The Commission plans to launch an initiative on the collaborative economy which would focus on the short-term rental housing services sector, according to a new draft version of the SME strategy, obtained by EUROPE on Friday 21 February.
The strategy aims to support and help SMEs to embrace the digital transition. Among the multitude of initiatives envisaged, the European Commission is planning an initiative that would target new business models linked to the collaborative economy, with specific reference to the short-term rental sector, where the American giant Airbnb reigns.
This initiative could, on the one hand, clarify the differentiation between 'peers' and professional service providers in order to provide legal clarity (including on the application of national rules related to one or the other qualification) and, on the other hand, explore registration systems to ensure the effective application of these rules, explains the European Commission in its strategy. Indeed, for the institution "Europe must promote the balanced development of the collaborative economy, also taking into account broader public interests, such as the availability of housing".
In addition, again in connection with the digital transition, the institution wants to develop, within the framework of the Digital Europe programme, digital initiation courses (‘Digital Crash Courses’) for SME employees to acquire skills in areas such as artificial intelligence, cyber security or block chains.
In addition, the Commission would like to launch a European programme to recruit "digital volunteers", to enable qualified young people and experienced older people to share their digital skills with so-called "traditional" companies.
These initiatives were not included in the previous version of the SME strategy, which was detailed in our pages (see EUROPE 12420/6). For the time being, no initiative on data access for SMEs seems to be included in the strategy.
A new label for public procurement and a new observatory on late payment
At the same time, there is a risk that the strategy may still change between now and 10 March. But its structure seems to be stabilised and is built around three pillars: a first pillar to help businesses cope with the ecological and digital transition, a second aimed at reducing red tape and a third aimed at improving access to finance for SMEs.
Among the new initiatives introduced is the creation of a new "SME friendly" label for public procurement, to show that tenders are adapted to SME conditions. Another novelty would seem to be the creation of a new observatory on late payments to better monitor the implementation of the Late Payments Directive.
Many of the initiatives included in the January version, notably the 'Cassini' initiative for the emergence of a European New Space sector, have been retained. Interestingly, however, the creation of a 'Europe Inc' scheme, based on the Societas Europea concept to facilitate the expansion of start-ups across national borders within the Single Market, a longstanding project that has been dormant in the Commission's drawers, no longer appears in this version of the strategy. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)