Regional policy and rural development

Europe’s regions are crucial to the creation of employment and economic development, especially in disadvantaged areas and new Member States. UEAPME has set up a Regional Policy and Structural Funds Working Group, which gathers experts from the main SME and Craft associations of Europe to discuss current and future European Cohesion Policy and the role crafts and SMEs can play.

Video: Cohesion policy and Small Business Act

Ayako, Nolween, Jacob, Jonathan and Marco show very clear ideas on how to "think small first" in this video by Communications and Media Director Dieter Grohmann.

Position papers and other policy documents

 March 2013: Letter to Vice President Tajani and Commissioners Ciolos, Hahn and Andor on the negotiations on the European Agricultural Rural Development Fund (EARDF)

  February 2013: UEAPME comments on the “draft guidelines on regional State aid for 2014-2020”

  August 2012: UEAPME position on the "partnership principle" in the new cohesion policy (aussi disponible en français)

  March 2012: UEAPME position on the legislative proposals for laying down common provisions on the European Structural Funds for 2014-2020

  February 2011: UEAPME position on the fifth report on economic, social and territorial cohesion: the future of cohesion policy (aussi disponible en français)

  January 2011: UEAPME position on the Communication of the European Commission on innovation and regional policy (aussi disponible en français)

  January 2011: UEAPME response to the Commission communication and to the impact study on the common agricultural policy up to 2020 (aussi disponible en français)

  January 2011: UEAPME response to the public consultation on the common agricultural policy up to 2020

 June 2010: Discussion paper: The role of Craft and SMEs for regional development and access of SMEs to European Funds and financial programmes

 June 2010: Discussion paper: Innovation policy at regional level

  March 2010: UEAPME proposals for simplification measures of the administrative rules and the financial management of structural funds

  December 2009: UEAPME response to the Committee of the Regions’ White Paper on “Multilevel Governance” (aussi disponible en français)

  February 2009: UEAPME position paper on the Green paper on Territorial Cohesion

  January 2008: UEAPME response to the European Commission’s consultation “Growing regions, growing Europe”

  May 2004: UEAPME’s Position on the Third Report of European Cohesion Policy

Press releases

  15/03/2013: Rural development: Parliament’s vote on EARDF ignores non-farming SMEs

  15/03/2012: Cohesion policy for 2014-2020 must keep a clear focus on SMEs

  06/10/2011: Cohesion policy: SMEs overall satisfied with Commission’s proposals

  25/06/2010: Regional funds and programmes are not reaching SMEs, warn UEAPME members

  11/02/2010: L’artisanat et les PME soutiennent les efforts des régions en faveur du Small Business Act

  20/09/2004: Rural development fund: UEAPME praises historic win for rural micro-entreprises

  11/05/2004: UEAPME welcomes 3rd Cohesion report

  16/02/2004: Regional Policy: focus must be given to SMEs in less developed rural areas says UEAPME (aussi disponible en français)