The relevant ministers from the EU, but also of Switzerland and Norway, are meeting in Bucharest, Romania, on Thursday evening, 2 May, and Friday evening, 3 May, to explore ways to better support European start-ups and SMEs and, in general, to deepen the internal market and support European industry.
On 3 May, ministers will discuss the Small Business Act, the European policy framework to support SMEs, adopted in June 2008 and revised in 2011. After taking stock, ministers will work to identify possible actions to improve the framework for support at European and national level for SMEs and start-ups.
This will be followed by a working lunch dedicated to developing a roadmap to support energy-intensive industries, balancing the need for competitiveness and sustainability.
Finally, on the basis of the conclusions of the European Council of March 2019 (see EUROPE 12218/4), the ministers will discuss an integrated approach to support European industry in the medium and long term. In particular, the thorny issue of the persistence of regulatory and non-regulatory barriers in the Internal Market will be addressed. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)