Events

23-24th of April, Luxembourg. Third European Crafts, Trades and SME Summit.
EU Enlargement: SMEs meet the challenge.

The SME and Craft Summit is an annual event of high-ranking representatives from the European SME and craft sector. This year's event focused on the impact of the historic EU enlargement that the EU is about to undergo on the 1st of May 2004. The event counted with no less than 100 SME representatives from current, future and candidate Member States. High ranking Government officials from Luxembourg, Members of the European Parliament, European Commission Officials as well as members of the diplomatic corps and the press also attended the event. Download the programme: EN, DE, FR, IT

Session 1: What does the EU-Enlargement mean for SMEs?

What will the enlargement imply for the EU's number one employer: SMEs? Should SMEs from current Member States consider the enlargement as a threat or an opportunity for their activity? Will there be a level playing field between SMEs in the current and future Member States. These were some of the topics discussed at this session. Whilst many SME organisations agreed that new challenges would be created by the enlargement of the internal market, the majority of SME representatives considered that the enlargement offered more possibilities than threats to crafts and SMEs in Europe.

Read UEAPME's statement on enlargement De, Fr
Consult the presentation made by Hans Martens, Chief Executive of the European Policy Centre.
Read the presentation made by Peter Havlik, Deputy Director of the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies.

Session 2: European Action Plan on Entrepreneurship

Mr. Timo Summa, the European Commission's SME envoy, presented the Commission's action plan on entrepreneurship to the SMEs representatives. Mr. Summa and the participants highlighted the need to revive the entrepreneurial spirit to help the EU achieve the Lisbon goals.

Visit the Commission's pages on the Action Plan on Entrepreneurship
Read UEAPME's statement on the Action Plan Fr

Basel II: The future of SME finance

Access to appropriate financing at a reasonable price is essential for the survival of SMEs. Crafts and SMEs in Europe are the engines of economic growth, hence it is vital that this engine gets the funds it needs to grow and prosper. Amongst the many issues discussed with the panellists, the European SME representatives were particularly concerned with the consequences Basel II will have on SME finance.
What will it mean for the risk rating of SMEs? What percentage of own funds will SMEs have to present to access good financing schemes? These were some of the recurrent questions raised in this session.

Read the presentation of Peter Konesny, representative of the German Saving Banks
Read the presentation of Gerhard Huemer, UEAPME's director for Economic and Fiscal affairs
Visit the Bank for International Settlement's pages on the Basel II accord

Session 3: Innovation in SMEs - not only "high-tech"

Nowadays, it is widely accepted that economic growth in our knowledge society can only be developed by increasing the high-tech sector of businesses. Without denying the vital importance of Research & Development and the Hi-tech sector for the performance of Europe's economy, one must recognise that more than 97% of economic activities belong to the so-called mid-tech and low-tech sectors. These sectors also contribute to high quality economic growth and employment. These are some findings made by the PILOT project, in which the Academy Avignon takes part.

Visit the Pilot project's webpage
Read UEAPME's press release on innovation in the low tech sector
Read Werner Teufelsbauer (head of the scientific committee of Academy Avignon) presentation on "non-codified knowledge"

Memorandum on European Crafts and SME policy for the EUropean Parliamentary elections

During the last working session of the Third Crafts and SMEs Summit, UEAPME members adopted a memorandum on SME policy to be presented to the next EU Parliament. This document will the policy guideline of UEAPME to the next Parliament.

Read the presentation of Christina Linderholm, head of Parliament Relations at UEAPME.
Read the Memorandum EN, DE, FR, IT

Visit the Summit's picture Gallery!