Brussels, 06/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 5 June, the SME Low Level Group for fighting administrative burdens presented Commissioner for Industry and Enterprise Günter Verheugen with its package of concrete measures and political demands for substantially reducing red tape, to meet the wishes of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Contact will then be made with the High Level Group for reducing administrative burdens (Stoiber group, EUROPE 9582). Finally, if the European Parliament has to give its opinion, this will be taken into account, Christoph Leitl, who heads the SME-Union network, told the press in Brussels, stressing that “100 MEPs are SMEs!” “We also have a very strong partner in Commissioner Verheugen, a friend of SMEs and a friend in favour of reducing red tape. This can give us cause for optimism regarding implementation of our proposals”, Mr Leitl said.
Set up by the SME Union, Eurochambres and Jade in December 2007 to support the work of the Stoiber group, the SME Low Level Group is composed of seven SME entrepreneurs and 7 SME experts. It has made 21 concrete suggestions, covering 13 Commission priority areas representing potential saving of around €2.5 to €3.5 billion. Eight of these 21 suggestions concern environmental policy, two concern e-commerce and two concern transport.
Christoph Leitl said LLG suggestions come from the grassroot entrepreneurial level and were developed in a cost-efficient and quick way. Stressing that SMEs had to act fast to achieve results before the European elections in 2009 and the change of European Commission also during 2009, Mr Leitl specified that “concrete results have been obtained in only six months and are a big step towards our goal of 25% less red tape by 2012, allowing SMEs to prosper and grow”. He went on to point out that 1.9 million start-ups are created in Europe each year! “Launching a company may be done at national level but, at European level, there are guarantees”, Mr Leitl continued. “We have plenty of ideas for reducing the administrative burden on start-ups, which are essential for the economic environment and for the creation of jobs in Europe”, he concluded (for the interview and details of Mr Leitl's idea, see EUROPE 9673).
Arnoldo Abruzzini, Secretary General of Eurochambres, highlighted the problem of the business world and of SMEs in particular - the problem of transposition of European legislation into the national body of law. “We do not simply want Europe to propose less red tape. We are also suggesting that member states agree with this”, Mr Abruzzini said, pointing out that “Europe is not a figment of the imagination. It is made up of member states whose representatives take real decisions”.
Tanya Müller-Borges, President of JADE (the European Confederation of Junior Enterprises), stressed that young entrepreneurs prefer to put their money in start-ups rather than in high administrative burdens. “It is money spent better”, she added.
The package of measures of the SME Low Level Group may be consulted on the website: http://www.eurochambres.eu (G.B./transl. jl)