Brussels, 02/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - In the framework of the package for the circular economy, which was announced on Wednesday 2 July, the Commission has tabled an action plan aiming to encourage SMEs to transform environmental imperatives into new business opportunities. This green action plan (GAP) is based on a series of objectives and measures to be taken at European level to encourage the efficiency of resources within SMEs, promote green entrepreneurship and facilitate access to the national and international markets for European SMEs offering eco-innovative products and services.
According to the European executive, significant savings can result from reducing SMEs' expenditure on raw materials in the manufacturing sector, as their purchases of resources currently represent 40% of their costs on average, and as much as 50% if costs for water and energy are included, whilst labour costs represent just 20% of expenditure. The increased efficiency of the use of resources by SMEs brings with it enormous potential for reducing production costs and increasing productivity: the overall savings for European industry would be in the order of €630 billion a year, according to the Commission.
The green action plan highlights the role of green growth for a sustainable economic recovery, and in the framework of a long-term vision of a resource-efficient and low-carbon European economy, the Commission explains. It has proposed objectives and action in five areas.
The first of these, greening SMEs, consists firstly of providing SMEs with information and advice on ways of improving their resource efficiency. With regard to this, the European executive is planning to set in place a European centre of excellence on the efficient use of resources, to inform businesses about the various programmes and actions in place in Europe in this area. It is also planning to prepare a Eurobarometer survey on resource efficiency and green markets among SMEs in Europe and the United States, and to encourage the Enterprise Europe Network to organise a European resource efficiency campaign targeting SMEs. Through the greening SMEs pillar, support will be offered to technology transfer mechanisms, particularly with revision of the classification methodology of green technologies in the technology transfer database of the Enterprise Europe Network. Lastly, under access to finance, the GAP aims to assist SMEs wishing to make the most of the existing support services, support programmes and financing systems, such as the European structural funds or resources dedicated to R&D.
The second area for action proposed is green entrepreneurship. Here, the aim is to promote all forms of eco-innovation, including non-technological eco-innovation, particularly by means of the SME instrument of the Horizon 2020 programme. It also aims to facilitate partnerships and stimulate skills for green entrepreneurship, through the green employment initiative, and the support of the LIFE programme to new business models for resource efficiency and energy efficiency.
The Commission also plans to inform SMEs about the opportunities offered by a green value chain in which up-cycling, repairs, maintenance, recycling and eco-design are liable to become driving forces behind growth and employment, whilst helping to meet social challenges. Nearly 60% of waste in the EU is not recycled and European executive is therefore focusing on R&D and the introduction of new circular business models, which will lead to a considerable reduction of costs and the creation of outlets for SMEs; in this regard, the GAP proposes an analysis of the obstacles to their development. It also plans to map eco-industrial clusters in Europe.
A further area for action is access to green markets. The EU's international commitments to cooperate in the fight against climate change in which the neighbourhood policies offer a concrete scope of application for the expertise of green SMEs wishing to gain a foothold on new markets. However, 87% of European SMEs only sell their green products, services and technologies on the domestic market. A more favourable framework and greater international cooperation are required in order to help SMEs to be more active in global value chains. At European level, the GAP aims to encourage the European standardisation bodies to take account of the objectives of the circular economy. Internationally, it will set in place European strategic partnerships of clusters with joint strategies for internationalisation. It also plans to provide support for missions abroad in favour of eco-innovative SMEs wishing to penetrate the global markets. The GAP is also based on the financial instruments of the COSME programme, dedicated to the internationalisation of SMEs.
Lastly, the action plan includes good governance measures: it provides for regular controls, assessments with stakeholder SMEs and updating the actions laid down in the plan. An examination of SME performances will complete the control measures under the action plan. Finally, the network of SME envoys will be used to facilitate the exchange of best practice. (EH)