Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-01-14-Speech-2-208"
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"en.20030114.6.2-208"2
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". – The Commission is committed to improving the environment for small businesses. This is a policy line that we have followed for many years. The European Charter for Small Enterprises has been a valuable instrument focusing and reinforcing this work.
The Green Paper defines entrepreneurship as a ‘mindset’ and focuses on the role of policy on entrepreneurial behaviour among both new and existing entrepreneurs. It also considers the influence of society at large on entrepreneurial initiative and risk-taking.
The Paper suggests a coordinated approach, involving policy-makers in different services at European, national and regional level, to provide a coherent response to the needs of entrepreneurs. The Commission can help the Member States to share experience and compare performance.
The Paper identifies three pillars for action:
firstly, bringing down barriers to business development and growth;
secondly, balancing the risks and reward of entrepreneurship;
and thirdly, a society that values entrepreneurship.
For each of these, the Green Paper raises a number of questions for debate.
As far as the SMEs which have benefited from Community funding are concerned, some basic data have been collected but a completed picture would require more time for an in-depth analysis.
Many of the Charter recommendations address issues that fall under national responsibility. Much of the Commission's work aims to help Member States to improve the business environment for their small businesses. The Commission welcomes the request of the Barcelona European Council that Member States speed up the Charter implementation. This has contributed to keeping small businesses' concerns high on the political agenda.
I had a chance to speak with the Greek Presidency last week and my services have separately met the national authorities of all Member States including the Greek Ministry of Development to review progress under the Charter. The Commission will report next week on the implementation of the Charter but I can already now say that Member States’ progress in 2002 is encouraging, in particular in the areas of education for entrepreneurship and better regulation. Better regulation is at the heart of the Commission's concerns at the moment.
If I may just refer to the question by Mr Harbour, better regulation involves, at the Commission level, firstly open consultation so that SMEs are not taken by surprise when new legislation is being proposed, and secondly impact assessment where we try in a consolidated manner to assess the impact on businesses, especially of course small- and medium-sized businesses, of any important new regulatory initiative that the Commission takes.
This year we have agreed orally on the number of the issues which will go to this kind of broad impact assessment when we assess the economic, social and environmental impact. A detailed review of all Community measures benefiting small and medium-sized enterprises will also be published next week when the Commission reports comprehensively on entrepreneurial and SME activities. At the same time I hope we will be also able to adopt in the Commission the Green Paper on Entrepreneurship.
This Green Paper intends to launch a debate among the widest possible audience of stakeholders on two crucial issues:
how to produce more entrepreneurs
and
how to get more firms to grow."@en1
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