35 Amendments of Bart GROOTHUIS related to 2020/2131(INI)
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas SMEs are vital for the development and resilience of European industrial value chains and contribute significantly to local, regional and national economies;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas many SMEs still lack full access to digitalisation; whereas focus on R&I and, entrepreneurial skills, digital literacy and advanced digital skills should accompany the enhancement of access to digital infrastructure and data;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas digitalisation and deployment of innovative solutions will be crucial for SMEs contribution to the success of the European Green Deal;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
G b. whereas innovation in SMEs is often the outcome of collaborative efforts in which businesses interact and exchange knowledge and information with partners as part of broader innovation systems;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G c (new)
Recital G c (new)
G c. whereas grants are typically more likely than tax credits to reach SMEs or activities in which SMEs are more likely to be involved;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas mid-caps that do not meet the criteria to be classified as SMEs contribute significantly to employment and growth, especially in some Member States, and therefore require an additional and separate mid-cap definition, without prejudice to the definition of SME, in order to ensure that mid-caps with 250 to 499 employees can receive more assistance and be better promotedan EU SME definition is referred to in over 100 EU legal acts covering a wide range of EU policies;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls onfor a revived implementation of the Small Business Act (SBA), under which the Commission together with the Member States toshould adopt a concrete roadmap with clear timeline and targets, aiming to achieve a swift reduction in the number of rules by at least 30 %consistent improvements around the 10 principles recognised under the SBA; underlines the need for a consistent application of the ‘Think Small First’ principle and calls the Commission to reflect the outcome of the SME Test in each impact assessment supporting its proposals;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Welcomes the Commission plan to appoint a dedicated EU SME Envoy to bring more visibility to SMEs' concerns; Calls on the Commission to build on the existing “SME Performance Review” process and engage in an annual debate on the “State of the SMEs Union” to be held in the European Parliament plenary sitting;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that SMEs will improve their access to global markets onlythe Single Market and the global markets only if confronted with a predictable regulatory framework and if supported by a structured and predictable ecosystem; recalls in this regard the role of chambers of commerce abroadnetworks, solid information resources and access to investment opportunities; recalls in this regard the role of chambers of commerce in Member States and internationally; Underlines the opportunity to strengthen the cooperation between the SME Envoy network and the national and local organisations representing SMEs; recalls that smaller and micro-enterprises risk exclusion from global markets in the absence of adequate support and accompanying measures stemming from EU trade policy;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Welcomes the achievements of the application of the Better Regulation principles so far; notes that further progress needs to be fulfilled, in particular in the realm of simplification and standardisation of forms and procedures, with the consistent implementation of the “once only” and “digital by default” principles, both at EU and Member State levels; underlines that the results of the SME Test reported in the impact assessment of future proposals should clearly demonstrate how the simplification would be attained in line with the “one in, one out” principle or, where possible, simplify even further (one in, two out);
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. Underlines that initiatives and programmes such as EIC, EIT, InvestEU and Digital Europe will be crucial in ensuring support to SMEs developing innovative solutions and breakthrough technologies, contributing to achieve EU technological leadership and future growth; Calls on the Member States to ensure the support to innovation opportunities for SMEs and maximise synergies with similar EU programmes in their national innovation strategies; stresses that innovative SMEs specialising in forefront technologies, such as AI, Big Data, VR/AR, sustainable transport, robotics, distributed ledger technologies, digital health, 3D printing, energy storage, innovative food production or recycling, rely on outside revenues to survive, especially in times of recession;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the opening of fast- track training pcommitment towards the Digital Europe Programmes, in digitalisation through the Digital Europe programme; stresses that training is instrumental to enhancing the skills of SME personnelparticular the establishment of a network of European Digital and Innovation Hubs that will, inter alia, tackle skills mismatches and encourage specialisation in digital technologies and applications by supporting the design and delivery of high quality trainings; welcomes the Commission promise to open fast-track training through Digital Crash Courses for SME employees1a to become proficient in areas such as blockchainAI, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence; calls on the Commission toor distributed ledger technologies, building on the experiences of the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition platform; calls on the Commission to take stock of its findings after carrying out an ex post evaluations of these actions, in order to ensure that the programme meets its objectives are met;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for EU innovation and digital policies and instruments to also support non-digital SMEs, particularly in traditional sectors where digitalisation is not well developed; notes that further action shall maximise access to information and take-up of digital technologies to professionalise business management and further explore use of cloud computing, AI and data analytics tools; deplores that most SMEs do not have access to the data they create; welcomes in this respect the European Data Strategy geared towards creating a genuine market for data, where SMEs will have easy access to and use of data;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls the role of vocational training, which is essential for promottackling the absorption of graduates and unemployed workers into the labour market, and ensuring that SMEs can count on properly trained staffmismatch between skilled labour demand and supply; encourages Member States to make the best use of the forthcoming European Social Fund Plus (ESF Plus) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in synergy with the Digital Europe Programme and Horizon Europe;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls that SMEs involved in traditional handicraftcreative sectors represent a particularly vulnerable segment of the SME network; acknowledges their economic and social value, and calls on Member States to ensure the sector’s competitiveness and access to information over innovation opportunities;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Regrets that SMEs are increasingly hindered by unfair competition from multinational corporations (MNCs), whose increasing prominence within the internal market has contributed to social dumping and labour deregulation, as well as the insolvency of many SMEs; calls for a rigorous and effective enforcement of competition regulation to ensure that SMEs benefit from the Single Market on a fair basis and harness the opportunity to scale-up;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Welcomes the Commission’s REFIT initiative to see if the SME definition is still fit for purpose; notes that clarity is needed on how entrepreneurs, self-employed workers, start-ups, cooperative businesses and mid-caps that face similar challenges to SMEs are considered;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes that following the WHO’s pandemic alertimplementation of measures aiming at containing the spread of Covid-19, trade restrictions and supply chain disruptions have increased;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Urges Member States to implement the Directive on combating late payment in commercial transactions and calls on the Commission to assess the need for its revision; recalls that liquidity must be swiftly provided to SMEs, while measures for SME re- capitalisation should also be reinforced;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Regrets that no more than 600 000 SMEs are able tocurrently exporting outside the EU; welcomes the new portal created by the Commission to support SMEs through information on administrative procedures and international trade regulations; urges the Commission to ensure multilingual access to this tool; calls for additional instruments to be developed, in order to further support the internationalisation of micro enterprises and SMEs.
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Regrets that numerous micro enterprises and SMEs are unable to access EU funding because of the excessive complexity of the relevant procedures and eligibility criteria; calls on the Commission to reduce such barriers, in particular by simplifying procedures and ensure online access to information;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Urges Member States to guarantee equitable access to bank lending for SMEs; notes the importance of traditional banking models, including small regional banks, savings cooperatives and public bodies;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls for increasing SMEs’ share of government contracts obtained fromopportunities in participating in public procurement by safeguarding SMEs’ access and combatto information, procedure simplification and avoiding tendering criteria that set demands or qualifications beyond the fundamental elements of the service or goods purchased;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Urges the Commission to rely on trade defence instruments (TDI) in order to reduce market distortions resulting from third-country tradepursue a level playing field and a regulatory environment where SMEs can thrive and compete globally; calls for the ‘think small first’ principle to be made a key point ofin European trade policy, notably by including SME-specific chapters and provisions when negotiating FTAs with third countries;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Notes that the COVID-19 crisis has pushed SMEs towards innovative technologies and digital business models, such as e-commerce and the sharing economy, and calls on the Commission to ensure that R&I investment is geared towards SME participation; stresses the need to strengthen SMEs cybersecurity standards, ensuring that responsible authorities and administrations should collaborate with the private sector to develop one-stop-shops in the Member States to facilitate access to information, guidelines and advice for SMEs to identify and implement action to increase cybersecurity in their activities;
Amendment 277 #
20 a. Stresses that investments in innovation should prioritize ecosystems that are inclusive of SMEs and that strengthen co-creation, maturation and transfer of excellent technology to industry as well as the uptake of new technologies, while encouraging businesses to scale up,: notes that the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) will be crucial in this regard; notes that equity and loan-based funding should be reserved to SMEs involved in ‘close-to-market’ activities and projects in the higher Technology Readiness Levels;
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20 b. Calls the Commission and the Member States to ensure that, whenever possible, R&I instruments, such as the EIC Accelerator, offer fast-track opportunities to start-ups that are developing innovative technologies that can support, for example, the testing, treating or monitoring of the COVID-19 outbreak;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 c (new)
Paragraph 20 c (new)
20 c. Welcomes the enhanced role that InvestEU will play within the Recovery plan, in particular the SME window shall serve as the main financial tool to consolidate SMEs business models, helping them to invest into corporate governance practices, skills and projects that foster competitiveness and market- based innovation;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 d (new)
Paragraph 20 d (new)
20 d. Welcomes the inclusion of SMEs in the European Space Programmes, including in the development of many downstream services and applications; recognizes the key role that SMEs play in the defence supply chains in Europe, and welcomes the new opportunities for SMEs within the European Defence Fund;
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Regrets that only 17 % of SMEs have so far successfully integrated digital technology into their businesses, and calls for instruments such as the Enterprise Europe Network and the Digital Innovation Hubs to be reviewed in order to assess andmonitored and reformed accordingly in order to improve their effectiveness;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Recalls the need to actively involve SME representatives in policy-making in order to reach a sustainable approach to the Green Deal objectives, which need to be based on accurate sustainability assessments; welcomes the Commission proposal to provide Enterprise Europe Networks with dedicated Sustainability Advisors;
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Calls the Commission and the Member States to launch a European Renovation Wave, which could support struggling SMEs across Europe, boosting the energy and the construction sector, while providing benefits for the businesses and spurring local renewable energy sources; stresses the need for private investment and European Funds to prioritise SMEs through renovation and retrofit projects, financial and fiscal incentives; underlines the role of the Just Transition Fund in financing, inter alia, upskilling and reskilling workers for construction and renovation sectors where SMEs account for 97% of their operators;
Amendment 314 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23 b. Regrets the absence of measures specifically targeted to SMEs in the EU Strategy for Energy System Integration1a; stresses that SMEs are essential in building a smart, digital and resilient energy infrastructure and their role shall be encouraged; calls the future PCIs lists to prioritise projects that include SME applicants; _________________ 1aCOM(2020) 299 - "Powering a climate- neutral economy: An EU Strategy for Energy System Integration"
Amendment 320 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Recalls that achieving climate neutrality is a global challenge, and notes that the evaluation of a carbon border mechanism can play an essential, designed in compliance with WTO rules, could play a significant role in protectenhancing the competitiveness of European SMEs, while pushing for the adoption of higher environmental standards by the EU’s international trade partners;