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UEAPME NEWSFLASH ISSUE NO. 286
30 JANUARY 2015
UEAPME Newsflash
Board asks Juncker Commission to work on SBA review
At the UEAPME Board meeting, members raised the serious concerns with the lack of visibility and support the new
Juncker Commission is giving Crafts and SME in Europe. Despite acknowledging SMEs’ importance for jobs and growth in
each ‘Sunday speech’, the European Commission has removed the urgently needed Small Business Act review from its
work programme for 2015. Furthermore, the association is concerned with the continued visibility of SMEs in the structure
of DG GROW. Finally, UEAPME has asked the Commission to give representative SME organisations more relevance in
public consultation processes, to apply the SME test more regularly and to make the Think Small First principle a binding
principle in the Inter-Institutional Agreement for better law-making. Contact: Gerhard Huemer
UEAPME proposals for the Social Dialogue Summit
In view of the Social Dialogue summit taking place on 5th March, Secretary General Peter Faross attended the third preparatory meeting with EC Director General Michel Servoz. The European Commission submitted a new agenda and informed of the large number of participants expected to attend. The aim of the summit is to revive and strengthen Social
Dialogue at European and national levels. Hence, the EU Social Partners have been invited to present their high-ranking
national speakers for the summit. On content, UEAPME specifically supports the following topics put forward for stronger
social dialogue: improving the consultation and involvement of social partners in the EU semester and socio-economic
governance, enhancing social partners’ role in EU policy making, and strengthening the capacity building of social partners
(including SME organisations) as a key condition for a renewed social dialogue. Contact: Liliane Volozinskis
Annual Growth Survey & Investment Plan discussed at MED
At the Macroeconomic Dialogue meeting, Economic Policy Director Gerhard Huemer discussed current economic policy
issues with the European Commission, Ministries of Finance, the European Central Bank and the other Social Partners.
On the current economic situation, Mr Huemer explained that the results for the second half of 2015 are significantly
worse than expected and that SMEs are still not in a position to invest in new capacities and jobs. In order to back up
the bettering of the situation, UEAPME supports the Investment Plan, however the plan has to provide better instruments to finance investments and innovation in SMEs. He also welcomed the new communication on the Stability and
Growth Pact, which clarifies the budgetary flexibility. This flexibility exists if Member States implement structural reforms
and investments in future growth. Finally, he urged DG ECFIN to start a debate on better involvement of Social Partners
in economic governance. Contact: Gerhard Huemer
SME points raised at the EEFIG meeting
Sustainable Development Adviser Rosa Solanes participated in the EEFIG (Energy Efficiency Financial Institutions
Group) meeting to discuss the draft report due to be adopted in February. The report aims at drawing up certain recommendations for upscaling the financing of energy efficiency investments in the building, industry and SME sectors
and hence at gathering representatives of financial institutions, trade associations and Energy Service Companies. The
report proposes training personnel in financial institutions, increasing the availability of non-bank finance alternatives,
using the ISO 50001 on Energy Management System, etc. On the possibility to mandate ISO 50001, she pointed out
that this standard is not suitable for SMEs in most cases since it is too costly and bureaucratic for small companies. She
added that the group’s goal is to facilitate energy efficiency investments and thus rendering the standard mandatory
would hinder such a goal for SMEs. Contact: Rosa Solanes
------------------------------------ News from UEAPME Projects ------------------------------------
TOSCA: call for SMEs
As one of the project partners, UEAPME participated in the TOSCA project review meeting last week in Ljubljana. TOSCA
(Total Operation Management for Safety Critical Activities) project deals with the integration of industrial operations into a
total performance management system so that concerns about safety, quality and productivity are addressed in an integrated way during life-cycle of a project or a product. UEAPME is currently looking for SMEs interested in contributing to
the development of tools within the TOSCA project, preference goes to SMEs producing goods that need safety measures
(such as chemicals, cosmetics, certain food and related products, etc.). Contact: Lorenzo Accardo
CloudingSMEs: call for input
Last week, UEAPME participated in the second review meeting with the European Commission of the CloudingSMEs
project to discuss the progress of the project. The website is now also available in Italian as well as in English and German and is undergoing French translation. The aim of the project is to get a full picture of the needs and the barriers
encountered by SMEs as users, and also by ICT SMEs, in the uptake of cloud computing solutions. CloudingSMEs will
hold workshops in different European countries in the coming months and is still seeking for feedback from SMEs and
their organisations (questionnaires available in English, French, German and Italian). Contact: Lorenzo Accardo
EVENTS AHEAD:
• Multi Stakeholder Forum on CSR (03-04.02, contact Luc Hendrickx)
• Single Market Forum – Rome (13.02, contact Gerhard Huemer)
• Societas Unius Personae: what’s in it for SMEs? (25.02, contact Luc Hendrickx)
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UEAPME Newsflash
Compiled by: Jenny Manin
Press and communications officer
Phone: +32 2 230 7599
Mobile: +32 496 520 329