COUNCIL RESOLUTION

of 22 April 1996

on the coordination of Community activities in favour of small and medium-sized enterprises and the craft sector

(96/C 130/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

1. HAVING REGARD TO the White Paper on growth, competitiveness and employment, which emphasized the important contribution of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) towards the competitiveness of Community industry;

2. HAVING REGARD TO Article 5 of Council Decision 93/379/EEC of 14 June 1993 on a multiannual programme of Community measures to intensify the priority areas and to ensure the continuity and consolidation of policy for enterprise, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises, in the Community (1);

3. HAVING REGARD TO the Council resolution of 22 November 1993 on strengthening the competitiveness of enterprises, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises and craft enterprises, and developing employment (2);

4. HAVING REGARD TO the Commission communication of 3 June 1994 entitled 'Integrated programme in favour of SMEs and the craft sector` and the Council resolution of 10 October 1994 on giving full scope to the dynamism and innovatory potential of small and medium-sized enterprises, including the craft sector and micro-enterprises, in a competitive economy (3);

5. HAVING REGARD TO the Council conclusions of 6 and 7 November 1995 on industrial competitiveness and services to business;

6. HAVING REGARD TO the Council resolution of 27 November 1995 on small and medium-sized industrial enterprises (SMEs) and technological innovation (4);

7. HAVING REGARD TO the Commission communication of 14 September 1994 entitled 'An industrial competitiveness policy for the European Union`, the resolution of 21 November 1994 on the strengthening of the competitiveness of Community industry (5) and the conclusions of 7 April 1995 on an industrial competitiveness policy;

8. HAVING REGARD TO the Commission communications currently under discussion within the Council:

- the craft industry and small enterprises, keys to growth and employment in Europe,

- report on the feasibility of the creation of a European capital market for smaller entrepreneurially managed growing companies,

- Commission comments on the third annual report (1995) of the European Observatory for SMEs,

- future operation of the information and cooperation networks in the framework of enterprise policy;

9. HAVING REGARD TO the Commission recommendation concerning the definition of SMEs;

10. HAVING REGARD TO the report submitted to the Madrid European Council on the role of SMEs as a dynamic source of employment, growth and competitiveness in the European Union;

I

11. CONSIDERS that coordination of the multiple aspects of industrial policy, by the same token as the legislative and administrative simplification provided for by the Council resolution of 10 October 1994 on giving full scope to the dynamism and innovatory potential of small and medium-sized enterprises, including the craft sector and micro-enterprises, in a competitive economy, will make measures to encourage the competitiveness of European SMEs more effective;

12. EMPHASIZES the importance and usefulness of the Commission report of 8 September 1995 entitled 'Report on the coordination of activities in favour of SMEs and the craft sector`, which provides a comprehensive view of Community measures in favour of SMEs and the craft sector;

13. NOTES that the SME dimension has been gradually incorporated into many Community policies and programmes and that the involvement of SMEs in Community activities has increased, even though it could be further improved;

14. NOTES the progress achieved, in the area of the Structural Funds in particular, notably through the implementation of a Community initiative especially aimed at SMEs which makes it possible to concentrate appropriations on intangible investments in eligible areas;

15. NOTES that the same situation exists in the field of research and technological development thanks to the introduction, in the fourth R& TD framework programme, of technological incentive measures aimed at SMEs and an appropriate budget which is noticeably greater than that previously allocated to them;

16. NOTES that vocational training programmes recognize that priority should be given to SMEs, in particular under Objective 4 of the Structural Funds, the Community Adapt initiative and the new Leonardo programme;

17. EMPHASIZES the need to ensure that the stated priorities in favour of SMEs and the craft sector are reflected in tangible and concrete benefits for them;

18. RECOGNIZES the usefulness of the Commission's efforts to present in a transparent manner, notably in the form of tables, the share of Community appropriations from which SMEs have benefited by supplementing such data with available information broken down by size of enterprise, and encourages the Commission to continue along the same path;

19. EMPHASIZES the advantages of an overall framework for all Community measures in favour of SMEs and the craft sector, so as to ensure greater consistency, effectiveness and transparency;

20. EMPHASIZES the general objectives of action to coordinate Community policies in favour of SMEs and the craft sector which is designed to:

- ensure that the SME dimension is incorporated into the definition and implementation of Community policies in order that more effective account may be taken of the specific nature of such enterprises,

- increase the involvement of such enterprises in Community programmes and

- improve consultation with bodies representing SMEs and the craft sector in the framing of policies concerning them;

21. STRESSES the need, in the spirit of Article 130 (2) of the Treaty establishing the European Community, for greater coordination, where necessary, of Member States' actions affecting SMEs.

II

CALLS UPON SMEs, including the craft sector and their representative organizations:

- to contribute actively and constructively to the definition of measures concerning them,

- to increase their participation in Community, national and regional programmes for SMEs.

III

INVITES THE MEMBER STATES to:

1. cooperate with the Commission by continuing to provide it with the available information on existing programmes and policies in the Member States in support of SMEs;

2. forward to the Commission any available additional information necessary for assessing the impact of Community programmes in favour of SMEs which are implemented at national and local level, including available information broken down by size of enterprise;

3. encourage SME involvement in both Community and national measures, particularly in the areas of the Structural Funds, research and technological development, vocational training, international cooperation, the information society, energy and the environment;

4. promote the development of a spirit of enterprise, in particular in the context of concerted action under the integrated programme, by improving the planned framework conditions for the establishment of new enterprises, in particular through:

- reducing the administrative burden for entrepreneurs and at the same time simplifying the rules in force,

- ensuring that the training system takes account of the need to motivate young people, keep them informed and prepare them for setting up their own enterprises.

IV

INVITES THE COMMISSION AND THE MEMBER STATES to:

1. improve the contribution of Community programmes and measures to the maintenance and creation of jobs by SMEs and craft enterprises;

2. consult one another and, where necessary, coordinate their action in favour of SMEs, in particular in the framework of concerted action initiated under the integrated programme in favour of SMEs and the craft sector, in order to promote the exchange of experience and good practices, including in the sphere of local initiatives;

3. ensure that organizations representing SMEs and the craft sector at European and national level are consulted when policies concerning them are framed, implemented and monitored;

4. coordinate the various Community, national and local information networks more effectively, by recognizing, inter alia, the role of Euro-Infocentres in providing enterprises, in particular SMEs, with Community information;

5. facilitate access to measures in favour of SMEs and the craft sector, in particular by keeping SMEs and craft enterprises apprised of the opportunities offered by Community, national or regional programmes and by simplifying the relevant procedures in order to facilitate their participation;

6. improve the operation of the internal market in order to enable SMEs and craft enterprises to exploit all the opportunities offered by it, including in the public contracts sector, and to overcome any obstacles to internal trade;

7. encourage, should the need arise, the establishment of mutual guarantee arrangements among SMEs on a commercial basis.

V

INVITES THE COMMISSION to:

1. continue and reinforce the system for assessing the effect of Community measures on small and medium-sized enterprises and the craft sector and administrative simplification;

2. strengthen coordination of all Community instruments and programmes in favour of SMEs and the craft sector;

3. improve the access of SMEs and the craft sector to the relevant Community programmes, particularly research and technological development and vocational training programmes;

4. facilitate the access of SMEs and the craft sector to standardization and certification measures and encourage the participation of SME representatives in the process of drawing up and adopting European standards;

5. reflect further on the necessities of SMEs in the context of business transfer, in accordance with the Commission recommendation of 7 December 1994 on the transfer of small and medium-sized enterprises (1);

6. submit an assessment of the progress achieved at the time of the next report on coordination of Community policies in favour of SMEs and the craft sector.

(1) OJ No L 161, 2. 7. 1993, p. 68.

(2) OJ No C 326, 3. 12. 1993, p. 1.

(3) OJ No C 294, 22. 10. 1994, p. 6.

(4) OJ No C 341, 19. 12. 1995, p. 3.

(5) OJ No C 343, 6. 12. 1994, p. 1.

(1) OJ No L 385, 31. 12. 1994, p. 14.