Homepage
Sitemap
Larger
Smaller
Login
Registration
Help
Terms of use
Reduced demands on SMEs could help Europe's economy to recover
03.02.2009, 09:55
Constance Hanniffy, Chairwoman of the Committee of
the Regions' Commission for Economic and Social Affairs (ECOS) and rapporteur on
the forthcoming opinion on A Small Business Act, has applauded the recent
commitment to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), which was unveiled in
the EU's better regulation review on 2 February. According to this review,
improvements to regulation will form a core component of Europe's response to
the economic and financial crisis and will enable SMEs to contribute to further
regional development.
"I am pleased that the European Commission has taken notice of the demands coming from our entrepreneurs and will consider the specific impact that EU regulations have on small and medium sized businesses. These businesses are firmly anchored in their local and regional communities and are a decisive factor in ensuring economic stability" Ms Hanniffy said. "However, whilst this is a step in the right direction, I also believe that there is a lot more work to be done." The promotion of the "think small first principal", is a central part of Ms Hanniffy's opinion on the Small Business Act for Europe, which will be debated during the Committee of the Regions Plenary Session on 12-13 February.
Small and Medium Sized Enterprises can be defined
as companies employing 250 people or less and there are over 23 million such
companies in the EU. Since 2005, SMEs have been placed at the heart of the
EU's revised Lisbon Growth and Jobs Strategy and in June 2008, the European
Commission adopted the Small Business Act for Europe which is intended to unlock
the potential of European SMEs and take a decisive step forward in supporting
them.
Source: www.cor.europa.eu