54 Amendments of Fiona HALL related to 2012/2042(INI)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas 25% of EU SMEs have been internationally active within the single market butwhile only 13% have been internationally active outside the EU; and whereas only 24% of micro firms export goods or services compared to 38% of small firms and 53% of medium- sized firms;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas almost onea third of the administrative burdens deriving from EU legislation stems from primarily from disproportionate and inefficient national implementation, which means that up to EUR 40 billion could be saved if Member States would transposed EU legislation more efficiently6 , up to EUR 40 bn could be saved.;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas more than 96 % of SMEs in the European Union have fewer than 50 employees and less than EUR 10 Million 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, legal insecurity and regulatory fragmentation;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas 85% of all new jobs in the EU between 2002 and 2010 were-2010 have been created by SMEs, in particular by new firms; whereas 32.,5 million people in the EU are self- employed;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. StressNotes the need to tackle SME market failures such as limitedcommon structural and regulatory challenges faced by SMEs, such as access to financiale, human capital and organisational resources; in this respect welcomes the fact that the Commission endeavours to promote and support SMEs's economic activities in foreign markets both inside and outside the EUthe single market and third country markets;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises the incredible variety of SMEs and that proper distinctions need to be made between different business cases and needsUnderlines that SMEs are extremely varied; therefore, when designing new policies for SMEs, the Commission should take into account the different challenges faced by companies depending on size and sector;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Heading 1 – subheading 1
Heading 1 – subheading 1
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. UrgeSupports the Commission´s commitment to launch the multilingual online portal foreseen in the Communication before the end of 2012 , as soon as possible; believes that the portal should be easily accessible and, user- friendly and should not be a duplicateion of existing portals;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Heading 1 – subheading 2
Heading 1 – subheading 2
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Supports the proposal that a large number of local, regional, national and European support schemes should undergo a "mapping exercise"; believes that this exercise should also be accompanied with an assessment of the effectiveness of existing EU support schemes; believes that the mapping should be conducted in regular intervals and serve as basis for a benchmark and scoreboard system;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Expects specific proposals by the end of 2012 to rationalise andfrom the Commission, on how to coordinate the EU support schemes and to create the best possible synergies for EU SMEs, based on existing structures where feasible, without creating unnecessary competition withfor SMEs in order to create effective synergies based on existing structures and complementary to measures carried out by national organisations;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Heading 1 – subheading 3
Heading 1 – subheading 3
IMPROMOTVING EU CLUSTERS AND NETWORKMARKET ACCESS
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that developing e-government and one stop shops will reduce administrative procedures and create new business opportunities; notes that greater access to procurement markets can assist SMEs in unlocking their potential for job creation; notes that such e-government could be used to provide access to all relevant information on compliance with employment legislation and tax regimes, as well as information on accessing different levels of European, national and regional funding and support schemes for SMEs and micro-enterprises;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Supports the Commission's suggestion to enhance cooperation between the various businesscompany associations, chambers of commerce and other private actors active in non-EU countrieactors active in the single market and third countries in order to facilitate business partnerships, promote clusters and access to new markets;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Considers that the creation of joint ventures or other partnership agreements between or with SMEs should be fostered as a strategy for penetrating new markets, developing direct investment projects in the single market and third countries and taking part in invitations to tender; calls on the Commission to mobilise resources in order to promote such transnational cooperation;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Notes that lack of appropriate infrastructure in rural areas, e.g. broadband internet access, presents a serious barrier to employment and growth, particularly for SMEs, micro- enterprises, the self employed and "self- starters", which could otherwise benefit from location outside cities and high rent areas;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Calls for increased and more efficient support for SMEs in access to the single market and third country markets at the EU, national and regional level particularly regarding promotion and access to information, the protection of intellectual property rights, participation in public tenders, ICT, standardisation and regulatory issues; believes that the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) is an effective tool to achieve these objectives; shares the view that, based on a thorough evaluation, a new governance model for EEN should be put in place with the view to increase effectiveness and to help it to provide tailor made support;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Is convinced that SMEs will only use the EEN to the desired extent if the organisations that form the EEN are strengthened and awareness is raised among SMEs of the support services it can provide;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes that costs associated with compliance have a disproportionate effect on SMEs, especially on micro-enterprises; and that these costs can present a major obstacle to expansion of these businesses and their capacity to employ and retain staff; encourages Member States to take this into account when reviewing their national tax and social security regimes;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Paragraph 10 c (new)
10c. Notes the importance of the creation of a simplified and transparent EU regulatory framework for public procurement, so that SMEs gain better access to public contracts, both within the EU and in third countries;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 d (new)
Paragraph 10 d (new)
10d. Supports a European standardisation system that includes SMEs more systematically in the decision making processes, while respecting the proven principle of national delegation; calls for standards to be made more easily available to SMEs and at a lower cost, in order to enable interoperability and mitigate some of the substantial obstacles faced by SMEs going international;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 e (new)
Paragraph 10 e (new)
10e. Emphasises that the effective and affordable protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) is key to encourage SMEs to develop new ideas and technologies as a basis for their international activities; in this respect welcomes the promotion of IPR helpdesks;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 f (new)
Paragraph 10 f (new)
10f. Encourage Member States to actively support the Commission´s role in boosting SMEs access to third country markets in international forums and conferences;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Heading 1 – subheading 4
Heading 1 – subheading 4
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new) after subheading 4
Paragraph 10 a (new) after subheading 4
10a. Shares the view that support programmes funded with public resources should be delivered in the most cost effective possible form, especially at a time when the European economy is still recovering from its worst crisis for decades;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new) after subheading 4
Paragraph 10 b (new) after subheading 4
10b. Supports the Commission's suggestion to enhance cooperation between various company associations, chambers of commerce and other actors in outside-EU countries, in order to facilitate business partnerships, promote clusters and access to new markets;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes and strongly supports the focus on micro-enterprises in a strengthened SME test (see COM(2011)0803) through which all available possibilities such as exclusion from the scope, individual provisions, extended transition periods or lighter regimes are systematically assessed.; emphasises that new employment and social legislation which passes the enhanced SME test should be applied in the simplest form, creating the minimum necessary administrative burden required to achieve its functional objective, and respecting the subsidiarity principle; calls on Member States to carefully consider the intended objective of social legislation, and implement it without "gold-plating" or introducing additional requirements which are not explicitly required under EU law;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Believes that any revision of financial markets regulation should enable SMEs to increasingly raise finance through capital markets, in order to be less dependent on bank loans;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Calls for the simplification of EU instruments for SMEs and for them to be made more accessible; notes that all too often, EU programmes can be too bureaucratic to be exploited by SMEs;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)
Paragraph 12 c (new)
12c. Calls for SMEs to be strongly taken into account in ongoing reform of the structural funds, where appropriate and where it contributes to regional framework conditions for growth and to create synergies with other EU programmes and initiatives; believes that red tape needs to be reduced, for example by accepting proportionate corporate auditing and reporting standards and by introducing common rules for all funds and programmes in the revision of the Financial Regulation;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 d (new)
Paragraph 12 d (new)
12d. Calls on Member States to implement as soon as possible the late payments directive into national law, to help give additional liquidity to SMEs in the current economic crisis;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 e (new)
Paragraph 12 e (new)
12e. Calls for more effective, simpler and better-coordinated EU instruments devoted to access to credit or risk capital in particular for SMEs with internationalisation plans;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 f (new)
Paragraph 12 f (new)
12f. Calls for efficient safeguards for SME portfolios, in view of increased capital requirements for banks, as part of the implementation of Basel III and the deleveraging process currently carried out by a number of banks, while considering the cumulative effect of financial services legislation.
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Welcomes the achievement of the 2012 target on minimising administrative burdens; urges the Commission to come up with a new and ambitious reduction target in accordance with the ‘Think Small First’ principleSBA; believes that the new reduction target should be a net target, including all areas affecting SMEs and taking into account new legislation that is adopted after the targets have been set;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Urges national governments to apply a ‘comply or explain’ approach similar to the corporate governance provisccept correlation tables for the implementation of EU legislations; stresses that, under based on this approach, governments wshould need to duly justify when implementing provisions which are additional to those required by the EU legislation;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Calls for a "fitness check" of existing EU legislation to set aside inconsistencies and outdated or ineffective rules;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Strongly supports the idea of "one in, one out" as a guiding principle for EU single market legislation, to ensure that no new legislation which imposes costs on SMEs can be brought in without the identification of existing regulations within a given field and of an equivalent value that can be removed;
Amendment 99 #
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 for SME Envoys to be independent from individual ministries or directorates- general and to be strongly involvedto be reinforced as it brings real added value to communication and coordination, from policy formulation to the implementation of legislation; calls for a strong involvement of the SME Envoys in the SME test procedures;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Takes note of the current evaluation of the SME definition, which already covers overmore than 99% of all EU businesses; stresses that any modifications should be aimed atcalls on the Commission to examine the impact of increasing flexibility and curbmitigating disincentives to growth (e.g. by considering the criteria as alternative instead of cumulative, and by extending transition periods to 3 years), adapting the turnover and balance sheet ceilings to economic developments, and to allowing for a more differentiated consideration of each of the sub-categories;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Acknowledges the plans to establish a separateCalls on the Commission to examine the potential benefits of complementing the SME definition with a new intermediate category (mid-caps) 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 activities;
Amendment 111 #
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 is still does not existnot a reality in many areas, in particularly as regards its digital dimension; calls therefore on the Commission to push for the implementation of the digital single market by 2015, to force Member States to applyimplement existing legislation, and to make new proposals where internal market legislation is still missing;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Welcomes the Commission's Communicanew programme for the competitiveness of SME´s (COSME); notes the successful actions on reinforcing the competitiveness of Europe's industries; regrets that neither the concept of competitiveness-proofing nor the ex-post evaluation of legf the CIP that should be continued and further expanded under the new programme, such as the High Level Group of Independent Stakeholders for Administrative Burden Reduction, the Enterprise Europe Network and the financial instruments for the provision of equity and loan financing; stresses that all instruments, in particular the non- financial instruments, should be adopted based on a critical evaluation of the CIP and in close cooperation with SME organislation affecting industry are mentioned; calls on the Commission to report regularly on progress achieved in this fields; stresses the need to allocate a sufficient budget for COSME in the Multiannual Financial Framework, considering in particular the significant market failures with regard to SME financing and the need to increase EU support for business transfers; believes in this regard that the delineation between COSME and Horizon 2020 in terms of activities and budget deserve further consideration to facilitate orientation for SME and to ensure sufficient funding;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Welcomes the fact that the Commission has acknowledged the importaCommission's communication on reinforcing the competitiveness of Europe's industries; regrets that the concept of the manufacturing sector for sustainable growth and employment in the EU in its various strategies and communications; reiterates the need for an integrated industrial policy based on the principles of social market economycompetitiveness-proofing as well as the ex-post evaluation of legislation affecting industry is not mentioned; calls on the Commission to actively apply competitiveness-proofing in its impact assessment and to report regularly on progress achieved in this field; calls on Member States respectively to apply this test when transposing EU legislation into national law;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Notes the importance of skilled and trained entrepreneurs in facing the challenges of international business; calls on the Commission to promote the Erasmus for young Entrepreneurs programme as well as to study the possibility of "Erasmus mundus for entrepreneurs" to give the possibility to talented entrepreneurs to acquire experience in centres of excellences outside the EU;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Urges Member States to implement ambitious programmes based on incentives to further promote entrepreneurship; calls for such programmes to include measures that improveing access to finance and markets, to ease administrative requirements and to better include more entrepreneurial education in school curricula at all levels;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Calls on the Commission and Member States to adopt specifictake concrete measures to promote social entrepreneurship in Europe, in particular through improving access to public and private finance and by improving the mobility and recognition of skilled workerforce and by improving the quality and the availability of corporate social responsibility (CSR) advice for SMEs;