access to third-country markets. I regard these three topics as a priority.
With regard to emerging economies such as China, I can confirm that in the framework of the Small Business Act, the Commission has used the funds allocated by Parliament for the preparatory work, which has enabled us to set up SME assistance and support centres in China and India. I myself was in Beijing last November at the opening of the Centre for European Union SMEs in China.
I can also tell you that tomorrow, the Commission is appointing a new Special Envoy for SMEs, Daniel Calleja Crespo, Deputy Director General for Enterprise and Industry, who will be responsible for closely monitoring the implementation of the Small Business Act and acting as a contact point for SMEs.
The Commission document currently being adopted invites all the Member States and local authorities to appoint an Envoy for SMEs to supervise the implementation of the Small Business Act within the regions of the European Union. I am pleased to tell you that I have already received positive replies from a number of Member States and several EU regions.
That is why the Small Business Act for Europe, adopted by the Commission in 2008, is to be revised in the coming days. The principles and provisions of the Small Business Act are perfectly consistent with the priorities of the Europe 2020 strategy, and they are sure to be implemented at national level because all interested parties support them. In other words, everyone – Member States and business organisations alike – will be involved in monitoring the results obtained.
We intend to ensure that the principles warmly supported in the Small Business Act, which are designed to promote entrepreneurship and eradicate the practice of always ‘thinking small’ when drawing up policies, will be implemented at both Union and national levels.
We have already introduced a test for SMEs which is designed to take into greater account the procedure used in assessing the impact of the various policies and obligations that constrain SMEs. The revised Small Business Act will include measures to harmonise the use of this test and improve the quality of the assessments. In addition, all Member States will be encouraged to take the same approach in the procedures making up the national decision-making process.
As we are aware of the need to cut red tape and eliminate disparities between countries, we will indicate specific measures – such as setting up one-stop shops and the use of e-government – to try to speed up processes in this area. The Commission is also organising the exchange of best practices among national civil servants on specific topics.
In order to stimulate entrepreneurship among young people and encourage cross-border commercial cooperation in Europe, again at Parliament’s instigation, we have set up an Erasmus programme for young entrepreneurs, the results of which have been positive. It is our intention, therefore, to try to give the project a legal basis, transforming it from a pilot action into a permanent programme.
We have also planned actions specifically targeting women entrepreneurs: we have a network now comprising 250 female ambassadors from 22 European countries. I hope this network can grow even stronger. Lastly, we are working to create mentoring programmes for women entrepreneurs in at least 12 EU countries.
As regards assistance to SMEs for exports and investments outside the Union, we launched a huge public consultation exercise at the beginning of last year on our intention to strengthen support measures. The results of the exercise will enable us to adjust the proposed guidelines aimed at strengthening SME support services while, at the same time, ensuring efficient use of public funds.
We have already gained plenty of experience in terms of helping SMEs become international. I am referring to projects that have enjoyed considerable success, such as the China Intellectual Property Rights SME Helpdesk, the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, the Enterprise Europe network, and training programmes. In addition, based on the results of a study funded by Parliament, we are preparing a communication on strengthening support for SMEs in third-country markets."@en1
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