Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-03-09-Speech-1-143"
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"en.20090309.18.1-143"2
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"Madam President, more attention should be paid to SMEs within the European Union, since they represent 99% of undertakings, 70% of the labour force and nearly 60% of European added business value, and play a fundamental role in European diversity, innovation and cohesion.
It is vital that we provide them with an integrated framework that boosts entrepreneurship, accepts the principle of thinking small first when formulating policies and stimulates their enormous potential. Administrative bodies should adjust to their needs and family orientation in order to facilitate their existence, their transfer, particularly in cases of illness, retirement or bankruptcy, and their winding-up.
The 23 million European SMEs cannot be subject to the same requirements as the 41 000 large undertakings. A simpler legislative environment, without disproportionate bureaucratic burdens, is vital. Moves in this direction include the European private company statute, the initiatives to create companies in 48 hours, to reduce administrative costs by 25% by 2012, the creation of a one-stop scheme for VAT and reduced VAT rates for labour-intensive and locally supplied services, and a common consolidated corporate tax base.
SMEs should increase their participation in the internal market and in public procurement. Currently, only 8% have cross-border activities, and their share of public tender participation is 42%. Ways to promote more balanced competition conditions would be to facilitate the exemption from new State aid categories, to promote cooperation, to amend the directive on late payment in order to ensure payment within 30 days, and to remove obstacles to public procurement.
At this time of crisis, European action to safeguard access by SMEs to finance at a reasonable price is key. Also crucial are measures to constantly increase knowledge transfer and the effectiveness of support services."@en1
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