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ESBA PRESS RELEASE
Brussels, Friday 22nd October 2004
EUROPEAN SMALL BUSINESSES
CALL FOR SPEEDING-UP OF THE LISBON PROCESS
At a meeting of the ESBA Board in Stockholm this week, members of THE EUROPEAN SMALL BUSINESS ALLIANCE finalised a position paper to be distributed to the new Parliament, the new Commission and National governments introducing key proposals to help 99,8 % of all European businesses to become actors in the Lisbon process.
Brian A. Prime, in a speech to Members of the Swedish Parliament, said:
“The SME sector, which accounts fro 99.8% of all EU businesses, had great expectations when the Lisbon agenda established the intent to make the EU the most competitive knowledge based area, in which to generate businesses, in the world. The ten year project is now a halfway house and little has been achieved. We call on the newly elected EU parliament and newly appointed Commission to give the Lisbon Agenda top priority.
The future influence of the European Union will be governed by our economic strength, which is not enhanced with unemployment in excess of 19 million, big business exporting jobs and transferring large percentages of their activities outside of the EU, and a business environment awash with excessive regulation and red tape.
We are capable of making a much greater contribution to Europe’s future economic strength. We have the ability, the wish and the intent to do so, all it requires is the right environment. The Lisbon Agenda can help fulfil this need”.
The ESBA paper focuses on six major proposals to ensure that the EU will deliver the reform promised to 99,8 % of all businesses:
- The creation of a specific SMALL BUSINESS IMPACT ASSESSMENT tool run by AN INDEPENDENT LEGISLATIVE AUDIT COMMISSION for all regulatory initiatives at EU level affecting small business
- The re-establishment of a strong SMALL BUSINESS INTERGROUP in the European Parliament (EP) in charge of ensuring that the EP’s regulatory work does not develop extra regulatory burdens for SMEs.
- A major CHANGE TO THE REGULATORY CULTURE to enable EU authorities to target specific rules to specific business situations and to regulate the few business actors that create public concern.
- The EU to design a REGULATORY PACKAGE FOR SMALL BUSINESS fixing maximum limits for burdens in all major fields: Taxation, Labour Law, Health & Safety, Environment.
- Promoting through the EU the open method of cooperation APPROPRIATE BUSINESS BEHAVIOUR through innovative tax incentive measures.
- The creation of training on “what a small business is” for all EU officials dealing with regulatory initiatives affecting European businesses.
Note to the editor:
The European Small Business Alliance was established in 1998. It is now represented in 22 countries and represents more than 1.5 million entrepreneurs. It is one of the largest organisations based on free/voluntary membership in Europe. ESBA represents entrepreneurs in traditional manufacturing, commerce and service sectors as well as small business entrepreneurs from the new economy. ESBA is a member of WASME, the World Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
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