10 Amendments of Thomas MANN related to 2008/2237(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the fact that the Commission has set in place a comprehensive political framework for dismantling bureaucracy for SMEs and with it has given a clear signal for the key role of the SMEs in economic growth, employment and innovation in Europe; stresses that currently most jobs being created in Europe are in SMEs; welcomes the fact that the Small Business Act does not provide for regulations, but carefully targeted guidelines as a 'benchmark';
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines that the application of the "Think Small First" principle at Community and national level requires the consistent implementation of the internal market rules and the Services Directive1 and an efficient follow-up by the Commission in order to secure that all obstacles are eliminated in accordance with those rules and calls for a sector inquiry to be conducted with a view to facilitating fair and open competition for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) all over Europe; in that connection, emphasises that the Small Business Act does not introduce binding rules, but rather guidelines which are designed to act as practical benchmarks; 1 Directive 2006/123/EC of 12 December 2006 on services in the internal market (OJ L 376, 27.12.2006, p. 36).
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is concerned about the continuing lack of qualified workforce, a situation which will worsen further in the future; points out that SMEs are in competition with larger businesses for qualified workers and that they should be supported particularly with targeted staff development and training; welcomes in this connection the measures the Commission has taken for cross-border experience exchanges for young business people, journeymen and apprentices (Erasmus) and for the creation of a European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET);
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines the importance of a Statute for a European Private Company; 1 as a new, OJ L 200, 8.8.2000, p. 35. additional legal form;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that dynamic financial markets are essential for the financing of SMEs and underlines the need to open up European risk capital markets by improving the availability of and access to venture capital, mezzanine finance and micro- credit; for this reason, opposes arrangements for the provision of credit to enterprises by the State, since the authorities cannot assess the prospects of SMEs any more effectively than actors on the capital markets;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Demands, in the context of impact assessment for new legislative proposals, the introduction of a compulsory 'SME test', the results of which would be assessed by an external, independent body; calls on the Commission in this connection to avail itself of procedures such as cost-benefit analyses or the regular consultation of stakeholders; asks the Commission to allow the SME associations more time in consultations on new legislative proposals;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Takes the view that legislation regarding SMEs must be supportive of their growth and must not create artificial limits for their ability to take the lead in the development of European Economy; calls, therefore, for the 'SME test' to incorporate procedures such as cost-benefit analyses or regular consultations of interest groups.
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. SRejects state lending to undertakings, since the authorities cannot judge the chances of success of SMEs better than players in the capital market; supports the development of micro- credit (up to EUR 25 000) through the Microfinance Fund to a value of EUR 40 million, in order to encourage new business start-up in particular and calls upon the European Investment Bank (EIB) to ensure rapid implementation at regional level; calls on the Member States to allocate money from the European Social Fund (ESF) for measures to encourage business start-up.
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls for account to be taken of SME cooperative arrangements in the Small Business Act, since it is established that such networks run less risk of insolvency than individual enterprises.
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls for the Small Business Act to take account of cooperative arrangements among SMEs (buying and marketing groups), since such groups have been shown to be less at risk of insolvency than individual enterprises.