Quote of the Week: "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is
ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being
self-evident." - Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)
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ESBA WEEKLY of April 13 2001 - VOL 3 - N° 19
Headlines of WEEK 15:
- FINANCIAL SERVICES: Draft directive on collateral
- TRADE: Business consultation meeting on trade facilitation
- GOVERNANCE: EC launches Interactive Policy Making initiative
- TEMPORARY WORK: social partners have until May to reach an agreement
- ENTERPRISE POLICY: Members of the Enterprise Policy Group
- COPYRIGHT: Council approves EU copyright directive
- ENLARGEMENT: Maximum 7-year ban on workers from CEECs
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EU / FINANCIAL SERVICES
Brussels 02/04/2001: Draft directive on collateral
The European Commission recently proposed a Directive to create a simple
minimum Community regime for the use of collateral in financial
transactions. The European Commission believes that through the suggested
EU regime, the use of collateral, notably cross-border collateral, will
become less expensive and will benefit from more legal certainty. A
Business Impact Assessment has been prepared before the proposal was
issued by the European Commission. Nonetheless, it seems that only
financial institutions have been approched during the consultation phase.
AS CERTAIN ASPECTS OF REGULATION ON COLLATERAL ARE IMPORTANT FOR SMEs,
ESBA WILL SEEK TO ASSESS WHETHER THIS PROPOSAL FOR A NEW REGULATION COULD
AFFECT DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY THE ACCESS FOR FINANCING BY SMES WITHIN THE
EUROPEAN UNION.
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EU / TRADE
Brussels 03/04/2001: Business consultation meeting on trade facilitation
The European Commission, DG Trade, recently held a consultation meeting
with the business community on trade facilitation aspects of the WTO trade
negotiations. ESBA was invited to speak of behalf of small business
interests (present were mostly organisations representing large
businesses, trade intermediaries, and sectoral representatives). This
subject includes a set of measures aiming at simplifying all processes to
trade (logistics, customs procedures, financial transactions, .) in WTO
countries, notably by enhancing the use of new information technologies.
As the debate is heating up on a to be launched new WTO negotiation round
in Quatar at the end of 2001, this consultation aimed at refining the EU
position on this matter.
ESBA BELIEVES THAT TRADE FACILITATION MEASURES REPRESENT ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT ISSUES FOR SMES IN THIS ROUND OF TRADE NEGOTIATION UNDER THE
WTO. ESBA ALSO THINKS THAT THIS SUBJECT SHOULD BE DIRECTLY LINKED TO THE
"EVERYTHING BUT ARMS" INITIATIVE, LAUNCHED BY THE EU, TO REDUCE ALL
TARIFFS FOR IMPORTS FROM THE 48 LDCS. MOST ECONOMIC ACTORS IN THESE
COUNTRIES ARE SMES; THEY NEED A SIMPLE TRADE ENVIRONMENT TO BE ABLE TO
BENEFIT FROM FREER TRADE MECHANISMS.
AS THE INTEREST OF SMALL BUSINESSES MIGHT DIVERGE AGAINST THE OPINIONS
EXPRESSED BY LARGE CORPORATION OR TRADE INTERMEDIARIES, IT IS IMPORTANT TO
MONITOR THE DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS FIELD OF TRADE NEGOTIATION. ESBA ALREADY
DRAFTED A POSITION PAPER WHICH WILL BE FINALISED IN APRIL AND SEND TO THE
EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND THE WTO IN GENEVA. ESBA WILL ALSO RAISE THE DEBATE
WITH OTHER SMES ORGANISATIONS WITHIN WASME, THE WORLD ASSOCIATION OF SMES,
REPRESENTED IN 112 NATIONS.
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EU / GOVERNANCE
Brussels 06/04/2001: EC launches Interactive Policy Making initiative
The European Commission has outlined a new plan to improve governance by
using better the Internet. The Interactive Policy Making initiative forms
part of the Reform White Paper of the European Commission (action 8b) and
is linked to the Commission's governance and the regulatory policy
initiatives. The need for such action was also confirmed during the
Internal Market Forum (28/29 November 2000). The initiative, intended to
start gradually by the end of this year, consists of two main mechanisms:
- Collection of spontaneous feedback via existing intermediaries (based on
the already existing Business Feedback Mechanism, which will be applied to
all other EU policy areas and a wider range of intermediaries); and
- More rapid and structured consultations to new initiatives directly
addressed to a target group.
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EU / TEMPORARY WORK
Brussels 09/04/2001: social partners have unil May to reach an agreement
The European negotiations on temporary work between employers and trade
unions have been granted another month by the Commission in order to reach
an agreement still (see ESBA WEEKLY Vol. 3 - N. 14). If not successful the
Commission is expected to draw up proposals instead.
IT IS CLEAR THAT THE COMMISSION WISHES THE SOCIAL PARTNERS TO SUCCEED
THEMSELVES AS IT IS ALREADY THE SECOND EXTENSION PERIOD THE COMMISSION HAS
PROPOSED THE SOCIAL PARTNERS AFTER THE INITIAL NINE MONTHS OF
NEGOTIATIONS.
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EU / ENTERPRISE POLICY
Brussels 09/04/2001: Members of the Enterprise Policy Group
The list of the 35 selected candidates for the professional chamber (as a
part of the Enterprise Policy Group) (see ESBA WEEKLY Vol 3 - N. 18) is
now available under: (copy/paste full link)
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/enterprise_policy/epg/members.htm
OF THE 35 THERE ARE: 18 SMEs, 24 HEADS OF ENTERPRISES, 10 WOMEN,
REPRESENTATIVES OF ALL MEMBER STATES, AND ALL MAIN SECTORS IN
MANUFACTURING AND SERVICES ARE REPRESENTED.
ESBA IS CURRENTLY INQUIRING WHETHER ANY OF THOSE 35 MEMBERS ARE SOLE
TRADERS, AS THIS SPECIFIC CATEGORY OF ENTERPRISES (UNINCORPORATED SMALL
BUSINESSES OR SELF-EMPLOYED) FACE SPECIFIC CONCERNS. SOLE TRADERS
REPRESENT A SIGNIFICANT SHARE (IF NOT THE LARGEST) OF ALL ENTERPRISES
THROUGHOUT THE EU.
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EU / COPYRIGHT
Brussels 09/04/2001: Council approves EU copyright directive
The adopted text, quicker than initially expected, includes all proposed
amendments of the European Parliament during its February 2001 plenary
session (see ESBA WEEKLY - Vol 3 - N. 11). The Directive seeks to provide
a legal framework for copyright and related rights in the information
society. It will give artists and producers exclusive rights to their
work, with certain exceptions and limitations to copying for private
use.The Directive should now be implemented in national legislation within
18 months. More info:
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/en/intprop/intprop/news/copy
right.htm
(copy/paste full link)
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EU / ENLARGEMENT
Brussels 11/04/2001: Maximum 7-year ban on workers from CEECs
After having presented last month five possible options to deal with the
issue of free movement for workers of the candidate countries (see ESBA
WEEKLY - Vol 3 - N. 14), and after having consulted all EU Member States,
the European Commission came up with a proposal for a common EU position:
transitional arrangements. The proposal suggests a general transition
period of 5 years with a possible extension by individual Member States
for a further 2 years. Germany and Austria had expressed the strongest
concerns about a possible influx of East European workers after
enlargement. The EU Member States still have to adopt a common position on
this issue after which the issue will be negotiated between the EU and
each candidate country. The candidate countries have already sharply
criticised the Commission proposal.
More information (copy/paste full link):
http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP
/01/561|0|RAPID&lg=EN
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