The package presented by the Commission on Tuesday 12 September to support SMEs (SME relief package) (see EUROPE 13248/21) received a mixed reception in the European Parliament. Its elected representatives debated the proposals on Wednesday 13 September and expressed a number of regrets.
For a number of elected representatives from the main political groups, these announcements come too late, as the Commission’s term of office is about to come to an end. However, they admit that the measures are necessary.
On both sides of the Chamber, the Regulation on late payment and the Directive simplifying the taxation of SMEs were given a fairly positive reception.
The EPP Group insisted on the Commission’s stated ambition to reduce the administrative burden for businesses. At the top of the list are the reporting obligations, which the Commission wants to reduce by 25%.
For Jens Gieseke (EPP, German), this needs to be translated into action. “The Commission ended up building up the administrative burden instead of implementing the ‘one in one out principle’ [...] The 25% reduction of the reporting obligation is a step in the right direction, but it is just the tip of the iceberg”, said the MEP. Several of his colleagues agreed.
The Vice-President of the European Commission, Věra Jourová, tried to reassure Parliament. “We are applying the ‘one in one out’ principle, but we need a better method to catch unnecessary burdens inside the pieces of legislation. This is where the special envoy for SMEs, employed by the Commission, comes in. It should be somebody who knows the practice, somebody who understands SMEs”. She added that the Commission’s services were starting the recruitment process for this person.
This measure is part of the package to support SMEs and was mentioned by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her State of the Union address on Wednesday 13 September. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)