Tuesday February 7th 2012

08h30 to 09h30

European Parliament, Salon des Membres

Brussels

Welcome & Moderation

Nadezhda NEYNSKY MEP, SME UNION President (confirmed)

Keynote speeches

Prof. Christian HOFFMAN, University of St. Gallen, Director of Media for the Liberales Institut (confirmed)

Markus FERBER MEP, Member of the EP Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (confirmed)

Maarten VERWEY, Deputy Director General, DG ECFIN, European Commission (tbc)

Followed by a discussion with the participants

RSVP by January 30th at:

sme@sme-union.eu

The European People's Party organized a two-day Congress in Marseilles, France on the 7th and 8th December. The debate on "Moving Europe Forward" outlined  long-term policies and fifteen resolutions of the EPP . Several EU heads of state and government, the President of the European Commission, Josè Manuel Barroso and the President of European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek also attended the Congress and agreed on a five-point declaration for resolving the euro crisis. Nadezhda Neynsky MEP and President of SME UNION of the EPP made a speech on the topic, see the video on the left. 

Europe cannot be two-speed simply because Europe is one.

Some twenty years ago we were faced with the uncertainty of how to overcome division.

Today we face the same dilemma. The euro that we chose to be our common denominator - in all senses - could be our new Berlin wall that stigmatizes Europe's cohesion.

This is not what we agreed to. I led my people towards a united, strong Europe - a Europe that may change the tactics in the face of the unknown but would not back down and hijack the principles of the founding fathers.

I had the privilege of personally overseeing the overthrow of an instrument of separation and isolation - the visa requirements for Bulgarians - and how this injected new blood in somehow unexpected but wonderful ways. Don't tell me this was for nothing.

We made a choice to belong together and we have learnt that the more connected we are, the less we can thrive apart. Growing even closer is likely to make this love-hate-“can’t live without each other” relationship even more volatile. But I can't stress this less - we are also happier and wealthier this way.

We cannot have common policymaking without common politics. We cannot continue sliding on the line of least resistance, hoping that sidestepping legal, moral and emotional obstacles does not create too much loopholes to bring the system down. This, gentlemen, creates a vacuum of expectations, a lack of trust that irreversibly eats away economic progress.

What is decided in the coming days or months is systemically important to our economic development. We are still in control of our common destiny but we have lost sense of what is safe.

I stand before you today in my capacity as president of an organization that represents the small guy, the entrepreneur who pledges in his own right for policymakers to get ahead of the game. Socialisation of the costs did not result in the recovery that the taxpayers exchanged it for. Can we risk disassociation to put us into even greater mess?

On the 22^nd of November SME UNION co-organized a day-event with the Turkish Research and Business Organisations, TUR&BO (http://www.turboppp.org/).

“WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN TURKEY AND THE EU:  SHARING VIEWS AND BEST PRACTICES” took place in different locations in Brussels and lasted the whole day divided in different sessions.
The aim of the event was to raise awareness among the European policymakers about Turkey's potential with regard to women entrepreneurship, especially in times of widespread financial austerity and discuss the possibilities for increasing the number of women entrepreneurs both for supporting Turkey's socio-economic development and to meet the targets for the sustainable development.

Various Members of the European Parliament were closely involved and European experts on Women Entrepreneurship gave the latest insights of the topic. The Turkish Minister of Customs and Trade, Mr. Hayati YAZICI was the keynote.

Peter JUNGEN, Honorary President of the SME UNION, chairing the morning session, noted that in these critical times of economic crisis the only way to survive for a country is innovation and entrepreneurship. As Turkey had become the fastest growing economy among G20 countries and by 2050 will be the 12th largest economic power in the world, it is really important that European Institutions to focus on this country.

Mr. Hayati YAZICI, the Turkish Minister of Customs and Trade, started then highlighting the good state of the Turkish economy, with a growth rate of 9%, (the highest income per capita of the OECD countries) and falling unemployment. Women substantially contribute to this situation: women unemployment is only 13% as many of them are independent entrepreneurs and employers themselves. This was facilitated by Turkey’s implementation of some support policies, such as unemployment packages, lower security payments, tax exemptions, micro-credits and governmental co-operatives for women. He concluded with a statement that also the EU-Turkey agreement on the circulation of goods certainly enables faster economic growth. However, the limited movement of persons and services constitutes an obstacle to even more fruitful co-operation. Furthermore, he outlined the on-going undertakings of the Turkish government to encourage and support women entrepreneurs, such as training programs. So far more than 3200 women participated in these projects and benefitted from the programs by setting up a new business and improving them. He also noted that a sustainable development in the economy is only possible if women participate actively in business.

Sandra KALNIETE MEP, author, diplomat and independence movement leader, the next speaking, emphasized Turkey’s special responsibility in the region for supporting women entrepreneurship and referred to Turkey’s fast economic growth.

Monica MACOVEI MEP highlighted the fact of the high level of corruption and as a result of this the importance of supporting “clean” businesses in Europe.

Marko CURAVIC representing the European Commission perspective of DG Enterprise stated that regulations for entrepreneurs should be gender blind and women should be supported for setting up their own businesses. 80% of new jobs are created by SMEs and women are the biggest unused potential creating new businesses. As a reason for this he mentioned, that women are less risk takers than men and they are less optimistic about future perspectives before setting up a new business.

A very insightful speech was given by Mary PAPASCHINOPOULOU (Association of Northern German Chambres of Commerce and Industry): she firstly emphasized the importance of the fact that men should be involved in the topic of women entrepreneurship. Further she mentioned some on-going undertakings in Germany about connecting women entrepreneurship and family friendly policies. She outlined 3 major projects run by her Association in Europe: first identifying the obstacles in different countries that women have to face before setting up a business; secondly, an internet project which encouraged young women to set up an own business; thirdly a project that emphasize the importance of the role of women in leading positions.

These speeches were followed by some experience-sharing and best practices from Turkish women entrepreneurs. Firstly, Bendevi PALANDÖKEN (President of TESK - The Confederation of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen), Faik YAVUZ (Vice President of TOBB -The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey) and Metin SATIR  (Vice President of KOSGEB -  The Small & Medium Enterprises Development Organization) summarized the on-going undertakings of the Turkish government to support and develop SMEs and women entrepreneurship in Turkey. It emerged that the government has a guarantee fund for providing 90% guarantees of costs for women’s start-ups.

The Best Practices were given by Dilek SEKER (Owner - Zeytinbagi Organic Farming; Best Practice TESK), Berna ILTER (Owner - BRN bed company; Best Practice TOBB), Nese BOZTEMUR (Consultant - Marca Danismanlik Industrial Consultancy, Best Practice KOSGEB) and Hilal UNAL (Owner - Gokser Makina Heating and Drying systems; Best Practice TÜBITAK). These women entrepreneurs shared their experiences and difficulties with their businesses and the obstacles they had to face as a women entrepreneur.

The conference continued in the afternoon with the session in the European Parliament”. This special segment was welcomed and moderated by Mr. Paul RÜBIG, Member of European Parliament and the Honorary President of SME UNION.

Hayati YAZICI summarized the main points of his morning session’s speech.

Immediately after, Anna-Maria CORAZZA-BILDT MEP, encouraged Turkey to keep with their support measures. At the same time she emphasized the importance of strength and confidence of women entrepreneurs: they do not need charity but just support and they provide what is necessary for society. Finally, she addressed the prejudices and stereotypes which still remain both in the EU and in Turkey. Discussion about Chapters is not enough; we should focus on dialog and changing of attitudes.

Four successful stories of Turkish women entrepreneurs then followed. As they did in the morning Dilek SEKER, Berna ILTER, Nese BOZTEMUR and Hilal UNAL, shared with the audience their inspiring stories.

The participant then had a chance to continue the discussion at the reception held after the session.

On the 19^th of October 2011 the SME UNION hosted a Working Breakfast in the European Parliament on the topic ”A new EU budget for economic recovery: how will SMEs fare?” Nadezhda NEYNSKY MEP, the President of the SME UNION, welcomed and moderated the event. An Introduction was given by Paul RÜBIG MEP, Member of the EP Committee on Budgetary Control as well as of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and also Honorary President of the SME UNION.

The first keynote speech was given by Per WERNGREN, the CEO of IDE (Hosted Private Cloud) and the past President of the International Association Microsoft Channel Partners (IAMCP Worldwide). He noted that an increase in the number of SMEs and growth of the existing ones (19 million) have the potential to bring down unemployment in Europe, acting as a “vaccine”. Later he identified the two main obstacles which face the SMEs which aspire to go cross-border. First, the still existing borders hinder the completion of a unified digital European market; second, the double taxation problem has still not been solved.

Massimo BALDINATO, Member of the Cabinet of Antonio Tajani and Vice-President of the European Commission, responsible for Industry and Entrepreneurship, then took the floor. He outlined the on-going undertakings of the Commission in frames of the SME-friendly policies. Competitiveness and Growth programme, investments and venture capital schemes, advisory services and information actions and simplifying rules– are some examples of a multitude of measures crafted for the very diverse needs of the European SMEs.

Next, the impulse statements were delivered.

Bendt BENDTSEN MEP, Chairman of the SME Circle and a member of the EP Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, pointed out that the access to finance and to markets, as well as the red tape, are the biggest problems facing SMEs. However, another difficulty which will have be overcome is the lack of coherence of different EU instruments.

A very insightful speech was given by Sidonia Elzbieta JEDRZEJEWSKA MEP, member of the EP Committee on Budgets. She stated that in order to achieve the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy, it is crucial that SMEs are involved. It is also important that SMEs are specifically addressed in the budget.

The next speaker was Romana JORDAN CIZELJ MEP, Member of the EP Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. In her speech she focused on the need for simplification and more coherence of the EU legislation. Moreover, more financial resources should be allocated to innovation schemes. 

Finally, Krzysztof DEBIEC, the Attaché of the Ministry of Economy from the Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU, took the floor. He shared with the participants the very pro-SMEs position of the Polish presidency, and reaffirmed the immense potential remaining in SMEs.

The breakfast ended with a lively discussion with the participants.

On the 6th and 7th of October 2011 Katowice, Poland, hosted the 1st European Congress of Small and Medium Size Enterprises. Its organisers were, alongside with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice, Polish Chamber of Commerce, Polish Agency for Enterprise Development and Polish Craft Association. The aim of the Congress was to emphasize the role of SMEs in the process of building an innovative, dynamic economy and identify opportunities and challenges facing their development.

The Congress was attended by representatives of government and self-government authorities, business environment institutions and entrepreneurs. During the two days of the Congress 12 panel discussions took place, in which participated over 100 experts from Poland and abroad. The inauguration was honoured by the presence of the President of the Republic of Poland, Bronislaw KOMOROWSKI and the Congress’ Program Council was presided by Jerzy BUZEK, the President of the European Parliament. Nadezhda NEYNSKY, The President of the SME UNION, also attended the conference and gave a speech on “Role of SME in the development of the European Union’s economy.” In addition, Mr. Jerzy SAMBORSKI, the President of Unicorn (SME UNION Polska) delivered an analysis of SME position in Europe.

On September 21st 2011 the SME UNION organized a lunch debate in the European Parliament on the subject of the SME-commerce. The meeting was welcomed by Nadezhda NEYNSKY MEP, President of SME UNION and moderated by Paul RÜBIG, the Honorary President of SME UNION and MEP (EP Committee on Industry, Research and Energy).

The keynote speech was given by Fabien MANARANCHE, creator and manager of a French company, SAS Mountain Lion^©. The small firm is specialised in ecological outdoors clothes for professionals, e.g. hikers. The initial capital was 10.000€ and the sale has been conducted via regular dealers. Stock leftovers are sold via Internet. Both production and sale of the products is limited to European market in order to limit the environmental impact (e.g. pollution tied to transport).

The case of Mountain Lion was an example of the several benefits that the internet can offer to SMEs. These benefits were discussed further by Patricia LAMOTTE, Policy Officer of Unit On-line Services, DG MARKT from European Commission. She started presenting some stats on the differences in performance between SMEs with and without Internet presence. She noted that the former grow twice more rapidly, earn twice more revenue from exports, create more than twice more jobs and have 10% more profitability. SMEs in particular can profit from e-commerce by broadening their market at limited cost. However, take off of e-commerce in Europe is still limited (3,4% of retail sales in EU 27). It might be a result of some challenges that SMEs are still exposed to. These are access to finance, complexity and costs of legal compliance as well as trust issue benefits to well establish brands. One of the already existing legal frameworks is the e-commerce Directive. Another policy response is the Small Business Act planned for adoption at the end 2011 which will address SMEs access to finance and functioning of venture capital funds.

The next reaction was given by Luc HENDRICKX, Director of Competitiveness of Enterprises & External Relations, Legal Affairs Committee, UEAPME. He noted that the web shops are only one of the numerous e-tools which can be used by SMEs. EC plans should be therefore revised and promote also other forms of electronic tools. He also stressed that e-commerce should be regarded as an additional tool for SMEs and not as a goal in itself.

Vincent TILMAN, Senior Advisor of Eurochambres, emphasized the benefits of various online tools. He agreed that e-commerce should not be seen as a separate goal. There are many risks involved in e-commerce such as trust issues, translation difficulties and logistic problems. They should be addressed by legislative framework but in a very careful, not too invasive way.

The speeches were followed by a lively discussion with participation of the audience.

See letter

The General Assembly of the SME UNION held on June 29-th 2011 in Brusslels has elected Nadezhda Neynsky, SME UNION Vice-President and Member of the European Parliament as President of the SME UNION and Marian Petre Milut, Vice-President of the SME Union, as Co-President as of August 1st 2011. The General Assembly also elected Peter Jungen as Honorary President of the SME UNION. During the same meeting a new Presidency was elected.

The new Presidency as of August 1^st according to the Statutes is composed of: 

• Nadezhda Neynsky, President
• Marian Petre Milut, Co-President
• Peter Jungen, Past President (Honorary President)
• Cesare Cocchi, Vice-President
• Siegmar Kühn, Vice-President
• Tomaz Toplak, Vice-President
• Daniel Walther, Vice-President
• Angelika Winzig, Vice-President
• Nelu Neacsu, Treasurer
• Alessandra Bianchi, Co-Treasurer
• Hans Dieter Lehnen, Co-Treasurer
• Dimitar Avramov and Bernhard Kösslinger have been elected Internal Auditors

The main objective of the Polish Presidency shall be that of leading the European Union towards faster economic growth, and an enhanced political community. In order to achieve these targets, the Polish Presidency will concentrate on three fundamental priorities:

“European integration as the source of growth”

“Secure Europe”

“Europe benefiting from openness”

For more information: http://pl2011.eu/en/program_and_priorities

The SME UNION initiated a Working Breakfast in the European Parliament with the title "Next generation transmission grid". The event focused on energy infrastructures in the framework of the 2020 strategy of the European Commission to increase the share of renewable energy. Peter Jungen welcomed Vice President Oettinger. Among the speakers at the breakfast meeting were MEPs Paul Rübig, Krišjanis Karinš and Claude Turmes, all members of the EP Committee on Industry, Research and Energy as well as Pierre-Alain Graf, CEO of Swissgrid; Alicia Carrasco, Regulatory Director for eMeter; Daniel Dobbeni, President of ENTSO-E and Gunnar Lorenz, Head of the Network Unit for Eurelectric. Peter Jungen supported Vice President Oettinger's position on the coordination of the energy policy.

On the occasion of the IAMCP Worldwide (International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners) which ended on Friday June 17th Conference Partner the SME UNION President Peter Jungen chaired the Panel: “Using ICTs to reach the Europe 2020 goals: what role for the European Parliament?” Participants were among other Gunnar Hökmark, Member of the EP Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and of the EP Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and deputy Chairman of the EPP Group in the Parliament, MEP Lara Comi, Vice-Chairwoman of the EP Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, MEP Ioannis Tsoukalas, Member of the EP Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. A lunch event followed the panel discussion. In this occasion Malcolm Harbour MEP, Chairman of the EP Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, spoke to the public on "A partnership for growth - ICT and the Single Market".