Brussels, 26/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - According to a new FLASH Eurobarometer poll, only 26% of SMEs are already prepared for the Euro, while most of them are planning to switching their activities from the national currency to the Euro at the last moment. For Commissioners Pedro Solbes and Erkki Liikanen, respectively responsible for Economic Affairs and Enterprises, it is thus necessary that the companies accelerate their preparations for the Euro with, notably, the help of public authorities.
One quarter of SMEs are prepared for the Euro, 51% of enterprises having adopted a transition plan for the Euro (without it being necessarily implemented), 23% of directors feel it is not necessary to prepare for the 1 January 2002 deadline and close to one in four SMEs state that it is possible to wait: the figures are concerning. All the more so that small enterprises (under 50 employees) and very small enterprises (less that 10 employees) are few in number to have prepared for the transition to the single currency. Thus, only 19% of very small enterprises have an action plan for this problem. Furthermore, the fifth quarterly review on the use of the Euro indicates a persistent low use of the Euro: 30% of national payments (in value terms) and 39.7% in international payments by companies are made in Euro. As for the share of accounts in Euro, it only totals 3.9%.
In the face of these results, the Commission feels that it is urgent for the companies, and especially SMEs, to adapt their accounting "well before the end of the year", which supposes the assistance of public authorities, which must be able to ensure that the social security contributions and tax payments can be made immediately in Europe and implement the proper incentive measures. The Commission also invited the mixed economy companies to accelerate their preparations, their role in the local economic fabric being susceptible of inducing a lead-on effect on the remainder of SMEs. Finally, the Commission hopes that the Member States cooperate in view of accelerating the transition to the Euro. It will organise meetings enabling exchange of opinions and will spread good practices in the matter.