The UEAPME Directors recently met President Georg Toifl and presented him with their main work priorities for the year 2007.

For the Enterprise Policy area, Director Luc Hendrickx said its Directorate would closely follow the implementation of the Multi-Annual Programme of the European Commission’s DG Enterprise and Industry. Simplification, better regulation, consultation standards and the debate on transparency are also high on the agenda.

In the External Relations area, trade defence measures will be on spotlight, as well as the EU-Russia and EU-China dialogues and the European Neighbourhood Policy. As far as Legal Affairs are concerned, UEAPME will mainly work on Consumer policy, the European Private Company statute, and IPR-related issues such as patent litigation.

The Environment Directorate will actively monitor a number of EU pieces of legislation, such as the EC proposals on Eco-Label and EMAS, the Waste Framework Directive, the Action Plan on Sustainable Production and Consumption, and the Green Paper on Post 2012 Climate Change. UEAPME Director Guido Lena will also follow the environmental aspects of the EC communication on an "Energy Policy for Europe".

Project activities will include representation of SMEs in the EU Eco-Label Managing Committee and coaching UEAPME’s representative at the High Level Group on Competitiveness, Energy and the Environment. The team will also coordinate UEAPME’s input in several EU Committees dealing with environmental issues.

The Employment and Social Affairs Directorate will work in 2007 on various pieces of legislation, namely the Working Time Directive, the proposal for a directive on improving portability of supplementary pension rights, and the Posting of workers directive. The Directorate will also deal with some political topics put forward by the European Commission, among which the ongoing discussions on the concept of flexicurity, work-life balance, gender equality and non-discrimination.

UEAPME will also be involved in the European Social Dialogue. In this respect, Director Liliane Volozinskis said UEAPME’s work would focus on the European Social Partners Joint Work Programme 2006-2008, the ongoing work on the joint analysis of European labour markets’ challenges, the adoption of the agreement on harassment and violence at work, and studies on restructuring in both the 15 “old” and the 12 "new" Member States.

In the Training area, UEAPME will work on a pilot project for an Erasmus-style programme for apprentices, as well as on the adoption of the new Integrated programme for Lifelong learning, the European Qualification Framework (EQF), the European Credit System in Vocational and Education Training (ECVET), and adult education.

Regarding Economic and Fiscal Policy, Director Gerhard Huemer’s work will focus on Macroeconomic Policy issues such as exchange rates and interest rates, the Stability and Growth Pact, National Consolidation Programmes and employment policy. European Taxation Policy items will include the evaluation of reduced VAT rates on employment and undeclared work, the push for the adoption of the VAT package at the ECOFIN, and the inclusion of SMEs in the common tax base (CCCTB).

On SME finance, UEAPME will work on the implementation of the Basel II framework with support and information activities, on State aid for SME finance, and on structural changes in the banking sector through the Round Table between Banks and SMEs. The general block exemption and State Aid for environmental issues will be the topics in the ongoing State Aid reform policy area. Huemer’s Directorate will also work on the economic aspects of the EU Energy Policy by advocating for a better functioning of the EU internal market for energy, an increased role for regulators at EU level, and a level playing field for SMEs in the sector. Public procurement will also be on the agenda, with the aim of facilitating SMEs’ access to public contracts and simplifying procurement procedures according to the "better regulation" principles.

The Sectoral Policy Directorate will work in 2007 to negotiate associate UEAPME membership agreements with several European sector associations. The Directorate will also be active in the Construction sector, contributing to the discussions with the European Commission on specific support measures for SMEs in public procurement, working on the revision of the Construction products directive and monitoring the implementation and preparing the revision of the Energy performance of buildings directive.

Director Oliver Loebel said he would also work to strengthen the newly-established Cosmetics sector forum, contributing to the preparatory work relating to the revision of the Cosmetics directive. In the sector, priorities will include the EC regulations on health claims and food additives. In the Healthcare sector, the Medical Devices Directive will be the key issue. In the Transport sector, UEAPME will work to ensure that any future proposal for a “secure transport operator” scheme is workable for small enterprises.