EU Intelligence » The ESBA Bulletin » ESBA Bulletins 08
- 28/11/2008 - Volume 10, No. 10
- 05/11/2008 - Volume 10, No. 9
- 24/10/2008 - Volume 10, No. 8
- 03/10/2008 Volume 10, No.7
- 18/08/2008 - Volume 10, No.6
- 11/07/2008 Volume 10 Number 5
- 19/05/2008 - Volume 10 No.4
- 30/04/2008 - Volume 10 No.3
- 07/03/2008 - Volume 10 No.2
- 15/02/2008 - Volume 10 No. 1
- 30/01/2008 - Slovenian Presidency 2008
ESBA BULLETIN of 03 October 2008 – Volume 10 – Number 7
Headlines
EU / Financing: Exemption from EU Accounting Directives for micro-entities
In Brief
EU / Better Regulation: Competition for “The Best Idea for Red Tape Reduction Award”
EIB / Financing: EIB and Commission increase financing for SMEs
ESBA/ ERENET Annual Event: Achievements in Entrepreneurial Education
Publications
Ø Eurostat: European Economic Statistics
Ø OECD: The Global Competition for Talent - Mobility of the Highly Skilled
Consultations
NEW:
Ø Online consultation on developing a harmonised methodology for classifying and reporting consumer complaints across the European Union
ONGOING:
Ø Online consultation on Administrative Burdens Reduction
COMING UP
Headlines:
EU / Accounting: Exemption from EU Accounting Directives for micro-entities
On 29 September, Charlie McCreevy, Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services, announced an option for Member States to exempt very small companies, so-called ‘micro-entities’ from EU’s Accounting Directives and an overhaul of the currently existing Accounting Directives altogether. Commissioner McCreevy supports the proposal put forward by the High Level Group of Independent Stakeholders on Administrative Burdens (HLG AB), which called the Commission to exempt micro entities from the accounting framework.
ESBA OPINION
ESBA backs the Commissioner’s announcement to increase Member States’ autonomy to simplify accounting rules for small businesses. In addition to substantive savings for small businesses resulting from an exemption from EU’s Accounting Directives, a modernization of the existing accounting system is indispensable to improve the business environment for small businesses in Europe. ESBA urges the Commission to follow the HLG’s recommendations and asks Member States to act rapidly on this matter.
To read more about Commissioner McCreevy’s proposal, please go to:
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/08/589&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
EIB/ Financing: EIB and Commission increase financing for SMEs
On 13 September, the European Investment Bank (EIB) announced plans to simplify, to modernize and to increase its measures to support financing for SMEs. At the request of EU Finance Ministers, the EIB will significantly raise its volume of lending to SMEs in 2008 and 2009. In light of the current credit crisis, ministers agreed to increase SME lending with €15 billion over the next two years with additional €15 billion in the near future. Substantial reforms are targeted at simplifying loans and reporting rules for companies and EIB’s partner banks, enlarging the scope of investment in intangible assets (e.g. investment in R&D) and opening the EIB’s financing to more SMEs.
In order to develop micro-finance institutions in Europe, the European Commission and the EIB Group (European Investment Bank and European Investment Fund) launched the JASMINE (Joint Action to Support Micro-finance Institutions in Europe) Initiative. Planned as joint initiative of the two bodies, JASMINE will provide technical assistance to micro-finance institutions and finance operations by the most promising non-bank institutions.
ESBA OPINION
Although ESBA welcomes the decision of Finance Ministers to boost SME lending, especially in light of the current credit crisis, ESBA warns that this will have very limited impact on the financing of the bulk of SMEs, namely micro and small business. In order to face the announced credit crunch, ESBA calls on EU member states’ governments to speed up the reduction of corporate taxation for smaller businesses to reinforce their equity structure both to invest more or to face economic downturn.
To read more about the EIB’s plans to boost SME financing, please go to: http://www.eib.org
For more information on the JASMINE Initiative, please go to: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/funds/2007/jjj/micro_en.htm
http://www.european-microfinance.org
EU/ Better Regulation: New Competition for “The Best Idea for Red Tape Reduction Award”
On 18 September, the High Level Group on Independent Stakeholders on Administrative Burdens (HLG AB), an expert group assisting the Commission’s Action Plan to cut admin burdens by 25% in 2012, launched a competition to find practical ideas for cutting red tape in Europe. Supported by the SCM Network and Bertelsmann Stiftung, the “Best Idea for Red Tape Reduction Award” invites entrepreneurs and citizens to submit original and innovative solutions to the fight against red tape. The winner of the Red Tape Reduction Award will be announced on the occasion of the European Enterprise Awards ceremony in Prague on 13 May 2009.
ESBA OPINION: A new award is good. Yet, SMEs need a swift adoption of HLG recommendations
ESBA supports all initiatives which support the reduction of administrative burdens in Europe. In the past, ESBA has engaged in a number of activities in support of the Commission’s admin burden reduction goal. ESBA urges Member States to follow the HLG recommendations on red tape reduction, and stresses the need for a swift adoption and implementation of the proposed measures at Member State level. Further delays in the adoption process will have a negative impact on the economic performance of SMEs - the backbone of the European economy - especially in light of the current credit crisis. Now, it is time to act!
To read more about the “Best Idea for Red Tape Reduction Award”, please go to:
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/admin-burdens-reduction/competition_en.htm
To read about ESBA’s activities targeted at the reduction of red tape in Europe, please go to:
0A130/Coaching/ESBA_Annual_Event/2008.aspx
ESBA/ ERENET Annual Event: Achievements in Entrepreneurial Education
On 18 September, Tina Sommer, ESBA President, held a presentation at the 3rd ERENET Annual Meeting at the Corvinius University of Budapest in Hungary. The Entrepreneurship Education and Research Network among the universities of Central and Eastern Europe (ERENET), consisting of university academicians, government representatives, experts from business service providers and responsible entrepreneurs, organized a high-profile event on the topic of entrepreneurial education and the role of business service providers in promotion of entrepreneurship.
To read more about the ERENET Annual Meeting, please go to: 6F8E0/Coaching/Other_ESBA_Events/Events_2008.aspx
Publications:
Ø Eurostat: European Economic Statistics
The Eurostat publication on European economic statistics provides a wide-ranging overview of economic developments over recent years in the European Union, its Member States and selected partner countries. The publication covers key economic indicators available on Eurostat, including national accounts, government finances, balance of payments, foreign trade, process, monetary and financial accounts, and the labour market.
To download a PDF version of this publication, please go to:
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-30-08-410/EN/KS-30-08-410-EN.PDF
Ø OECD: The Global Competition for Talent. Mobility of the Highly Skilled
The OECD publication discusses the dimensions, significance, and policy implications of international flows of human resources in science and technology. As more economies participate in R&D and innovation activities, the international mobility of highly skilled workers is increasing in scale and complexity. The study discusses to which extent mobility is leading to an increasing level of labour-market internationalisation and integration, and competition for talents and is now influencing innovation policy initiatives across the globe.
To purchase the publication, please go to:
http://www.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/display.asp?sf1=identifiers&st1=922008081P1&lang=EN
Consultations:
NEW:
Ø Online consultation on developing a harmonised methodology for classifying and reporting consumer complaints across the European Union
The European Commission has launched an online consultation on developing a harmonised methodology for classifying and reporting consumer complaints across the EU. The European Commission is seeking the views of all interested stakeholders on developing a harmonized methodology for classifying and reporting consumer complaints across the EU.
To access the online consultation, please go to:
http://ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/ipm/forms/dispatch?form=Consultation&lang=en
Closes 10 October 2008
ONGOING:
Ø Online consultation on Administrative Burdens Reduction
The European Commission has launched an online consultation on the reduction of administrative burdens. Inspired by examples of Best Practice in Belgium and the Netherlands, the consultation invites entrepreneurs to identify unnecessary red tape in order to help the EU improve the quality of its legislation. The consultation is part of the Action Programme to reduce admin burdens on businesses in the EU by 25% in 2012.
To access the online consultation, please go to:
A5B5B/EU_Intelligence/Test_an_SME_Tool_.aspx
Ongoing
COMING UP
EU Institutions: Important dates
07 October 2008 Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN)
8-9 October 2008 Additional plenary session of the European Parliament, Brussels
15-16 October 2008 EU Summit, taking place in Brussels
Other SME related events
6-9 October 2008 Open Days Event 2008 – European Week of Regions and Cities; co-organized by the Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the Commission Directorate-General for Regional Policy (DG REGIO); taking place in Brussels; for more information, please go to: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/conferences/od2008/index.cfm?nmenu=1&sub=200
7 October 2008 Working breakfast on “Access to Finance for European SMEs”, organized by CEA-PME and SME Union; taking place in Brussels; for more information, please go to: http://www.cea-pme.org/
7 October 2008 Hearing on the “Small Business Act for Europe”, organized by the European Economic and Social Committee; taking place in Paris, France; for more information, please go to: http://eesc.europa.eu/index_en.asp
10 October 2008 Conference on “The European Private Company”, organized by the French Ministry of Justice, in partnership with MEDEF(French Employer’s Association), CCIP (Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry), CGPME (French General Confederation of SMEs) and the economic interest group “Lawyers of Europe”; taking place in Paris, France; for more information, please go to: http://www.ue2008.fr/PFUE/lang/en/accueil/PFUE-10_2008/PFUE-10.10.2008/societe_privee_europeenne
15-16 October 2008 European Forum on Eco-innovation to promote “green” technologies; co-organized by the European Commission and the Hungarian Ministry of Environment and Water; taking place in Okotech, Hungary, for more information, please go to: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/itemlongdetail.cfm?item_id=1795
16 October 2008 EU Finance Day for SMEs, organised by the European Commission;
Taking place in Paris; for more information, please go to: http://www.sme-finance-day.eu/index.php?id=10
21 October 2008 World Standards Day 2008 Conference on “Standardisation and SMEs: A Challenge for Europe; What are the Keys to Success?”; co-organised by French Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European Commission; taking place in Paris, France; for more information, please go to: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/standards_policy/international/world_standards_day/2008_en.htm
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