Activities of Paul RÜBIG related to 2012/2042(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
SMEs: competitiveness and business opportunities (A7-0293/2012 - Paul Rübig) (vote)
SMEs: competitiveness and business opportunities (short presentation)
Reports (1)
REPORT on Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs): competitiveness and business opportunities PDF (349 KB) DOC (245 KB)
Amendments (20)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
- A. whereas more than 96 % of SMEs in the EU have fewer than 50 employees and less than EUR 10 mio in annual turnover and whereas their ability to export goods and services outside their national borders is limited, mainly due to high fixed costs linked to international trade;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas industry plays a key role in the European economy and the manufacturing industry generates 25 % of thedirect jobs in the EU’s private sector and accounts for 80 % of private R&D;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses the need to tackle SME market failures such as limited financial, human capital and organisational resources; welcomes the fact that the Commission endeavours to promote and support SMEs' economic activities in foreign markets both inside and outside the EU; in general SME internationalisation should be considered as a process; in order to be successful to expand their business outside the EU, SMEs need advice services already at their local level and not only on third markets; this necessity has to be reflected in EU support policies;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Urges the Commission to launch the multilingual online portal foreseen in the Communication before the end of 2012 and to be fully up and running by the end of 2013 at the latest; believes that the portal should be easily accessible and user- friendly and should noteither duplicate existing portals nor cause additional search costs for SMEs;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is convinced that the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) is an effective tool to support SMEs in accessing markets inside and outside the EU; agrees, however, that a new governance model for the EEN is needed, with a view to creating synergies with existing structures run by national or stakeholder organisations, to increaseing effectiveness, reducing the administrative and management burdens and to allowing for tailor- made support;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes making the large number of local, regional, national and European support schemes undergo a ‘mapping exercise’; believes that this exercise should include an assessment of the effectiveness of existing EU support schemes; believes that the mapping should be conducted at regular intervals and serve as basis for a benchmark and scoreboard system; believes that the initial mapping exercise should serve as a basis for an assessment of the effectiveness of existing EU support schemes;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Expects first specific proposals by the end of 2012 to rationastreamlisne and coordinate the existing EU support schemes and to create the best in order to make them effective and resposnsible synergies for EU SMEs, based on existing structures where feasible, without creating unnecessve to the needs of EU SMEs; EU action has to avoid any duplication or development of parallel structures and demonstrate a clear European value added; existing national support structures should be respected in consideration of the subsidiarity principle; the servicing of single EU SMEs has to be focused to the organisation identified as closest to their individual business needs; asks the Commission to regularly competition with national organisationsinform the responsible committees of the European Parliament about the progress of this ongoing exercise;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Recommends that the Commission consider all dimensions related to internationalisation, namely exporting and importing including various forms of economic partnerships and cooperation; notes that there is not sufficient emphasis on this second dimension in the Communication;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls for a significant increase (100%) and rational use of the budget allocated to the COSME programme and, in particular, underlines the need to further improve access to finance for SMEs; calls for the simplification and rationalisation of the various Community instruments devoted to access to credit, guarantees or venture capital, in particular for SMEs with internationalisation plans; calls on the Member States to use 1/3 of their national corporate tax receipts together with banks to provide guarantees for SMEs;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Emphasises that a simple and efficient intellectual property rights (IPR) and copyright regime is key for promoting the internationalisation of SMEs; considers that SMEs need effective IPR protection to encourage the development of new technologies as the basis for their international activities; underlines the need for immediate agreement on the European patent;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. BStrongly supports the focus on micro enterprises in a strengthened SME test; however believes that the concept of excluding micro-enterprises by default from any proposed legislation is not an adequate tool; calls instead for the establishment of a micro-dimension as an inherent part of the SME test in which all available options are systematically assessed, such asincluding exclusion from the scope or individual provisions(e.g. by applying de minimis rules), extended transition periods or, a lighter regime or a tailor made legislative approach;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Regrets that only a few Member States have integrated an SME test into their national decision-making process; calls on the Commission to submitand the Council to submit a proposal for minimum requirements for the systematic implementation of SME tests at national level;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls for reinforcement of the role of the SME Envoy network in communication and coordination between Member States, and between national and European level, when transposing legislation; calls foron the Commission and the national administration to ensure that SME Envoys to becan act independent from individual ministries or directorates- general and to bly and follow a cross cutting approach in ensuring that SMEs interests are taken into account in all areas of law and policy - making; insists that SME Envoys are strongly involved in the SME test procedures;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Acknowledges the plans to establishSuggests the creation of a separate intermediate category (mid-caps) for the purpose of internationalisation support for companies with up to 1 000 employees; insists that any such new category must not dilute the effectiveness of the SME definition and should be applied in a limited number of areas such as access to funding for R&D or internationalisation activitiesThis would allow to easily differentiate between SMEs and mid - caps, but it should be applied in a limited number of areas such as access to funding R&D, internationalisation activities, structural and cohesion funds; insists that any such new category must not be part of the SME definition nor dilute its effectiveness; considers that there is no evidence that mid caps face similar market failures as SMEs such as in access to finance;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to establish a separate visa regime within the framework of the Schengen Agreement in relation to import and export activities;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Highlights the Single Market as a key enabler in creating the best possible environment for SMEs; deplores that it still does not exist in many areas, particularly as regards its digital dimension; calls on the Commission to push for the implementation of the digital single market by 2015, to force Member States to apply existing legislation, and to make new proposals where internal market legislation is still missing; the access to public procurement should be facilitated for SMEs by applying the "only once principle", using electronical transmission systems and the "European Code of Best practices facilitating access by SMEs to public procurement contracts".
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Encourages the Commission Secretariat-General, in cooperation with business associations and other stakeholders, to establish an annual award within the College of Commissioners to honour the Member whoor Member State that has applied the ‘Think Small First’ principle in the most effective and successful manner within the framework of the European semester;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Welcomes the Commission's Communication on reinforcing the competitiveness of Europe's industries; regrets that neitheracknowledges that the Commission has started to implement the concept of competitiveness-proofing norand the ex-post evaluation of legislation affecting industry are mentioned; insists that those concepts are consequently and systematically applied, including for changes of the implementing provisions of European legislation (such as ETS auctioning rules); calls on the Commission to report regularly on progress achieved in this field;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Calls on the Commission and Member States to adopt specific measures to promote social entrepreneurship in Europe, in particular through improving access to public and private finance and improving the mobility and recognition of skilled workers and apprentice; nevertheless, this should not lead to a categorisation of "good" and "bad" entrepreneurs;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Emphasises the importance of a reliable supply of raw materials for medium-sized enterprises in the industrial sector too; calls on the Commission and Member States to take specific steps to sustainably secure the supply of raw materials and to increase raw materials efficiency, in particular by ensuring free and fair access to internationally traded raw materials and by developing resource efficiency and recycling while considering a cost/benefit ratio;