The EU Enlargement Process and the new Member States

The enlargement of the European Union to Central and Eastern European Countries created an Internal Market of over 500 million consumers. The completion of the enlarged Internal Market is an enormous challenge and opportunity for businesses and small businesses of Europe. It will stimulate production, increase competition, reduce prices and raise demand within the European Union.

UEAPME as the voice of European SMEs supported the accession of the Central and Eastern European Countries to the European Union, seeing this as an important contribution to the goal of political and economic stability in Europe.

Position Papers

• October 2002 : UEAPME's proposals for the upcoming communication of the European Commission on Industrial Policy

Press releases

• December 2006: From EU25 to EU27: opportunities and challenges ahead for SMEs

• June 2006: Effective communication will ease Euro transition in new Member States

• June 2006: Crafts and small businesses from new Member States face integration challenge

• April 2004: Regulatory framework will determine long-term success of Crafts and SMEs in an enlarged Internal Market aussi disponible en Français, auch verfügbar auf Deutsch

• April 2004: Enlargement: can Crafts and SMEs in current Member States face the challenge? aussi disponible en Français, auch verfügbar auf Deutsch
  

• April 2003: UEAPME starts project to improve knowledge of Community Acquis in accession countries SMEs
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• April 2003: UEAPME and ETUC working together for the first time to help implement the social acquis in SMEs through social dialogue in the CEECs
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• October 2002: UEAPME supports positive report on enlargement but asks Commission to closely monitor new entrants

• October 2001: SMEs in the candidate countries need coherent policy framework UEAPME conference in Warsaw

Projects

• ETUC/UEAPME
• Business Support Programme I
• Business Support Programme II