Brussels, 03/04/2000 (Agence Europe) - A "minimal" programme which "in no way takes into account the role of small enterprises 'as the biggest, fastest engine for European job-creation'" is a "big mistake" which consists in considering that everything in favour of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) is also favourable for micro-entreprise (SMI): such is the crtiticism expressed by the president of UEAPME (the employers' organisation representing craft, trades and SMEs in Europe), Andrea Bonetti, on the fourth multiannual programme in favour of companies, being developed within the Commission services. Such criticism was brought to the attention of Commissioner for enterprise policy Erkii Liikanen, who took part at the organisation's general assembly last Thursday in Brussels. In response to these allegations, Commissioner Liikanen insisted on the need to have less action for SMEs but more targeted action.
"Enterprises with less than 10 workers represent more than 95% of enterprises and they are at the root of 60-80% of new jobs created each year. They therefore need a specific strategy which must be implemented by the elaboration of a European Charter for Small Enterprises", explained Andrea Bonetti. The Charter, for which UEAPME plans to be the privileged partner of the European Commission services, should include the following points: 1) the need to ensure the specific impact on micro-enterprises of various measures and Community policies already in place (single market, environmental policy, consumer protection, taxation, social policy, etc.) and to better take into account the specific nature of small enterprises in drawing up new legislation or Community policies; 2) support to the creation, strengthening and development of micro-enterprises; 3) broader and systematic access by small enterprises to the results of research and technology; 4) increased support to the use by small enterprises of new technologies and the information society above all.
Still during its general assembly, the UEAPME officially approved the organisation's mandate for possible future negotiations on temporary work. For Andrea Bonetti, "this participation of UEAPME to a negotiation in the framework of the European social dialogue marks a historic turning point". Asked about this, Unice (European employers) said that "it has still not provided an answer to its desire on whether it wants to enter negotiations with other European social partners or not (ETUC or the trade unions, CEEP for State-owned companies) on the issue of temporary work", and recalls that, "should such a negotiation begin, UEAPME will participate by joining the Unice delegation".