Brussels, 09/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission wants to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) use energy and resources efficiently in order to help them meet the objectives pursued by the EU's environment and climate policy. To this end, the Commission suggests creating a programme to help small and medium-sized enterprises implement European environmental legislation. The programme will channel EU financial resources from Life+ (€5 million for 2007-2013) and funding from the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) and the European Structural Funds.
This is a flagship measure announced in a recent Commission communication to channel EU funding to support networks for SMEs, simplify access to environmental management systems, and promote greater awareness of environmental issues among SMEs. The stakes are huge because there are so many SMEs, defined as enterprises employing fewer than 250 people, in the EU (23 million or some 99% of all EU enterprises), generating 57% of the EU's total economic added value and having a huge impact on the environment.
In a press release published on 8 October, EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said: "To successfully tackle the environmental challenges we face and to achieve our targets on greenhouse emissions, renewable energy and energy efficiency, all European enterprises must be on board. Small and medium-sized enterprises are an integral part of Europe's economy and it is therefore vital that they play their part in making the European economy more sustainable."
The Environmental Compliance Assistance Programme proposed by the Commission is a set of measures that aim to help SMEs minimise the environmental impact of their activities, and to facilitate compliance with existing legislation in fields such as air quality, carbon trading, noise pollution, chemicals (the REACH Regulation), energy, environmental management (the EU's environmental management and audit system, assessing product life cycles and companies' social liability), greener products (green public tendering, the EU ecolabel, integrated product policy, ecodesign, restricting the use of some dangerous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, environmentally-friendly disposal of cars, and energy-consuming products), waste, water and soil.
The measures presented in the communication also cover the dissemination of information specifically targeted for SMEs, promoting support networks, and training activities that build local environmental expertise.
The Environmental Compliance Assistance Programme also includes strategies and tools to put environmental issues at the centre of SMEs' business - many of them are not aware of the impact their business has on the environment. Most wrongly believe their business has little or no impact! SMEs also tend to believe that they are complying with legislation unless told otherwise. Under such circumstances the activities of SMEs may pose significant health and safety risks to workers as well as a threat to the environment.
A website in seven languages is already available for SMEs seeking more information about the EU's environment policy. (http: //http://www.ec.europa.eu/environment/sme )
The Commission is planning to publish guides on energy efficiency, air emissions, soil, water and waste and a handbook on EU funding opportunities for SMEs.
Starting in 2008, a new support network for business and innovation (replacing the Euro Info Centre Network) will help implement the Environmental Compliance Assistance Programme. (an)