20 Amendments of Nicole FONTAINE related to 2008/2237(INI)
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph – 1 (new)
Paragraph – 1 (new)
–1. Calls on the Council to adopt an action plan for compulsory implementation of the constituent parts of the ‘Priority for SMEs’ principle at European, national and local level;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph – 1 a (new)
Paragraph – 1 a (new)
–1a. Calls on the Commission to adduce the ways and means of enabling the ‘Priority for SMEs’ principle to be applied as a compulsory component of future European legislation;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Commission to further enhance the visibility and awareness of SME-related policy actions through the bundling of existing Community instruments and funds for SMEs under a separate heading in the EU budget.
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is strongly convinced that it is vital to introduce a follow-up mechanism to monitor the proper and speedy implementation of those policy initiatives which have already been launched; therefore calls on the Council to “‘embed”’ the actions to be taken at the level of Member States in the Lisbon process and to inform Parliament annually on the progress made; requests the Member States to incorporate into their annual reports on the national reform programmes a separate chapter on the stage reached in the application of the ‘Priority for SMEs’ principle.
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Encourages the setting up of a screeningCalls on the Commission to set up a system for the monitoring of the progress of, and implementation by, the Commission and Member Statesachieved by the Commission and Member States and alls on the Commission, in this respect, to establish uniform criteria for assessing the progress made in implementing the ‘Priority for SMEs’ principle; is firmly convinced that the annual reports by the Member States to the Commission and the above-mentioned Commission communication of 25 June 2008 promote implementation of the Small Business Act; calls on the Member States to present their first progress report at the end of 2009;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Would support the drawing-up of a schedule for the measures which the Commission and Member States must take in order to implement the Small Business Act;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Supports the Commission’s initiative to improve access to the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Development;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to createimplement better framework conditions aimed at promotingcreating an environment propitious to innovation by SMEs, in particular by introducing ways to improve the protection of intellectual property and to fight against counterfeiting and fraud more effectively, throughout the European Union, by immediately introducing a Community patent and a patent court system;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Draws attention to the need for sufficient technical and skilled personnel; therefore, believes that more investment is needed in education and that the links between educational institutions and SMEs should be strengthened; stresses the need, therefore, to develop work-based initial vocational training, since this method of training is recognised as helping to enhance the competitiveness of SMEs, and encourages the further extension of individual mobility schemes such as “‘Erasmus for young entrepreneurs"’ and “‘Erasmus for apprentices”;; ’;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Points out that the main source of funding for SMEs in Europe comes from their own activity; calls on Member States to provide better conditions and from credits and loans granted to them by the financial institutions, and that the increased risk assumed by those institutions endangers the access to finance needed by SMEs; calls on the institutions, therefore, to enablsure SMEs to reduce costs and’ access to financing and to offer them the possibility of consolidating their capital by reinvesting their profit in the company;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to step up their efforts to promote and provide information on the existence of European funds and State aids intended for SMEs, and to make these two instruments both more accessible and more easily understandable;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recognises that capitalthe Member States’ taxation systems can be a deterrent to the transfer of businesses, in particular family businesses, increasing the risk of liquidation or closure of the company; calls, therefore, on Member States to review carefully their legal and fiscal framework to improve the conditions for transfer of businesses, employment and reinvestment of profit;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Welcomes the Commission’s initiative of increasing the availability of micro-credits and, with this in mind, encourages the creation of a micro-credit contact point in each Member State;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Welcomes the Commission’s initiative of reviewing Directive 2000/35/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 June 2000 on combating late payment in commercial transactions; urges the creation at Community level of a harmonised time limit and more binding penalties for exceeding this limit; also calls on the Member States to improve the payment culture in their public administrations;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Notes that public procurement covers around 16% of EU GDP; calls on the Commission and Member States to strengthen SME access to and participation in public procurement through invia the various platforms for the ‘demater ialia making more use of e-prsation’ of public procurement, staggered payments and the harmonisation of the required docurements;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Points out that only 8% of all SMEs are involved in cross-border activities, which curtails possibilities for growth; considers that it is essential to boost the internal market; believes that Member States should cooperate in harmonising administrative requirements that affect intra-Community activities; calls on the Member States swiftly to transpose and implement the Services Directive paying special attention to the interests of SMEs and also encourages the swift adoption of the statute on a European Private Company;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on the Commission continuously to enhance the framework requirements for access of SMEs to foreign markets and to support the provision of information; encourages the setting up of European business support centres in China and India, in close cooperation with national business support centres already operating there; recalls, nevertheless, that SMEs need better access to information and qualified advice in their home countries;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Believes that there is an imperative need to cut red tape by at least 25% where possible and to put in place a modern administration adapted to the needs of SMEs, to enable them to save time and money and to devote the resulting resources to their development;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Points out that the Commission’s existing consultation period of 8 weeks should be extended to at least 12 weeks and that consultation documents should be available in all languages; calls on the Commission and SME organisations to involve SMEs actively and directly in the consultation process ; calls on the Commission to provide a summary of consultations carried out in the Member States;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses the need for the introduction of common commencement dates for new European legislation affecting business at EU levelSMEs; calls on the Member States and SME associations to inform SMEs concisely and comprehensibly of changes to legislation affecting them;