2014/2210(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas there is a growing presence of women in family businesses, and w~~omen are a major resource in terms of their ability to influence strategies, decisions and management~~hereas, by virtue of their sometimes different abilities, their social skills and the way they influence strategies, decisions and management, women and men living and working side by side on an equal footing represents a new, fair and sustainable form of employment culture;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Recital C

C. whereas women encounter substantial difficulties in their involvement in family businesses, and are subject to ‘vertical’ and ‘horizontal’ gender segregation, and this despite the high level of education of women, who account for 60% of all graduates;

Amendment 11 #

Rosa ESTARÀS FERRAGUT, Barbara MATERA, Ildikó GÁLL-PELCZ

Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas in many countries the problem resides in the fact that society is permeated by a culture of male dominance in all walks of life and not only at the workplace;

Amendment 12 #

Elisabeth KÖSTINGER

Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas family farms offer a template for success because they put the principle of the environmentally and socially sustainable circular-flow economy into practice and because in that context women, as leaders, contribute not only entrepreneurial thinking, but also specific communication and social skills;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas women earn, on average, 16% less per hour than men in the EU and there is a dearth of women in high-level and leadership positions, and whereas the labour practices and wage systems applied to men are not the same as those applied to women, making it more difficult for the latter to be financially independent, participate fully in the job market and achieve work-life balance;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Recital D

D. whereas women often play an invisible role, ~~or act as figureheads,~~lose out as a result of the time they spend bringing up children and do not have their job or salary status appropriately recognised, which has serious repercussions in terms of social security contributions, pensions and welfare;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Recital D

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Recital D

D. whereas women often play an invisible role, or act as figureheads, and do not have their job or salary status appropriately recognised, which has serious repercussions in terms of social security contributions, pensions and welfare; whereas maternity leave constitutes an additional burden for women as it is negatively reflected in pension schemes;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Recital D

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Recital D

D. whereas women often play an invisible role, or act as figureheads, and do not have their job or salary status appropriately recognised, which has serious repercussions in terms of social security contributions, pensions and welfare; as demonstrated by the data on the gender pay gap and pension gap1; 1http://ec.europa.eu/justice/gender- equality/files/gender_pay_gap/140319_gp g_en.pdf

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas, in many European countries, women are frequently required to act as figureheads, either for tax reasons or because of legal obstacles preventing a male entrepreneur from holding any position within the business or placing it in his own name;

Amendment 2 #

Rosa ESTARÀS FERRAGUT, Ildikó GÁLL-PELCZ, Barbara MATERA

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas there is a growing presence of women in family businesses and women are a major resource in terms of their ~~ability to influence~~high level of education and proven managerial ability when it comes to defining strategies, taking decisions ~~and management~~, running companies and problem-solving;

Amendment 20 #

Tonino PICULA

Draft opinion
Recital E

E. whereas women have difficulty in taking over family businesses as successors, given that preference is given to sons and daughters are ~~nearly always~~often excluded;

Amendment 21 #

Biljana BORZAN

Draft opinion
Recital E

E. whereas women have difficulty in taking over family businesses as successors, given that preference is given to sons and daughters are ~~nearly always~~very often excluded;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Recital E

E. whereas women have difficulty in taking over family businesses as successors, given that preference is given to sons and daughters are ~~nearly alway~~sometimes excluded;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Recital E

E. whereas women have difficulty in taking over family businesses as successors, given that preference is given to sons and daughters are nearly always excluded, save under exceptional circumstances dictated by the absence of a male heir or a crisis affecting the company;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas women seeking to combine their roles as mothers and business operators frequently find themselves forced to sideline the former or even abandon the notion of motherhood in order to run the business;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas some 60 % of all businesses in the EU are family run or family owned;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas ensuring competent family leadership across generations is one of the main concerns of family businesses and gender stereotypes privilege sons against daughters in the family firm succession;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas family businesses create favourable environment for reconciliation of family and work life of women, especially mothers;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Recital E b (new)

Eb. acknowledging the crucial example set by properly functioning family business governance and its importance for the sustainability of the European economy and the social market economy in Europe;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Recital E c (new)

Ec. whereas many family businesses are small-scale, independent firms which not only make a significant contribution to the economy, but also embody long-term stability wherever they are located, including in rural areas, display a special degree of commitment to their local community, shoulder exceptional responsibility as property owners and stand in the European tradition of the ‘honourable merchant’;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas there is a growing presence of women in family businesses and women are a major resource in terms of their ability to influence strategies, decisions and management especially because the number of women graduating is equal and even higher than the number of men;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for measures to protect women to be applied and implemented more effectively, with a view to avoiding horizontal and vertical segregation, wage and job discrimination ~~(invi~~, especially as regards management duties, positions of responsibility, and ~~‘figurehead’ treatment)~~leadership roles, providing both genders with equal opportunities, social rights and access to health;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for measures to protect women to be applied and implemented more effectively, with a view to avoiding horizontal and vertical segregation, wage and job discrimination (invisibility and ‘figurehead’ treatment), providing both genders with equal opportunities, social rights and access to health, as well as ensuring fair remuneration, contribution payments, pensions and benefits;

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for measures to protect women to be applied and implemented more effectively, with a view to avoiding horizontal and vertical segregation, wage and job discrimination (invisibility) and ~~‘figurehead’ treatment)~~discrimination as regards work in the household and time spent bringing up children, providing both genders with equal opportunities, and social rights ~~and access to health~~;

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for measures to protect women to be applied and implemented more effectively, with a view to avoiding ~~horizontal and vertical~~ segregation, wage and job discrimination ~~(invisibility and ‘figurehead’ treatment)~~, providing both genders with equal opportunities, social rights and access to health;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for m~~easures to protect women to be applied and i~~ore effective application and implementation of measures ensuring equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in respect of empleoyment~~ed more effectively~~ and careers, and of proactive measures to promote participation of the under-represented gender, with a view to avoiding horizontal and vertical segregation, wage and job discrimination (invisibility and ‘figurehead’ treatment), and providing ~~both genders with equal~~men and women with the same opportunities, social rights ~~and~~, access to health, wages and pensions;

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Maintains that the skills acquired by women from family businesses have to be recognised so as to enable those women to further their careers in other types of businesses;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Calls for the adoption of an unambiguous definition of family businesses for all the Member States, providing a solid career base for both genders;

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Invites the EU and the Member states to harmonize the rules for family businesses in Europe to guarantee women adequate protection on maternity leave that would include measures preventing discrimination of mothers in pension schemes;

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses the need to protect women’s right to succession in family businesses, on a par with men, by promoting a culture of fairness between men and women which highlights the entrepreneurial role of women in family businesses, in positions of management, responsibility and leadership;Does not apply to English text

Amendment 39 #

Viorica DĂNCILĂ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas little information is, however, available concerning women employed in family businesses, given that the actual concept of the family business is still relatively undocumented;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to support the European Network of Female Entrepreneurship Ambassadors and the European Network of Mentors for Women Entrepreneurs in order to raise their profile;

Amendment 41 #

Elisabeth KÖSTINGER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Draws attention to the important role which women play in running family farms, and calls on the Member States to support business training aimed specifically at women farmers, in order to strengthen women’s involvement in family farming even further; urges in particular, in that connection, that support should be given to training projects for women who run family farms with a view to increasing women’s involvement in farming and regional organisations;

Amendment 42 #

Rosa ESTARÀS FERRAGUT, Barbara MATERA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Stresses the need to secure the best possible working conditions in terms of health and security at the place of work;

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Calls for the ‘mother-entrepreneur’ figure to be promoted, in order to guarantee the right to maternity and to grant financial assistance ~~to women who intend to devote themselves to both their~~for balancing famil~~ies~~y and businesse commitments;

Amendment 44 #

Ildikó GÁLL-PELCZ, Rosa ESTARÀS FERRAGUT, Barbara MATERA, Mariya GABRIEL, Marijana PETIR

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Calls for the ‘mother-entrepreneur’ figure to be promoted, in order to guarantee the right to maternity and to grant financial assistance to women who intend to devote themselves to both their families and businesses; calls for measures to support family employment and household services for childcare in view of allowing women entrepreneurs to reconcile work and family life;

Amendment 45 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Calls for the ‘mother-entrepreneur’ figure to be promoted, in order to guarantee the right to maternity and to grant financial assistance to women who intend to devote themselves to both their families and businesses and to reconcile their working and private lives within a larger framework;

Amendment 46 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Calls for the ‘mother-entrepreneur’ figure to be promoted, in order to guarantee the right to maternity, to acknowledge time spent bringing up children and to grant financial assistance to women who intend to devote themselves to both their families and businesses;

Amendment 47 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Stresses that offering more opportunities for women in family businesses will benefit both the women and the businesses;

Amendment 48 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Calls for all possible measures to be adopted to prevent and penalise acts of abuse or coercion, situations conducive to blackmail and/or subjugation, or violence against women at the workplace, pointing out that, in addition to acts of physical violence, seclusion and discrimination are also forms of mental cruelty or psychological aggression;

Amendment 49 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Reminds the Member States and local and regional authorities once again of the importance of there being sufficient provision of high-quality and affordable care services for children, the elderly and other dependent persons, of tax incentives for companies and of other compensation to help women and men working as employees, on their own account or as managers in family businesses to balance their family and work commitments;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas family businesses represent an important career opportunity for women, although that fact is not recognised, because there are no female role models to follow;

Amendment 50 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b Welcomes the Commission's intention to encourage the study and statistical analysis of the presence of women in family businesses in Europe;

Amendment 51 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Stresses the need for separate and duly remunerated periods of maternity, paternity and parental leave which meet the needs of employees, the self-employed and business employers;

Amendment 52 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Urges the European Union and Member States to consider and include the protection of women ~~each time~~ they legislate on matters relating to family businesses.

Amendment 53 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Urges the European Union and Member States to ~~consider and include the protection of women~~factor in equality of opportunity for men and women and consider and include proactive measures to promote participation of the under-represented gender each time they legislate on matters relating to family businesses.

Amendment 54 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Urges the European Union and Member States to consider and include the protection of women each time they legislate on matters relating to family businesses and in particular in the context of the women on boards directive.

Amendment 55 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Urges the European Union and Member States to consider and include the protection of women as well as the promotion of women's access to professional training each time they legislate on matters relating to family businesses.

Amendment 56 #

Rosa ESTARÀS FERRAGUT, Barbara MATERA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Calls on the Commission to encourage across-the-board acceptance of a clear definition of ‘family business’ at EU and national level, as recommended in the final report of the European Expert Group Overview of Family-Business- Relevant Issues 2009.

Amendment 57 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Emphasises that eliminating all the differences between men and women working in family businesses would generate benefits for the economy and for society in general; points out that the Strategy for Equality between Men and Women 2010-2015 aims to increase the employment rate to 75% for women, which is the target set in the Europe 2020 Strategy, and that this includes those groups of women with the lowest rates of employment.

Amendment 58 #

Davor Ivo STIER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Stresses the need to establish support frameworks for female business owner- managers in family businesses in order to increase their confidence and self- efficacy.

Amendment 59 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Insists that family businesses be required to ensure equal treatment and opportunities for men and women at work, in the management of the business and in decision making, and that they must to that end adopt measures to prevent any kind of discrimination and to promote gender equality.

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas family businesses, family-run independent businesses and new businesses of this kind represent an important career opportunity for women;

Amendment 60 #

Rosa ESTARÀS FERRAGUT, Barbara MATERA, Ildikó GÁLL-PELCZ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Calls on the Commission to draw up a non-legislative European family strategy which takes full account of the role played by women and mothers in family businesses, the social and economic significance of ‘mompreneurs’ and the specific contribution they make to implementing the principles underpinning fair leadership, entrepreneurial social responsibility and a new, sustainable employment culture.

Amendment 61 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Stresses the need for specific proposals making for better balance in terms of working, family and personal life by encouraging men and women to share occupational, family and social responsibilities more evenly, especially where assistance to dependants and childcare is concerned; notes that better provision of day care and nursery services depends not only on public policies for the creation of these facilities, but also on incentives to businesses to offer such solutions; notes that flexibility in respect of working hours and the way work is organised, as well as part-time working, may constitute one means of achieving a better work-life balance;

Amendment 62 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Calls on the Council to reach consensus as soon as possible and adopt the Directive on improving the gender balance among non-executive directors of companies listed on stock exchanges, so that all companies listed on stock exchanges, including family businesses, meet the target of at least 40% of the members of their boards of directors being women.

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas family businesses represent an important career and personal development opportunity for women;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Recital C

C. whereas women encounter substantial difficulties in their involvement in family businesses ~~and are subject to ‘vertical’ and ’horizontal’ gender segregation~~;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Recital C

C. whereas women encounter substantial difficulties in their involvement in family businesses and are in some cases still subject to ‘vertical’ and ‘horizontal’ gender segregation;

source: 546.839

2015/04/29 ITRE 210 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Motion for a resolution
Heading 1

~~Family businesses in Europe~~(Does not affect English version.)

Amendment 10 #

Enrico GASBARRA

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas, while most family businesses are SMEs, in some EU Member States a few family businesses account for a large share of the total turnover of all businesses and thus make a significant contribution to job retention, including in times of crisis, job creation and growth and the economic success of the country concerned1; ___________ 1 In Germany alone, 17 percent of all employees who pay mandatory social security contributions work for ‘big’ family businesses with an annual turnover of at least EUR 50 million; while they account for a mere 0.1% of all companies in Germany, they generate 20% of the total turnover of all companies in that country.

Amendment 100 #

Sofia SAKORAFA, Miloslav RANSDORF, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Paloma LÓPEZ BERMEJO, Miguel URBÁN CRESPO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Underscores that because of the financial crisis and the adverse economic cycle, many of the functions of the family businesses are underfinanced and it is important the family business to have open and easy access to alternative sources of financing;

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Calls on the Commission to improve access to credit for family businesses, avoiding securitisation as proposed in the Capital Markets Union Green Paper.

Amendment 102 #

Gianluca BUONANNO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Notes that 35% of those companies that do not invest in foreign markets fail to do so because of their lack of knowledge of foreign markets; calls on the Commission and the Member States therefore to provide smaller family businesses in particular with information about opportunities for internationalisation and ensure that they have access to a better exchange of experience and good practices; calls on the Member States, furthermore, to provide support services for businesses that intend to invest internationally, for example by providing them with information or export credit guarantees and by removing trade barriers;

Amendment 103 #

Nicolas BAY, Gianluca BUONANNO, Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Notes that 35% of those companies that do not invest in foreign markets fail to do so because of their lack of knowledge of foreign markets; calls on the Commission and the Member States therefore to provide smaller family businesses in particular with information about opportunities for internationalisation and ensure that they have access to a better exchange of experience and good practices; calls on the Member States, furthermore, to provide support services for businesses that intend to invest internationally, ~~for example~~ by providing them with information or export credit guarantees ~~and by removing trade barriers~~;

Amendment 104 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

Amendment 105 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Notes that 35% of those companies that do not invest in foreign markets fail to do so because of their lack of knowledge of foreign markets; calls on the Commission and the Member States therefore to provide smaller family businesses in particular with information about opportunities for internationalisation and ensure that they have access to a better exchange of experience and good practices; calls on the Member States, furthermore, to provide support services for small family businesses that intend to invest internationally, for example by providing them with information or export credit guarantees ~~and by removing trade barriers~~;

Amendment 106 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

Amendment 107 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Notes that 35% of those companies that do not invest in foreign markets fail to do so because of their lack of knowledge of foreign markets and lack of experience with internationalisation much to their detriment; calls on the Commission and the Member States therefore to provide smaller family businesses in particular with information about opportunities for internationalisation and ensure that they have access to a better exchange of experience and good practices; calls on the Member States, furthermore, to provide support services for businesses that intend to invest internationally, for example by providing them with information or export credit guarantees and by removing trade barriers;

Amendment 108 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Notes that 35% of those companies that do not invest in foreign markets fail to do so because of their lack of knowledge of foreign markets; calls on the Commission and the Member States therefore to provide smaller family businesses in particular with information about opportunities for internationalisation via the SME Internationalisation portal and the European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP) and ensure that they have access to a better exchange of experience and good practices; calls on the Member States, furthermore, to provide support services for businesses that intend to invest internationally, for example by providing them with information or export credit guarantees and by removing trade barriers;

Amendment 109 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Notes that 35% of those companies that do not invest in foreign markets fail to do so because of their lack of knowledge of foreign markets; calls on the Commission and the Member States therefore to provide smaller family businesses in particular with information about opportunities for internationalisation, in particular via the internet, and ensure that they have access to a better exchange of experience and good practices; calls on the Member States, furthermore, to provide support services for businesses that intend to invest internationally, for example by providing them with information or export credit guarantees and by removing trade barriers;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas, while most family businesses are SMEs, in some EU Member States a few family businesses account for a large share of the total turnover of all businesses and thus make a significant contribution to job creation and growth and the economic success of the country concerned3; ___________ 1 In Germany alone, 17 percent of all employees who pay mandatory social security contributions work for ‘big’ family businesses with an annual turnover of at least EUR 50 million; while they account for a mere 0.1% of all companies in Germany, they generate 20% of the total turnover of all companies in that country.(Does not affect English version.)

Amendment 110 #

Gianluca BUONANNO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Notes, however, that conversely, production is often transferred to overseas subsidiaries and tends to take the place of production by the parent company and other ancillary-sector companies located in the country of origin; this has negative repercussions in terms of both absolute levels of employment and wage levels; points out, in this regard, that the fall in employment and wage compression are behind the crisis in demand, i.e. the structural economic imbalance of the eurozone, denoted by the excessive current account surpluses generated in some Member States because of the fixed exchange rate structure; calls on the Commission to implement much stricter policies to contain excessive trade imbalances, which should take into account forms of compensation between ‘surplus’ Member States and ‘deficit’ Member States, not only on the basis of a single specific set of annual data, but on cumulative values over a five-year period, calculated on a rolling basis from 2010;

Amendment 111 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Notes that by providing necessary information about internationalisation and investment in foreign markets for smaller family businesses in EU, reducing the trade barriers between MS, simplifying the rules for trade between MS and making these rules more transparent will help in creating fully functioning Single Market in EU for goods and services;

Amendment 112 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Recognises that the fiscal, legal and administrative environment in which family businesses (and owner-managed businesses) operate is defined by the combined effect of corporate legislation and private law;

Amendment 113 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Notes that the tax, legal and administrative environment in which family businesses and owner-managed businesses are run is determined by the cumulative effect of company law and private law;

Amendment 114 #

Sofia SAKORAFA, Miloslav RANSDORF, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Miguel URBÁN CRESPO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Recognises that the tax, legal and administrative environment within which family businesses operate largely depends on civil and commercial legislation;

Amendment 115 #

Therese COMODINI CACHIA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Notes that increased internationalization of family businesses provides more opportunities for economic growth and increased job creation; calls on the Commission and the Member States therefore to provide smaller family businesses to make better use of the digital infrastructure;

Amendment 116 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Recognises that the fiscal, legal and administrative environment in which family businesses operate is defined by the combined effect of corporate legislation and private law;

Amendment 117 #

Juan Carlos GIRAUTA VIDAL, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Angelika MLINAR

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Notes that 87% of family businesses are convinced that maintaining control of the business is one of the key factors of success4 ; notes that, according to the Commission’s ‘Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan’5 , the transfer of a business ownership as well as the transfer of management from one generation to the next is the greatest possible challenge facing family businesses; ___________ 4 European Family Business Barometer, June 2014. 5 COM(2012)0795. COM(2012)0795.

Amendment 118 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Notes that 87% of family businesses are convinced that maintaining control of the business is one of the key factors of success4 ; notes that, according to the Commission’s ‘Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan’5 , the transfer of a business from one generation to the next is the greatest possible challenge facing family businesses; highlights that early preparation and specialised training for the parties involved can contribute to the success of such a transfer; ___________ 4 European Family Business Barometer, June 2014. 5 COM(2012)0795.

Amendment 119 #

Paul RÜBIG, Elisabeth KÖSTINGER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Calls on the Commission and, in particular, the Member States to promote specific training for family businesses in business transfers, governance structures, owner strategies and innovating, in particular in countries where, for historical reasons, the family business concept is not as well established; notes that, in the long term, well-functioning vocational-training systems could be instrumental in combating the skilled- worker shortage and youth unemployment;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Amendment 120 #

Therese COMODINI CACHIA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Notes that small and medium family businesses are continuously challenged by a need for innovation and for attracting the right skills and talent; calls on the Commission and the Member States therefore to provide smaller family businesses with incentives to take risks for growth, incentives to implement staff training and to access external knowledge;

Amendment 121 #

Kaja KALLAS, Juan Carlos GIRAUTA VIDAL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Emphasizes that the family businesses should comply with the legal provisions related to the social insurance, pension contributions and safe work condition standards for the employees; family businesses should comply with the labour law and their employees have rights to good quality of living and a balanced work life;

Amendment 122 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Calls on Member States to simplify administrative procedures and taxation systems in particular to take into account the specific challenges of small and medium-sized enterprises and family businesses ;

Amendment 123 #

Kaja KALLAS, Juan Carlos GIRAUTA VIDAL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)

8b. Stresses that family business governance schemes should strengthen the links with external stakeholders, and the family business model should encourage the proportional representation of women and men in the boards of directors;

Amendment 124 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)

8b. Urges the Commission and Member States to take action to develop digital entrepreneurship and digital skills in order for family businesses to take full advantage of the use of digital technologies ;

Amendment 125 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 c (new)

8c. Underscores the need the family businesses to have direct link with educational activities that constantly inform them with the state-of-the-art practices of good business management; family business should also have easy access to human capital development opportunities for its employees;

Amendment 126 #

Ashley FOX

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the ~~Commission and especially the~~ Member States therefore to improve the legal framework for the transfer of family businesses and create special financing instruments for transfers and thus prevent liquidity shortages so as to ensure the survival of family businesses and prevent distress sales;

Amendment 127 #

Sofia SAKORAFA, Miloslav RANSDORF, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Miguel URBÁN CRESPO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Commission and especially the Member States therefore to ~~improve~~assess the legal framework for the transfer of small family businesses with real economic activity and ensure they are not at a disadvantage, and create special financing instruments for transfers and thus prevent liquidity shortages so as to ensure the survival of small family businesses and prevent distress sales;

Amendment 128 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Commission and especially the Member States therefore to improve the legal framework ~~for~~and create financing instruments supporting the transfer of family businesses, a~~nd create special financing instruments for transfers and thus prevent liquidity shortages so as to ensure the survival of family businesses and prevent distress sales~~s well as promote family business specific education on topics such as business transfer, governance structures, ownership strategies and implementing innovation;

Amendment 129 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Commission and especially the Member States therefore to improve the legal framework for the transfer of family businesses, including creating one-stop shops for business going through a transfer process, and create special financing instruments for transfers and thus prevent liquidity shortages so as to ensure the survival of family businesses and prevent distress sales;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas family businesses create favourable environment for reconciliation of family and work life;

Amendment 130 #

Henna VIRKKUNEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Commission and especially the Member States therefore to improve the legal framework for the transfer of family businesses and ~~create special financing instruments for transfers and~~to promote family business specific education on topics such as business transfer, governance structures, ownership strategies and implementing innovation; Calls on the Commission and the Member States to create one-stop shops for business going through a transfer process thus prevent liquidity shortages so as to ensure the survival of family businesses and prevent distress sales;

Amendment 131 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Commission and especially the Member States therefore to set up a one-stop shop for family businesses involved in a business transfer, improve the legal framework for the transfer of family businesses and create special financing instruments for transfers and thus prevent liquidity shortages so as to ensure the survival of family businesses and prevent distress sales; notes in this connection that a Family Business Act is being introduced in Malta which aims to support family businesses during the transfer phase, through special training courses, and to create a positive tax and administrative environment;

Amendment 132 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Commission and especially the Member States therefore to improve the legal framework for the transfer of family businesses and ~~create special financing instruments for transfers and thus prevent liquidity shortages so as to ensure the survival of~~to promote training programmes for family-run businesses concerning issues such as the transfer of property, governance structures and ownership control strategies and to implement innovation processes, especially in countries in which, historically, the ‘family business’ concept less developed. It is worth noting, in this regard, how Malta has introduced the Family Business Act, which aims to support family-run businesses a~~nd prevent distress sales~~t the transfer stage, providing specific training, and to establish a business-friendly fiscal and administrative framework;

Amendment 133 #

Nicolas BAY, Gianluca BUONANNO, Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls on the Commission and especially the Member States therefore to improve the legal framework for the transfer of family businesses ~~and~~via a one-stop-shop system, and to create special financing instruments for transfers ~~and~~, thus preventing liquidity shortages so as to ensure the survival of family businesses and prevent distress sales; calls, furthermore, for the managers of family businesses to be given special training on inheritance, property and good governance;

Amendment 134 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Calls on the Commission and Parliament to revoke the deletion by the Amsterdam Treaty in 1997 of Article 44(2) of the Treaty of Rome, which provided for ‘the development of a natural preference between Member States’; calls therefore on the European Union to re- establish Community preference in the field of farm products and to adopt the requisite protectionist measures to enable SMEs which are family businesses to compete with businesses outside the European Union;

Amendment 135 #

Ashley FOX

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Calls on the Commission, in the context of better regulation, to undertake an analysis of existing legislation which impacts on family businesses in order to identify problems and barriers to growth;

Amendment 136 #

Juan Carlos GIRAUTA VIDAL, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Angelika MLINAR, Kaja KALLAS, Pilar DEL CASTILLO VERA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Stresses the need to adopt on the EU level a binding legal definition of family business that would accommodate the existing diversity of family businesses in all Member States; underlines that this definition is a necessary precondition for further actions;

Amendment 137 #

Esther DE LANGE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Notes in this context the importance of promoting alternative forms of lending to family businesses, such as credit unions;

Amendment 138 #

Therese COMODINI CACHIA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Notes that small family businesses at times face challenges that arise from family member conflicts; calls on the Commission to commission studies that analyse EU family member conflict management procedures that are or could be effective for the quick and efficient resolution of such disputes and to promote exchanges of examples of good practices;

Amendment 139 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Recalls that the existence of a one- stop-shop for enterprises can facilitate all the procedures they have to undertake, including those related to their transfer.

Amendment 14 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas family businesses play a vital role in regional development, in terms of employment, transmission of know-how and regional organisation;

Amendment 140 #

Sofia SAKORAFA, Miloslav RANSDORF, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Miguel URBÁN CRESPO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to set up one-stop shops for businesses which are undergoing a transfer process, and to create special financing instruments for transfers and thus prevent liquidity shortages so as to ensure the survival of family businesses and prevent distress sales;

Amendment 141 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Calls on the Member States to ensure that tax practices, shown to be conducive to long-term family entrepreneurship, through exemptions on gift and progressive inheritance tax, are applied and are not eroded through short sighted reforms adopted under the pressure of the current debt crisis;

Amendment 142 #

Nicolas BAY, Gianluca BUONANNO, Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Calls on the Member States to put into practice the principle of family perspective (family mainstreaming) to ensure more comprehensive and effective measures and policies;

Amendment 143 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)

9b. Stresses that the euro, a ‘one-size fits all’ currency, is a significant brake on the growth of SMEs, particularly those which are family businesses;

Amendment 144 #

Juan Carlos GIRAUTA VIDAL, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Angelika MLINAR, Pavel TELIČKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)

9b. Notes that promoting entrepreneurship in schools and other educational settings is of key importance to develop more entrepreneurial mindsets; education should include specific family business issues such as ownership, succession and family governance, together with more general information such as the importance of innovation as a means to re-invent the business;

Amendment 145 #

Sofia SAKORAFA, Miloslav RANSDORF, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Paloma LÓPEZ BERMEJO, Miguel URBÁN CRESPO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)

9b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to frame policies to encourage and assist those who wish to become listed on the stock exchange, also by promoting specific training programmes targeted at family businesses;

Amendment 146 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)

9b. Calls on the Commission to acknowledge the necessity of a progressive access to internationalisation of the family businesses, avoiding total exposure to international markets risks, while maintaining territorial added value attributed to this kind of business;

Amendment 147 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)

9b. Urges the Member States to take into account the informal and invisible work carried out by family members, also in family businesses;

Amendment 148 #

Juan Carlos GIRAUTA VIDAL, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Angelika MLINAR, Pavel TELIČKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)

9c. Calls on the Member States to evaluate the opportunities offered by family businesses for empowerment of women, equal opportunities and work-life balance;

Amendment 149 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)

9c. Stresses that family businesses’ contribution to innovation could be enhanced by promoting their participation in private-public partnerships and clusters and by fostering their collaboration with research institutions;

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas a considerable number of family businesses are active in more than one countries signifying that the family business model has a transnational dimension;

Amendment 150 #

Juan Carlos GIRAUTA VIDAL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)

9c. Calls on the Member States to ensure that existing tax practices, which have proven to be of benefit to long-term family entrepreneurship through exemptions for corporate donations and inheritance tax, are not eroded by short-sighted reforms. In addition, access to these exemptions should be simplified and strengthened, so that all family-run businesses can benefit from them should they wish to remain a family business;

Amendment 151 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 d (new)

9d. Notes that Malta is introducing a Family Business Act which aims to support family businesses and addresses their concerns;

Amendment 152 #

Juan Carlos GIRAUTA VIDAL, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Angelika MLINAR, Kaja KALLAS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 e (new)

9e. Calls on the Commission to promote the adoption of a common definition of family business in the EU in order to facilitate the search and comparison of data related to their characteristics, circumstances and the difficulties they face;

Amendment 153 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the Commission to commission studies that analyse the importance of ownership for the success and survival of a business and highlight the specific challenges facing family businesses; calls on the Commission also to collect enough data on family businesses in the various Member States both to allow a comparison of the situation of family businesses and to promote exchanges of examples of good practices;Does not affect the English version.

Amendment 154 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Invites the Commission and the Member States to harmonise the rules for family businesses in Europe; Calls on the Commission to commission studies that analyse the importance of ownership for the success and survival of a business and highlight the specific challenges facing family businesses; calls on the Commission also to collect enough data on family businesses in the various Member States both to allow a comparison of the situation of family businesses and to promote exchanges of examples of good practices;

Amendment 155 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the Commission to define the term ‘family business’ at European level and regularly to commission studies that analyse the importance of ownership for the success and survival of a business and highlight the specific challenges facing family businesses; calls on the Commission also to collect ~~enough data~~data, on the basis of the definition of ‘family business’, on family businesses in the various Member States both to allow a comparison of the situation of family businesses and to promote exchanges of examples of good practices;

Amendment 156 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the Commission to commission regular and adequately financed studies that analyse the importance of ownership for the success and survival of a business ~~and~~, highlight the specific challenges facing family businesses and develop a statistically workable definition of family businesses in cooperation with Eurostat; calls on the Commission also to collect enough data on family businesses in the various Member States both to allow a comparison of the situation of family businesses, as well as a comparison of family businesses and non- family businesses, and to promote exchanges of examples of good practices;

Amendment 157 #

Sofia SAKORAFA, Miloslav RANSDORF, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Paloma LÓPEZ BERMEJO, Miguel URBÁN CRESPO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the Commission to ~~commission~~regularly commission adequately funded studies that analyse the importance of ownership for the success and survival of a business and highlight the specific challenges facing family businesses, and, together with Eurostat, to formulate a definition of family businesses that is fit for statistical purposes; calls on the Commission also to collect enough data on family businesses in the various Member States both to allow a comparison of the situation of family businesses, and a comparison between family and non-family businesses, and to promote exchanges of examples of good practices;

Amendment 158 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the Commission to commission studies that analyse the importance of ownership for the success and survival of a business ~~and~~, highlight the specific challenges facing family businesses~~; calls on the Commission~~ and develop a statistically workable definition of family businesses in cooperation with Eurostat; calls on the Commission to set a framework to identify and measure positive externalities generated by family businesses and also to collect enough data on family businesses in the various Member States ~~both~~, to allow a comparison of the situation of family businesses, as well as between family businesses and non-family businesses and to promote exchanges of examples of good practices;

Amendment 159 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the Commission to co~~mmission~~nduct regularly and properly financed studies that analyse the importance of ownership for the success ~~and~~, survival of a business and highlight the specific challenges facing family businesses; calls on the Commission also to collect enough data on family businesses in ~~the various~~all the Member States both to allow a comparison of the situation of family businesses and to promote exchanges of examples of good practices;

Amendment 16 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. Whereas the family perspective approach offers a deeper and complex understanding of real social and economic value of the family as well as its needs and therefore leads to more comprehensive and effective measures and policies, concerning family businesses as well;

Amendment 160 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the Commission to commission regular and adequately financed studies that analyse the importance of ownership for the success and survival of a business and highlight the specific challenges facing family businesses; calls on the Commission also to collect enough data on family businesses in the various Member States both to allow a comparison of the situation of family businesses, as well as a comparison of family businesses and non-family businesses, and to promote exchanges of examples of good practices;

Amendment 161 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the Commission to commission studies that analyse the importance of ownership for the success and survival of a business and highlight the specific challenges facing family businesses; calls on the Commission also to collect enough data on family businesses in the various Member States both to allow a comparison of the situation of family businesses and the situation of family businesses as against non-family businesses, and to promote exchanges of examples of good practices;

Amendment 162 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the Commission to commission studies that analyse the importance of ownership for the success and survival of a business and highlight the specific challenges facing family businesses; calls on the Commission ~~also~~, moreover, to collect enough data on family businesses in the various Member States both to allow a comparison of the situation of family businesses and to promote exchanges of examples of good practices;

Amendment 163 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the Commission to commission studies that analyse the importance of ownership for the success and survival of a business and highlight the specific challenges facing small family businesses; calls on the Commission also to collect enough data on family businesses in the various Member States both to allow a comparison of the situation of family businesses and to promote exchanges of examples of good practices;

Amendment 164 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls on the Commission to commission ongoing studies that analyse the importance of ownership for the success and survival of a business and highlight the specific challenges facing family businesses; calls on the Commission also to collect enough data on family businesses in the various Member States both to allow a comparison of the situation of family businesses and to promote exchanges of examples of good practices;

Amendment 165 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Calls on the Commission to create a legally binding Europe-wide definition of ‘family business’ taking into account different circumstances in the Member States;

Amendment 166 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Calls on the Commission to establish, in cooperation with Eurostat, a definition of ‘family business’ that makes it possible to gather comparable data in the Member States on the special situation of family businesses;

Amendment 167 #

Dario TAMBURRANO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Calls on the Commission to conduct an impact assessment of the extent to which a revision of the European SME definition from 2003 would be possible, moving away from purely quantitative criteria to qualitative criteria that also take into account the ownership of a company, bearing in mind the interdependence of ownership, control and management and, generally, the personal aspect of running a business, and the consequences this could have on family businesses, for example, with regard to state aid and the eligibility of such businesses;deleted

Amendment 168 #

David BORRELLI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Calls on the Commission to conduct an impact assessment of the extent to which a ~~revi~~n extension of the European SME definition from 2003 would be possible, moving away from purely quantitative criteria to qualitative criteria that also take into account the ownership of a company, bearing in mind the interdependence of ownership, control and management and, generally, the personal aspect of running a business, and the consequences this could have on family businesses, for example, with regard to state aid and the eligibility of such businesses;

Amendment 169 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Calls on the Commission to conduct an impact assessment of the extent to which ~~a revision of~~ the European SME definition from 2003 wcould be ~~possible, moving away from purely quantitative criteria to~~finetuned to include qualitative criteria that also take into account the ownership of a company, bearing in mind the interdependence of ownership, control and management ~~and, generally, the personal aspect of running a business, and the consequences this could have on family businesses, for example, with regard to state aid and the eligibility of such businesses~~;

Amendment 17 #

Sofia SAKORAFA, Miloslav RANSDORF, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Miguel URBÁN CRESPO

Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)

Cb. Whereas the invisible and informal work brings a very significant contribution to social development and economic growth of each society and plays an important role in the development and sustainability of family businesses;

Amendment 170 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Calls on the Commission to conduct an impact assessment of the extent to which a revision of the European SME definition from 2003 would be possible, ~~moving away from purely quantitative criteria to qualitative criteria~~ that also take into account the ownership of a company, bearing in mind the interdependence of ownership, control and management and, generally, the personal aspect of running a business, and the consequences this could have on family ~~businesses, for example, with regard to state aid and the eligibility of such~~ businesses;

Amendment 171 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Calls on the Commission to con~~duct an impact assessment of the extent to which~~sider a revision of the European SME definition from 2003 would be possible, moving away from purely quantitative criteria to qualitative criteria that also take into account the ownership of a company, bearing in mind the interdependence of ownership, control and management and, generally, the personal aspect of running a business, and the consequences this could have on family businesses, for example, with regard to state aid and the eligibility of such businesses;

Amendment 172 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Calls on the Commission to conduct an impact assessment of the extent to which a revision of the European SME definition from 2003 would be possible, ~~moving away from~~including, in addition to purely quantitative criteria to, qualitative criteria that also take into account the ownership of a company, bearing in mind the interdependence of ownership, control and management and, generally, the personal aspect of running a business, and the consequences this could have on family businesses, for example, with regard to state aid and the ~~eligibility of such~~opportunity for subsidising businesses;

Amendment 173 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Calls on the Commission to conduct an impact assessment of the extent to which a ~~revision~~broadening of the European SME definition from 2003 would be possible, moving away from purely quantitative criteria to qualitative criteria that also take into account the ownership of a company, bearing in mind the interdependence of ownership, control and management, the fact that risk and liability are borne solely by the family itself, and, generally, the personal aspect of running a business, and the consequences this could have on family businesses, for example, with regard to state aid and the eligibility of such businesses;

Amendment 174 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Calls on the Commission to conduct an impact assessment of the extent to which a revision of the European SME definition from 2003 would be possible, moving away from purely quantitative criteria to qualitative criteria that also take into account the social responsibility of a company, the ownership of a company, bearing in mind the interdependence of ownership, control and management and, generally, the personal aspect of running a business, and the consequences this could have on family businesses, for example, with regard to state aid and the eligibility of such businesses;

Amendment 175 #

Patrizia TOIA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Calls on the Commission to conduct an impact assessment of the extent to which a revision of the European SME definition from 2003 would be possible, moving away from purely quantitative criteria to qualitative criteria that also take into account the ownership of a company, bearing in mind the interdependence of ownership, control and management and, generally, the personal aspect of running a businesbearing in mind the interdependence of the personal aspect of running a business and the participation of workers in the management of business activities, and the consequences this could have on family businesses, for example, with regard to state aid and the eligibility of such businesses;

Amendment 176 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. Draws the Commission’s attention to the fact that the majority of family businesses are SMEs and that it is therefore of the utmost importance to apply the principle ‘think small first’, in order better to adapt European legislation to the realities and needs of these undertakings and to enable them to take advantage of aid programmes and measures to reduce administrative constraints;

Amendment 177 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Calls on the Commission ~~in the meantime,~~ as part of its regulatory impact assessment, to establish a ‘family business test’ modelled on the SME test, in order to be able determine the effect of certain legal acts on family businesses in advance and thereby avoid unnecessary red tape for family businessesdetermine as appropriate the effect of certain legal acts on family businesses ;

Amendment 178 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Calls on the Commission in the meantime, as part of its regulatory impact assessment, to establish a ‘family business test’ modelled on the SME test, in order to be able determine the effect of certain legal acts on family businesses in advance and thereby avoid unnecessary red tape for family businesses, especially paying attention to the combined effect of corporate legislation and private law;

Amendment 179 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)

Cc. Whereas family businesses are indispensable for the EU economic progress and play an irreplaceable role in development and investment in human capital;

Amendment 180 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Calls on the Commission in the meantime, as part of its regulatory impact assessment, ~~to establish a ‘family business test’ modelled on the SME test~~and in particular in connection with policies relating to ownership or governance structures, to establish a ‘family business test’ modelled on the SME test and taking account in particular of the cumulative effect of company law and private law, in order to be able to determine the effect of certain legal acts on family businesses in advance and thereby avoid unnecessary red tape for family businesses;

Amendment 181 #

Sofia SAKORAFA, Miloslav RANSDORF, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Miguel URBÁN CRESPO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Calls on the Commission in the meantime, as part of its regulatory impact assessment, to establish a ‘family business test’ (for policies concerning, for example, property, governance structures or privacy) modelled on the SME test, in order to be able determine the effect of certain legal acts on family businesses in advance and thereby avoid unnecessary red tape for family businesses, focusing particularly on the combined effects of company law and private law;

Amendment 182 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Calls on the Commission in the meantime, as part of its regulatory impact assessment, to establish a ‘family business test’ modelled on the SME test, in order to be able determine the effect of certain legal acts on family businesses in advance and thereby avoid unnecessary red tape for family businesses, paying special attention to the combined effect of corporate legislation and private law;

Amendment 183 #

Esther DE LANGE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Observes that disparities in, for example, tax legislation, subsidy schemes or the implementation of European legislation in neighbouring countries can cause problems in the border region for entrepreneurs, for example those with family businesses; calls on Member States therefore to review proposed national legislation and the proposed method of implementation of European legislation to ascertain the impact on entrepreneurs, such as those with family businesses, in border regions;

Amendment 184 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

Amendment 185 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission to establish, internally, a high-level group to lay the foundations for a permanent working group ~~internally~~ that specifically addresses the needs and characteristics of family businesses, regularly reports to Parliament and the Member States and acts as a contact at European level for family business for specific issues particularly relating to European legislation;

Amendment 186 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission to ~~establish a~~set up a high-level group to define the remit of an internal permanent working group ~~internally~~ that specifically addresses the needs and characteristics of family businesses, regularly reports to Parliament and the Member States and acts as a contact at European level for family business for specific issues particularly relating to European legislation;

Amendment 187 #

Juan Carlos GIRAUTA VIDAL, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Pavel TELIČKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

Amendment 188 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission to establish a permanent working group internally that specifically addresses the needs and characteristics of family businesses, regularly reports to Parliament and the Member States ~~and~~, acts as a contact at European level for family business for specific issues particularly relating to European legislation, encourages exchanges of best practices between Member States family business organisations and disseminates guidelines and standard texts and solutions for family business to overcome their specific problems;

Amendment 189 #

Patrizia TOIA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Calls on the Commission to support all forms of new entrepreneurship, including the transformation of crisis- stricken companies into cooperatives, enabling workers to create alternative employment and safeguard the know-how they have acquired;

Amendment 19 #

Nicolas BAY, Gianluca BUONANNO, Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER

Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)

Cd. Whereas family businesses have a significant role in reducing unemployment, particularly of young people;

Amendment 190 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Calls on the Commission to ~~strive to strengthen entrepreneurship throughout the EU and to create an environment for business excellence~~review its strategy and finally to adopt the requisite protectionist measures to enable SMEs which are family businesses to compete with businesses outside the European Union;

Amendment 191 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Calls on the Commission to strive to strengthen entrepreneurship, and specifically the importance of values and education for transferring successfully family business leadership generation trough generation, throughout the EU and to create an environment for business excellence;

Amendment 192 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Calls on the Commission to strive to strengthen entrepreneurship throughout the EU and to create an favourable environment for business excellence;

Amendment 193 #

Juan Carlos GIRAUTA VIDAL, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Pavel TELIČKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Calls on the Commission to strive to strengthen entrepreneurship throughout the EU and to create an positive environment for business excellence;

Amendment 194 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Calls on the Commission to strive to strengthen entrepreneurship throughout the EU and to create an favourable environment for business excellence;

Amendment 195 #

Sofia SAKORAFA, Miloslav RANSDORF, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Paloma LÓPEZ BERMEJO, Miguel URBÁN CRESPO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Calls on the Commission to strive to strengthen entrepreneurship throughout the EU and to create an favourable environment for business excellence;

Amendment 196 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Calls on the Commission to strive to strengthen entrepreneurship throughout the EU keeping in mind the importance of the family businesses in the EU economy and to create an environment for business excellence;

Amendment 197 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Calls on the Commission to consider introducing the collection of data specific to family businesses which would therefore allow for better, more targeted assistance and the creation of appropriate support structures and investment;

Amendment 198 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Calls on the Commission to spread the family business model throughout EU and facilitate the creation of contact points and one-stop-shop administrative structures for the family businesses;

Amendment 199 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)

14b. Calls on the Commission to develop and assist family business interest groups in the Member States that those interests are not sufficiently and efficiently represented;

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)

- having regard to the 2009 Report of the Group of Experts for the European Commission ‘Overview of family- business-relevant issues: research, policy measures and existing studies’,

Amendment 20 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C e (new)

Ce. Whereas the sustainability and growth of family businesses also depend on the implementation of family perspective (family mainstreaming);

Amendment 200 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Commission to draw up a communication analysing the role of family businesses with a view to boosting the competitiveness of the EU’s economy by 2020, and to produce a road map listing the measures likely to strengthen the economic environment and development of family businesses in the EU;deleted

Amendment 201 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. ~~Calls on~~Urges the Commission to draw up a communication analysing the role of family businesses with a view to boosting the competitiveness of the EU’s economy by 2020, and to produce a road map listing the measures likely to strengthen the economic environment and development of family businesses in the EU;

Amendment 202 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Commission to urgently draw up a communication ~~analysing the role of~~on family businesses with a view to boosting the competitiveness of the EU’s economy by 2020, and to produce a road map listing the measures likely to strengthen the economic environment and development of family businesses in the EU;

Amendment 203 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Commission to draw up, as soon as possible, a communication analysing the role of family businesses with a view to boosting the competitiveness of the EU’s economy by 2020, and to produce a road map listing the measures likely to strengthen the economic environment and development of family businesses in the EU;

Amendment 204 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Commission to urgently draw up a communication analysing the role of family businesses with a view to boosting the competitiveness of the EU’s economy by 2020, and to produce a road map listing the measures likely to strengthen the economic environment and development of family businesses in the EU;

Amendment 205 #

Sofia SAKORAFA, Miloslav RANSDORF, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Paloma LÓPEZ BERMEJO, Miguel URBÁN CRESPO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Commission to draw up, as a matter of urgency, a communication ~~analysing~~on the role of family businesses with a view to boosting the competitiveness of the EU’s economy by 2020, and to produce a road map listing the measures likely to strengthen the economic environment and development of family businesses in the EU;

Amendment 206 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Commission to urgently draw up a communication ~~analysing the role of~~on family businesses with a view to boosting the competitiveness of the EU’s economy by 2020, ~~and~~ to produce a road map listing the measures likely to strengthen the economic environment and development of family businesses in the EU and raise awareness on the family businesses specific characteristics and challenges to be addressed ;

Amendment 207 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Commission to urgently draw up a communication analysing the role of family businesses with a view to boosting the competitiveness of the EU’s economy by 2020, ~~and~~with the allocation of proper financing, to produce a road map listing the measures likely to strengthen the economic environment and development of family businesses in the EU;

Amendment 208 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Commission to draw up a communication analysing the role of family businesses with a view to boosting the competitiveness and growth of the EU’s economy by 2020, and to produce a road map listing the measures likely to strengthen the economic environment and development of family businesses in the EU;

Amendment 209 #

José BLANCO LÓPEZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

Amendment 21 #

Sofia SAKORAFA, Miloslav RANSDORF, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Miguel URBÁN CRESPO

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the Commission’s group of experts on family businesses completed its work more than five years ago and no new European initiative has been launched since then ~~at EU level~~ addressing the special needs and structures of family businesses;

Amendment 210 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Calls on the Commission in the meantime to urgently launch calls within the framework of HORIZON, COSME and ERASMUS (for young entrepreneurs) programmes focusing on the specific problems faced by the family businesses that are SMEs ; calls on the Commission and the Member States to coordinate specification and activation of the Partnership Agreements and related Operational Programmes within the EU Cohesion Policy current Programming period to the benefit of family businesses that are SMEs, especially in the Member States devastated by the crisis;

Amendment 22 #

Kaja KALLAS, Juan Carlos GIRAUTA VIDAL

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the Commission’s group of experts on family businesses completed its work more than five years ago, and no new initiative has been launched since then at EU level ~~addressing~~; whereas there is still a lack of research and data at national and European levels to understand the special needs and structures of family businesses ;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas there is no legally binding, concrete, simple and harmonized Europe- wide definition of ‘family business’;

Amendment 24 #

Miapetra KUMPULA-NATRI

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas there is no ~~legally binding~~ Europe-wide definition of ‘family business’;

Amendment 25 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas there is no ~~legally binding~~ Europe-wide definition of ‘family business’;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas there is no legally binding Europe-wide definition of ‘family business’; whereas European legislation on family businesses could support their full inclusion in the EU Single Market and facilitate their growth;

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)

Ea. whereas it is crucial the size of the firm to be a central criterion for the definition of the family businesses, given that the vast majority of them are constituted by a small or very small number of employees;

Amendment 28 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas it is impossible, due to the lack of a definition, to gather comparable data in the EU Member States in order to draw attention to the special situation and needs of family businesses;

Amendment 29 #

Nicolas BAY, Gianluca BUONANNO, Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas it is impossible, due to the lack of a definition, to gather comparable data in the EU Member States in order to draw attention to the special situation of family businesses. This lack of reliable and comparable data can hinder policy decision-making and may mean that the needs of family businesses are not being met;

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)

– having regard to the judgment of 2 February 2012 of the Court of Justice of the European Union, which compelled the Union to revoke the only protectionist measures it has ever adopted, namely the antidumping duties on shoes originating in China and Vietnam, whose adoption had been approved by Parliament in 2006,

Amendment 30 #

Sofia SAKORAFA, Miloslav RANSDORF, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Paloma LÓPEZ BERMEJO, Miguel URBÁN CRESPO

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas it is impossible, due to the lack of a definition, to gather comparable data in the EU Member States in order to draw attention to the special situation and contribution of family businesses;

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

Amendment 32 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas it is impossible, due to the lack of a definition, to gather comparable data in the EU Member States in order to draw attention to the special situation and economic accomplishments of family businesses;

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas it is impossible, due to the lack of a definition, to gather comparable data in the EU Member States in order to draw attention to the special situation of family businesses, as well as to design and implement optimal and socially responsible supportive policies;

Amendment 34 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas the purely quantitative criteria set by the Commission for defining SMEs are not sufficiently attuned to the realities and size of small and medium-sized businesses, which means that many small and medium-sized family or owner- managed businesses in particular are excluded from funding and a reduction in red tape;deleted

Amendment 35 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

Amendment 36 #

Nicolas BAY, Gianluca BUONANNO, Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

Ga. whereas family businesses, beyond their economic significance, play also an important role in social terms;

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

Ha. whereas the dogma of free movement of goods and capital condemns most family businesses in the European Union, in the short or medium term, to disappear in the face of competition from businesses outside the European Union which are not subject to the same rules – social, on safety or health, and environmental;

Amendment 38 #

Ashley FOX

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

Ha. whereas direct taxation and succession law are Member State competences

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

Ha. Whereas a continuous and horizontal support of family businesses guarantees a progress, brings new opportunities and encourages entrepreneurship;

Amendment 4 #

Nicolas BAY, Gianluca BUONANNO, Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas multi-generational character of family businesses reinforces the stability of the economy and introduces higher standards of corporate social responsibility towards their employees and environment;

Amendment 40 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)

Hb. whereas the adoption of protectionist measures at European Union level is a necessary condition for the survival of most family businesses;

Amendment 41 #

Nicolas BAY, Gianluca BUONANNO, Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER

Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)

Hb. Whereas family businesses run by women encourage their carrier aspirations, support their empowerment, improve equal opportunities an facilitate family-work balance;

Amendment 42 #

Hc. whereas the euro, a ‘one-size fits all’ currency, is a significant brake on the growth of SMEs, particularly those which are family businesses;

Amendment 43 #

Nicolas BAY, Gianluca BUONANNO, Jean-Luc SCHAFFHAUSER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Emphasises that family businesses may in positive cases demonstrate a high degree of social responsibility towards their staff and ~~that they generally~~ take a ~~more~~ sustainable and longer-term approach to the economic future of the business ~~(by acting as ‘honourable businessmen’) than non- family businesses~~ and thus make an important contribution to Europe’s competitiveness and create and maintain jobs;

Amendment 44 #

Enrico GASBARRA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Emphasises that family businesses demonstrate a high degree of social responsibility towards their staff and a natural willingness to employ women, including in senior positions, and that they generally take a more sustainable and longer-term approach to the economic future of the business (by acting as ‘honourable businessmen’) than non- family businesses and thus make an important contribution to Europe’s competitiveness and create and maintain jobs;

Amendment 45 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

Amendment 46 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Emphasises that family businesses demonstrate a high degree of social responsibility towards their staff and that they generally take a ~~more~~ sustainable and longer- term approach to the economic future of the business (by acting as ‘honourable businessmen’) ~~than non- family businesses~~ and thus make an important contribution to Europe’s competitiveness and create and maintain jobs;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Emphasises that family businesses demonstrate a high degree of social responsibility towards their staff ~~and that they~~, manage resources actively and responsibly, and generally take a more sustainable and longer-term approach to the economic future of the business (by acting as ‘honourable businessmen’) than non- family businesses and thus make an important contribution to Europe’s competitiveness and create and maintain jobs;

Amendment 48 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Emphasises that family businesses demonstrate a high degree of social responsibility towards their staff and that they generally take a more sustainable and longer-term approach to the economic future of the business (by acting as ‘honourable businessmen’) than non- family businesses and thus make an important contribution both to their local communities as well as to Europe’s competitiveness and the createion and maint~~ain~~enance of high-quality jobs;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)

Ab. Whereas family businesses exhibit high integrity of values that guide their business operations; whereas family businesses as legal persons should be able to enjoy the freedoms enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU;

Amendment 50 #

1. Emphasises that family businesses ~~demonstrate a high degree of social responsibility towards their staff and that they~~ generally take a more sustainable and longer-term approach to the economic future of the business (by acting as ‘honourable businessmen’) than non- family businesses and thus make an important contribution to Europe’s competitiveness and create and maintain jobs;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Emphasises that family businesses demonstrate a high degree of social responsibility towards their staff and that they generally take a more sustainable and longer-term approach to the economic future of the business (by acting as ‘honourable businessmen’) than non- family businesses and thus make an important contribution to Europe’s competitiveness and create and maintain jobs; observes that for example the association ‘the Henokiens’ has a membership comprising 44 family businesses in Europe and Japan which are two centuries old, and characterises the concept of durability of family businesses while promoting dynamism and modernity;

Amendment 52 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

Amendment 55 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 56 #

Ivan JAKOVČIĆ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 57 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 58 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses that, because of their history, family businesses are ~~very~~often rooted in a particular location and ~~thus~~are the lifeblood of local communities; as a result they also create jobs in rural and in ~~less attractive~~peripheral areas; calls on the Commission and the Member States, therefore, to provide the necessary infrastructure in order to ensure the competitiveness of such businesses;

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses that, because of their history, family businesses are very rooted in a particular location and thus also create and maintain jobs in rural and in less attractive areas; calls on the Commission and the Member States, therefore, to provide the necessary cost-efficient infrastructure in order to ensure the competitiveness of such businesses;

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)

Ac. Whereas family businesses have largely contributed to the surge of European economy ruined by the war by creating new jobs and facilitating growth; whereas many EU member are trying to curb high levels of unemployment caused by the current crisis; whereas right policies could motivate many European families to accept the responsibility for their lives and start their own family businesses;

Amendment 60 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses that, because of their history, family businesses are very rooted in a particular location and thus also create and maintain jobs in rural and in less attractive areas; calls on the Commission and the Member States, therefore, to provide the necessary infrastructure in order to ensure the competitiveness of such businesses;

Amendment 61 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses that, because of their history, family businesses are very rooted in a particular location and thus also create and preserve jobs in rural and in less attractive areas; calls on the Commission and the Member States, therefore, to provide the necessary infrastructure in order to ensure the competitiveness of such businesses;

Amendment 62 #

Sofia SAKORAFA, Miloslav RANSDORF, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Paloma LÓPEZ BERMEJO, Miguel URBÁN CRESPO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses that, because of their history, family businesses are very rooted in a particular location and thus also make it possible to maintain and create jobs in rural and in less attractive areas; calls on the Commission and the Member States, therefore, to provide the necessary infrastructure in order to ensure the competitiveness of such businesses;

Amendment 63 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses that, because of their history, family businesses are very rooted in a particular location and thus also create and maintain jobs in rural and in less ~~attractive~~favoured areas; calls on the Commission and the Member States, therefore, to provide the necessary infrastructure in order to ensure the ~~competitiveness~~viability, continuity, renewal and growth of such businesses;

Amendment 64 #

Paul RÜBIG, Elisabeth KÖSTINGER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses that, because of their history, family businesses are very rooted in a particular location and thus also create jobs in rural and in less attractive areas; calls on the Commission and the Member States, therefore, to provide the necessary infrastructure in order to ensure the competitiveness of such businesses; and to consider these as clusters which would facilitate cross-sectoral and cross- border collaboration, thus, helping them, in particular micro-entities and start- ups, to grow and internationalise;

Amendment 65 #

José BLANCO LÓPEZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses that, because of their history, family businesses are very rooted in a particular location and thus also create jobs in rural and in less attractive areas, thereby helping to slow down the worrying process of ageing and depopulation affecting wide areas of the European Union; calls on the Commission and the Member States, therefore, to provide the necessary infrastructure in order to ensure the competitiveness of such businesses, paying particular attention to broadband telecommunications infrastructure with a view to bridging the digital divide that affects rural areas;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

Amendment 67 #

Juan Carlos GIRAUTA VIDAL, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Angelika MLINAR

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Recognises that family businesses are the single biggest source of employment in the private sector; therefore, what is beneficial to continuity, renewal and growth in the family business sector is conducive to continuity, renewal and growth in the European economy;

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Acknowledges that much of the private-sector workforce is to be found in family businesses; underscores the fact, accordingly, that all improvements as regards the survival and growth of family businesses also benefit the European economy as a whole;

Amendment 69 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Underlines that it is important the family business to have strong links with the European economic governance by including it in the procedures of the European Semester, so as to ensure that provisions for a fair and friendly fiscal environment for its operation are in place;

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas, according to ~~the Commission’s 2009 report, more than 60~~Ernst and Young Family Business Yearbook 2014, 85% of all European companies are family businesses and these account for ~~40-5~~60% of jobs in the private sector;

Amendment 70 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2b. Points out that, in agriculture, family farms are the most common business model; notes that, because land is owned, family farms are extremely rooted in a particular location; calls therefore on the Commission and Member States to ensure that the survival of family farms is not jeopardised by, in particular, excessive red tape;

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that highly specialised family businesses in particular play an important role as suppliers and innovators to larger companies and that, given their long-term and intergenerational approach to business, they provide the companies they supply with material security and thereby make a significant contribution to economic growth;

Amendment 72 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that highly specialised family businesses in particular play an important role as suppliers to, and innovators for, larger companies and that, given their long- term and intergenerational approach to business, they provide the companies they supply with material security and thereby make a significant contribution to economic growth;

Amendment 73 #

Sofia SAKORAFA, Miloslav RANSDORF, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Paloma LÓPEZ BERMEJO, Miguel URBÁN CRESPO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that highly specialised family businesses in particular play an important role as innovators and suppliers to larger companies and that, given their long-term and intergenerational approach to business, they provide the companies they supply with material security and thereby make a significant contribution to economic growth;

Amendment 74 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

Amendment 75 #

Henna VIRKKUNEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 – indent 1 (new)

- Recognises that family businesses are the single biggest source of employment in the private sector; Therefore, what is beneficial to continuity, renewal and growth in the family business sector is conducive to continuity, renewal and growth in the European economy;

Amendment 76 #

Herbert REUL, Hermann WINKLER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Stresses that family businesses make a vital contribution to the success of vocational training reforms and to increasing the number of apprenticeships; points out that, in this connection, family businesses are very much dependent - as all businesses are - on a favourable political environment; states that the Commission should look into how vocational training systems should be designed in order to provide the best possible environment for family businesses to invest in apprenticeships;

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Family businesses can play an important role in encouraging minorities and under-represented groups to participate in their local economies;

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. points out that the higher level of trust between family members makes family businesses very flexible and able to adapt quickly to changes in eco-social environment; at the same time, operating in niche markets for long periods of time enables family businesses to excel in identifying new opportunities and innovation;

Amendment 79 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Points out that family businesses provide the most jobs in the private sector and that what is good for continuity, renewal and growth in the family business sector is therefore also good for continuity, renewal and prosperity in the EU economy as a whole;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas family businesses are of various sizes, which exposes them to different difficulties and problems;

Amendment 80 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that family businesses often have a significantly higher equity ratio than non- family businesses and that this high equity ratio results in the economic stability of such businesses and of the economy as a whole, while at the same time providing scope for further investment in the business, which should not therefore be restricted; in this respect, stresses the need to ensure the equal treatment of equity financing compared to debt financing;

Amendment 81 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the Member States, with this in mind, to ensure that national rules on the taxation of inheritance and gifts and on corporate taxation do not discriminate against equity financing, which is so vital for family businesses, but, rather, support it; calls on the Member States furthermore, from a competition point of view, not to grant preferential tax treatment for the debt financing of entrepreneurial investment and innovations; points out, in this connection, that in Hungary inheritance tax on business assets has been abolished;

Amendment 82 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

Amendment 83 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

Amendment 84 #

Sofia SAKORAFA, Miloslav RANSDORF, Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Miguel URBÁN CRESPO

Amendment 85 #

Miapetra KUMPULA-NATRI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

Amendment 86 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

Amendment 87 #

Juan Carlos GIRAUTA VIDAL, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Pavel TELIČKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the Member States, with this in mind, to ensure that national rules on the taxation of ~~inheritance and gifts and on corporate taxation~~debt and equity do not discriminate against equity as a source of financing which is so vital for family businesses; ~~points out, in this connection, that in Hungary inheritance tax on business assets has been abolished;~~

Amendment 88 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the Member States, with this in mind, to ensure that national rules on the taxation of inheritance and gifts and on corporate taxation ~~do not~~support rather than discriminate against equity financing which is so vital for family businesses; ~~points out, in this connection, that in Hungary inheritance tax on business assets has been abolished;~~

Amendment 89 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the Member States, with this in mind, to ensure that national rules on the taxation of inheritance and gifts and on corporate taxation ~~do not~~promote, rather than discriminateing against, equity financing which is so vital for family businesses; points out, in this connection, that in Hungary inheritance tax on business assets has been abolished;

Amendment 9 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas, ~~while most~~family businesses can be small, medium sized or large, listed or unlisted; whereas they have been widely equated to SMEs neglecting the fact that there are also very large multinational corporations that are family businesses ~~are SMEs,~~; whereas in some EU Member States a few very large family businesses account for a large share of the total turnover of all businesses and thus make a significant contribution to job creation and growth and the economic success of the country concerned3 ; ___________ 3 In Germany alone, 17 percent of all employees who pay mandatory social security contributions work for ‘big’ family businesses with an annual turnover of at least EUR 50 million; while they account for a mere 0.1% of all companies in Germany, they generate 20% of the total turnover of all companies in that country.

Amendment 90 #

Juan Carlos GIRAUTA VIDAL, Angelika MLINAR

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Calls on the Member States, with this in mind, to ensure that national rules on the taxation of inheritance and gifts and on corporate taxation do not discriminate against equity financing which is so vital for family businesses; points out, in this connection, that in Hungary inheritance tax on business assets has been abolished; notes that, in France, change of ownership of undertakings has been facilitated by the Dutreil Pact, established in 2005, which permits partial exemption from registration duty (75%) when shares are transferred free of charge (as a gift or upon death);

Amendment 91 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Call on the Member States, with this in mind, to examine the debt-bias within their tax codes, assessing its impact on the financing structure of companies and the level of investment; calls on the Commission to examine any tax driven discrimination of equity financing against the background of fair competition

Amendment 92 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Calls on the Member States their taxation policies not to impede the succession of ownership and the long term perspective of the family businesses;

Amendment 93 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure the importance of a soft transfer of business, especially concerning tax regimes.

Amendment 94 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Urges the Member States therefore to look into the debt bias of national taxation systems and assess its impact on business funding structures and investment levels; calls on the Commission to look into any taxes that discriminate against equity funding in a market that should be based on the principle of fair competition;

Amendment 95 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Stresses the need to protect women’s right to succession, on a par with men, in family businesses by promoting a culture of equal rights for men and women which fosters female entrepreneurship in family businesses, in positions of management, responsibility and leadership;

Amendment 96 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5c. Urges the Member States to draft and implement legislative and other credit- system measures that will result in family businesses that practise good governance, and not those that do not, being given incentives and support;

Amendment 97 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses that ensuring ~~the long-term security of corporate funding has become~~access to financing for the real economy and in particular for SMEs and small family businesses is a key competitive factor; emphasises, in this connection, the importance of internationally stable financial market structures; ~~calls on the Commission to ensure that it does not create any unnecessary burdens for businesses as part of financial market regulation;~~

Amendment 98 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Calls on the Commission to consider extending the beneficiaries of all existing instruments for SMEs and / or entrepreneurs in particular COSME, to family businesses;

Amendment 99 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Stresses that the Commission definition of SMEs as companies ‘which employ fewer than 250 persons and which have an annual turnover not exceeding 50 million euro, and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding 43 million euro’ does not adequately reflect the vast differences between micro, small and medium-sized companies and that this can have an implication on a company’s ability to access financing; funding mechanisms which are suitable for medium-sized enterprises may be wholly inadequate for a micro-sized company;

source: 552.105

2015/05/06 EMPL 107 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Draft opinion
Recital -Aa(new)

~~(Often, cousins carry on the business of two or more brothers – their parents – and sometimes~~Aa. whereas ‘family’ means relatives up to the fourth degree of kinship and whereas relatives who do not cohabit, separated spouses and common-law partners are also considered to be family members; Or. it separated or common-law partners carry on running a business together)

Amendment 10 #

Brando BENIFEI, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Emilian PAVEL, Georgi PIRINSKI, Elena GENTILE

Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas the majority of family businesses are SMEs;

Amendment 100 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Calls on the Commission to include in the European Semester recommendations to Member States on how to create a fair family business-friendly environment, in particular in the fields of taxation, business transfer and entrepreneurial education;

Amendment 101 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Draws the Commissionʼs attention to the non-predatory nature of family businesses and the fact that they are firmly rooted in a local area, unlike multinationals.

Amendment 102 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Highlights the importance of training in the field of human resources, career planning and management skills for family business owners, which will be necessary to make them capable of attracting and retaining skilled workforce.

Amendment 103 #

Brando BENIFEI, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Jutta STEINRUCK, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Marju LAURISTIN, Emilian PAVEL, Georgi PIRINSKI, Elena GENTILE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Calls on the European Commission to develop the European trade mark law in that way that especially smaller and medium-sized family businesses are better protected from unreasonable, coated trademark lawsuits of international enterprises.

Amendment 104 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Calls on the Commission to actively promote and to disseminate information on the family business model throughout the EU, for example by establishing a family business contact point at the European Commission and by favouring the transfer of know-hows and best practices across the Member States, and by also making the best use of programmes such as the 'Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs';

Amendment 105 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4c. Encourages the Member States to provide a clear legal framework for the formal and informal occasional employment of family members.

Amendment 106 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4c. Encourages Member States to make similar social security protections available to family business owners as to employees, as a stimulus for family business transfers.

Amendment 107 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4c. Draws attention to the important role of family farms in rural regions of many member states and calls on the Member States to support business training aimed specifically at farmers; urges in particular, in that connection, that support should be given to training projects for young entrepreneurs who run family farms with a view to increasing their successful involvement in farming and regional organisations;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)

Ab. whereas due to the failure to provide a legally binding EU-wide definition of 'family business', many of these businesses will avoid to attain the SME threshold criteria as set by the European Commission, leading to a recruitment stop and loss of employment;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)

Ab. whereas family businesses play a vital role in regional development, in terms of employment and regional planning;

Amendment 13 #

Jutta STEINRUCK

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas many family businesses differ in terms of values from non-family corporations as regards long-term orientation, have a special degree of commitment to their local community – rooted in the European tradition of the ‘honourable merchant’ – and are generally slower to close down and put workers out of jobthey more often have a long-term orientation and they provide substantial numbers of jobs, particularly in less industrialised regions;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas family businesses ~~differ in terms of values from non-family corporations as regards long-term orientation, have a~~make an essential contribution to the economy, bringing a long-term stability, due to their special degree of commitment to their local community –, strong values rooted in the European tradition of the ‘honourable merchant’ – and are high level of responsibility as owners – resulting in being generally slower to close down ~~and put workers out of jobs~~;

Amendment 15 #

Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Paloma LÓPEZ BERMEJO, Patrick LE HYARIC

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas family businesses differ ~~in terms of values from non-family corporations as regards long-term orientation,~~from non-family businesses in structure, in particular in ownership and governance matters, and have a special degree of commitment to their local community and its economy– rooted in the European tradition of the ‘'honourable merchant~~’ – and are generally slower to close down and put workers out of jobs~~';

Amendment 16 #

Enrico GASBARRA

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas family businesses differ in terms of values from non-family corporations as regards long-term orientation, have a special degree of commitment to their local community – rooted in the European tradition of the ‘honourable merchant’ – and ~~are~~ generally ~~slower to close down and put workers out of job~~, even if suffering greatly in the economic crisis, deal with it more resolutely and therefore tend to be slower in putting workers out of jobs; highlights, in this regard, the initiatives supported by the European Union with the so-called Family Pacts;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas family businesses differ in terms of values from non-family corporations as regards long-term orientation, have a special degree of commitment to their local community – rooted in the European tradition of the ‘honourable merchant’ – and are generally slower to close down and put workers out of jobs; whereas family businesses make a major contribution to the prevention of rural depopulation, and in many cases provide the only source of employment in the regions of Europe whose development is lagging behind most;

Amendment 19 #

Ivan JAKOVČIĆ

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas family businesses differ in terms of values from non-family corporations as regards long-term orientation, have a special degree of commitment to their local and regional community – rooted in the European tradition of the ‘honourable merchant’ – and are generally slower to close down and put workers out of jobs;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Recital -A a (new)

Aa. whereas family businesses can also take the form of corporations and whereas work in a family business is not free of charge;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas family businesses may in positive cases differ in terms of values from non-family corporations as regards long-term orientation, have a special degree of commitment to their local community – rooted in the European tradition of the ‘'honourable merchant’' – and are generally slower to close down and put workers out of jobs;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. acknowledging the crucial example set by properly functioning family business governance and its importance for the sustainability of the social market economy and a new, sustainable working culture in Europe;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas family businesses create a favourable environment for reconciliation of family and work life;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas efforts at EU level in stimulating entrepreneurship and start- ups should be enhanced and complemented with a greater consideration for facilitating and stimulating the long-term survival of family businesses;

Amendment 24 #

Brando BENIFEI, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Marju LAURISTIN, Emilian PAVEL, Georgi PIRINSKI, Elena GENTILE

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas it is crucial to improve the legal climate for succession (transfer of the company within the family), notably the scope and scale of diverse approaches to inheritance and estate taxes across the EU, knowing that 480.000 companies are being transferred in the EU every year, with over 2 million jobs affected; Due to the many difficulties associated with such transfers, an estimated 150.000 businesses are forced to close each year resulting in the loss of 600.000 jobs 1 a; __________________ 1aEntrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan, COM(2012)0795

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas a common European definition of family business is necessary not only to improve the quality of statistical data collection on the sector's performance, but also as a means for policy-makers to better address the needs of family businesses and society;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas family businesses demonstrate significant social responsibility by taking a long-term and sustainable approach to their development, contributing not only to their own competitiveness but also to the maintenance and creation of jobs in the area where they are established;

Amendment 27 #

Jérôme LAVRILLEUX

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas family businesses guarantee that knowledge and skills will be passed on and in some regions they are an important factor in social links;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

Bb. whereas family farms are family businesses that offer a template for success because they put the principle of the environmentally and socially sustainable circular-flow economy into practice;

Amendment 29 #

Brando BENIFEI, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Marju LAURISTIN, Emilian PAVEL, Georgi PIRINSKI, Elena GENTILE

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

Bb. whereas entrepreneurship education can make a significant contribution to improving employment perspectives for young people since they are more likely to start their own business and their companies tend to be more innovative and successful than those led by persons without entrepreneurship education background, they are also at a lower risk of being unemployed and are more often in steady employment with better and better paid jobs 3 a; __________________ 3a http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/c

Amendment 3 #

Emilian PAVEL

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas family businesses range in scope from small firms to corporations and represent 60 85% of all European companies~~, providing between 40 % and 50 % of all jobs;~~ 1 a. __________________ 1a According to the 2014 EY Family Business Yearbook http://familybusiness.ey.com/pdfs/20- 23.pdf

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

Bb. whereas the size of a family company should be a central element to be taken into account in the definition of a family business;

Amendment 31 #

Brando BENIFEI, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Marju LAURISTIN, Georgi PIRINSKI

Draft opinion
Recital B c (new)

Bc. whereas inheritance taxes are a serious problem for especially smaller and medium-sized family owned enterprises, causing some of them even to downsize or liquidate;

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Recital B c (new)

Bc. whereas the family business model is unevenly spread across the EU Member States; whereas a significant share of family businesses in Europe have a transnational dimension and carry out their activities in different Member States;

Amendment 33 #

Jutta STEINRUCK, Evelyn REGNER, Brando BENIFEI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the work being undertaken on an EU definition of ‘family business’, and calls for ~~the specificities within Member States’~~further efforts in establishing an official definition~~s to be~~, takening into account~~, in particular with regard to~~ the specificities within Member States’ and guarantee~~ing~~s of social rights, social security, pension entitlements and health and safety at work; a simple, clear and easily applicable and comparable between countries definition would help to better understand the phenomenon and the challenges family businesses face, obtain a clear picture of their contribution to society and allow for specific and effective measures to be introduced.

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the work being undertaken on an EU definition of ‘family business’, and calls for ~~the specificities within Member States’ definitions to be taken into account, in particular with regard to guaranteeing~~it to take account of collective agreements, statutory wage entitlements, social rights, social security, pension entitlements, rules on codetermination and health and safety at work at the highest European level;

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the work being undertaken on a~~n EU~~ national definition of ‘family business’, and calls for the specificities within Member States’ definitions to be taken into account, in particular with regard to guaranteeing social rights, social security, pension entitlements and health and safety at work;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. WObserves that more than 90 definitions of ‘family business’ exist in the EU; observes that the European Commission adopted an EU definition of ‘SME’ as long ago as 2003; welcomes the work being undertaken on an EU definition of ‘family business’, and calls for the specificities within Member States’ definitions to be taken into account, in particular with regard to guaranteeing social rights, social security, pension entitlements and health and safety at work;

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the work being undertaken on an EU definition of ‘'family business’', and calls for the specificities within Member States’' definitions to be taken into account, in particular with regard to ~~guaranteeing~~company law, including for the self-employed, and ownership matters, as well as taxation, social rights, social security, pension entitlements and health and safety at work;

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the work being undertaken on an EU definition of ‘ʽfamily business~~’, and~~ʼ, with a view to gathering comparable data in the Member States and thus being able to compare them and analyse their evolution; calls for the specificities within Member States’ definitions to be taken into account in this process, in particular with regard to guaranteeing social rights, social security, pension entitlements and health and safety at work;

Amendment 39 #

Dita CHARANZOVÁ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the work being undertaken on an EU definition of ‘family business’, in particular the notion of "ownership", and calls for the specificities within Member States’ definitions to be taken into account, in particular with regard to guaranteeing social rights, social security, pension entitlements and health and safety at work;

Amendment 4 #

Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Paloma LÓPEZ BERMEJO, Patrick LE HYARIC

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas family businesses range in scope from small firms to corporations and represent 60 % of all European companies, providing between 40 % and 50 % of ~~all~~ jobs in the private sector;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Welcom~~Notes the work being undertaken on an EU definition of ‘family business’, and calls for the specificities within Member States’ definitions to be taken into account, in particular with regard to guaranteeing social rights, social security, pension entitlements and health and safety at work;

Amendment 41 #

Brando BENIFEI, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Georgi PIRINSKI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the work being undertaken oin ~~an EU definition of ‘family business’~~2009 by the Expert Group on family business on an EU definition, and calls for the specificities within Member States’' definitions to be taken into account, in particular with regard to guaranteeing social rights, social security, pension entitlements and health and safety at work;

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes warmly the work being undertaken on an EU definition of ‘family business’, and calls for the specificities within Member States’ definitions to be taken into account, in particular with regard to guaranteeing social rights, social security, pension entitlements and health and safety at work;

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the work being undertaken on an EU definition of ‘family business’, and calls for the specificities within Member States’ definitions to be taken into account, in particular with regard to guaranteeing social rights, social security, pension entitlements and health and safety at work, as the EU level only constitutes an additional constraint;

Amendment 44 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the work being undertaken on an EU definition of ‘'family business’', and calls for the specificities within Member States’' definitions to be taken into account, in particular with regard to guaranteeing social rights, social security, pension entitlements and health and safety at work in these family businesses;

Amendment 45 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Calls on those working on an EU definition of "family business" to make sure the definition meets the diversity of families found in EU societies and ensures non-discrimination of family forms, rather than limiting it to a concept of family meaning a man, a woman and their biological children.

Amendment 46 #

Brando BENIFEI, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Emilian PAVEL, Georgi PIRINSKI, Elena GENTILE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Calls on the Commission to continue work on establishing a common EU definition of 'family business' by conducting an impact assessment of a possible revision of the European SME definition from 2003, with the specificities within Member States' definitions to be taken into account, in particular with regard to guaranteeing social rights, social security, pension, entitlements and health and safety at work;

Amendment 47 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Calls on the Commission to work on a common European definition of family business, which should be legally binding, simple, clear and easily applicable in all Member States and at the EU level;

Amendment 48 #

Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Paloma LÓPEZ BERMEJO, Patrick LE HYARIC

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Notes that family businesses should not constitute a separate category from existing definitions of Micro- and SMEs; notes that a majority of family businesses have less than 5 employees and calls on the Commission to protect and define their activity accordingly;

Amendment 49 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Calls on the Commission to work on an EU strategy which will introduce into the economy values which are found especially in family businesses: the integrity, continuity, local tradition, specific customer relation and social responsibility; indicates that family businesses are the type of enterprises that have ownership and governance structures that can be especially conducive to responsible business conduct;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas family businesses ~~range in scope from small firms to corporations and~~ represent 60 % of all European companies, providing between 40 % and 50 % of all jobs and range in scope from small firms to corporations which means the problems and difficulties they experience differ;

Amendment 50 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. having identified the ownership as a fundamental issue for the family businesses, calls on the Member States to consider introducing changes to their tax system and company laws, allowing for a more effective and smoother transfer and retention of business within the family; lowering the gift and inheritance tax, introducing favourable tax treatment of the reinvested profits compared to the one of debt financing, favouring the use of non-vote stocks as a way of improving the access to finance without losing control of the company, are only some of the good practices to be shared and promoted;

Amendment 51 #

Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Paloma LÓPEZ BERMEJO, Patrick LE HYARIC

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

~~(Labour income needs to be distingu~~1a. Takes the view that the earnings of family members should be regarded as labour income also for social security purposes and that family members should also be covered by the social safety nets established forom compan~~y income, for both tax and social~~ies in crisis; Or. it security purposes).

Amendment 52 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Stresses the importance of supporting micro, small and medium enterprises not only by funding, but also through a fair and progressive taxation, and a fairer and more even distribution of tax burden across labour, profits and consumption;

Amendment 53 #

Brando BENIFEI, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Jutta STEINRUCK, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Marju LAURISTIN, Emilian PAVEL, Georgi PIRINSKI, Elena GENTILE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Calls on the European Commission to draw up a list of common indicators based on which a family business could be described and which should enable statistics to be produced with respect to the contribution of family businesses to employment, total turnover of family businesses etc.;

Amendment 54 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Stresses that the size of a family company should be a central element to be taken into account in the definition of a family business, given the fact that a one-size-fits-all regulatory approach is not capable to sufficiently address the diverse needs of family businesses and society, in particular with regards to taxation, access to finance and corporate governance and responsibility;

Amendment 55 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. whereas intra-family business transfer is often a succession of social and cultural capital, of knowledge generated from generation to generation, it shall be preserved and promoted; however recent figures from 2011 anticipate that each year some 450 000 firms in the EU look for successors, affecting up to 2 million employees; it is estimated that each year there is a risk of losing approximately 150,000 companies and 600,000 jobs due to inefficient business transfers; good practices on raising awareness of planning a company transfer early are crucial in this respect; employee buyouts are also one possible solution to the business succession problem of these European SMEs; appropriately designed long-term EFP models could also contribute to the retention of these small firm and strengthening regional economies and employment throughout the EU;

Amendment 56 #

Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Paloma LÓPEZ BERMEJO, Patrick LE HYARIC

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1c. Calls on Member States to join the European Commission's efforts in drawing up a list of common indicators and eventually a EU-wide definition thus enabling statistics on family businesses to better understand ownership and help design better policies facilitating access to market and financing for family businesses.

Amendment 57 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2.Welcomes EU efforts, in cooperation with national authorities, in promoting entrepreneurship education, in schools, universities and VET, as an important tool to fight unemployment and create new jobs while stressing that topics related to running family businesses, like succession, ownership transfer, personnel management and innovation shall be included in curricula;deleted

Amendment 58 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 Subparagraph 1 (new)

Calls on the competent authorities at the level of Member States to foster entrepreneurship and promote "mini- enterprise" projects in schools, considering the high potential of job creation of family businesses

Amendment 59 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2a (new)

2a. whereas family businesses represent the largest pool of entrepreneurial potential and are natural incubators for the future entrepreneurs, there is a growing need for enhancing their innovation and progress; moreover in order to professionalise the management of family firms it is crucial to promote entrepreneurship education for both start- ups and existing family firms, incentivising innovation and progress especially at managerial level;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas family businesses range in scope from small firms to corporations and represent 60 % of all European companies, providing between 40 % and 50 % of all jobs; whereas the vast majority of family businesses are SMEs, which provide employment for two thirds of people employed in the European Union, and which create 85% of new jobs in Europe;

Amendment 60 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2b (new)

2b. whereas long-term objective requires high level of competitiveness and innovation, it is crucial for the family companies to employ skilled and qualified workers; calls on the family businesses themselves to properly balance the family governance aspects within the enterprises in order to attract skilled workforce, often afraid of nepotism and paternalistic practices and lower levels of career progression.

Amendment 61 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes with concern that the financial crisis and subsequent recession have ~~dealt a heavy blow to European~~affected SMEs, many of which are family businesses, and highlights the importance of fostering a favourable regulatory framework to support healthy restructuring and ~~thus job retention~~growth-friendly environment for family businesses across the EU to create more jobs;

Amendment 62 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes with concern that the financial crisis and subsequent recession have dealt a heavy blow to European SMEs, many of which are family businesses; , and highlights the importance of a favourable regulatory framework ~~to support healthy restructuring~~as regards especially access to finance, tax justice, inclusive social security protection of all actors in SME structures; stresses that a well-targeted support towards healthy restructuring, could have major positive effects on job retention; stresses the local job creation potential for SMEs of new and emerging sectors such as the circular economy and thus job retention;

Amendment 63 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes with concern that the financial crisis and subsequent recession have dealt a heavy blow to European SMEs, many of which are family businesses, and highlights the importance of a favourable regulatory framework to support healthy restructuring and thus job retention; stresses that as passing the business on from one generation to the next is the main challenge facing family businesses, it is important that Member States improve the legal framework for the transfer of family businesses and facilitate financing for these transfers thereby preventing cash- flow problems and distress sales and ensuring family businesses survive;

Amendment 64 #

Jutta STEINRUCK, Evelyn REGNER

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

Amendment 65 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

Amendment 66 #

Brando BENIFEI, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Jutta STEINRUCK, Siôn SIMON, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Marju LAURISTIN, Georgi PIRINSKI, Elena GENTILE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes with concern that the financial crisis and subsequent recession have dealt a heavy blow to European SMEs, many of which are family businesses, and highlights the importance of a decisive EU intervention to relaunch economic growth by creating high-quality jobs and a favourable regulatory framework to support healthy restructuring and thus job retention;

Amendment 67 #

Ádám KÓSA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

Amendment 68 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes with concern that the financial crisis and subsequent recession have dealt a heavy blow to European SMEs in particular, many of which are family businesses, and highlights the importance of a favourable regulatory framework to support healthy restructuring and thus job retention;

Amendment 69 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Notes with concern that the financial crisis and subsequent recession have dealt a heavy blow to European micro- enterprises and SMEs, many of which are family businesses, and highlights the importance of a favourable regulatory framework to support healthy restructuring and thus job retention;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas especially family businesses create favourable environment for reconciliation of family and work life;

Amendment 70 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1 (new)

Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure family businesses are better informed about opportunities for international development and to improve exchanges of experience and good practices, notably through the EURES programme supporting cross-border mobility on labour markets, and thereby bolster the viability and prosperity of family businesses, which are important job creators; emphasises the importance of the EURES-T service which can advise on labour mobility opportunities in cross- border regions and help cross-border workers to deal with legal, administrative and tax problems connected with labour mobility;

Amendment 71 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Further notes the necessity to address other challenges that family businesses face, such as the difficulties to find and retain skilled workforce, and the importance to strengthen entrepreneurship education and family- business-specific management training;

Amendment 72 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Draws attention to the important role of family farms in rural regions of many Member States and calls on the Member States to support business training aimed specifically at farmers;

Amendment 73 #

Brando BENIFEI, Vilija BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Jutta STEINRUCK, Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO, Georgi PIRINSKI, Elena GENTILE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Urges the European Commission to facilitate and stimulate the long-term survival of family businesses and put more emphasis on developing support and guidance to facilitate transmission and succession of family businesses;

Amendment 74 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Emphasizes that family businesses, due to the overlapping of family, ownership and business elements, have certain specificities which should be taken into account; stresses however the necessity to address labour law issues, social policy and social rights such as better gender balance on corporate boards, work-life balance provisions and financial participation of employees, in a fair and socially responsible manner;

Amendment 75 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Asks the member states to find applicable and acceptable solutions regarding inheritance taxes on family- owned businesses, to ensure that the payment of these taxes does not lead the company into liquidity problems or adversely affect the number of employees and the sustainable development of the company in responsibility of the next generation.

Amendment 76 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Considers it appropriate to allow the sale of the participating interest in a family firm to external partners who could strengthen the company and ensure its continuity, provided that the other family members always have the right of pre-emption;

Amendment 77 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. States that the crisis is only responsible for half of the cases in which family businesses go bankrupt, with excessive bureaucracy imposed by Brussels through Member Statesʼ laws being the other cause;

Amendment 78 #

Jérôme LAVRILLEUX

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Is concerned moreover by the difficulties caused to family businesses by third party structures which engage in unfair practices and encourage social dumping; encourages the Commission to take the measures necessary to create legal conditions favourable to correcting and stabilising the competitive balance of power;

Amendment 79 #

Jutta STEINRUCK, Evelyn REGNER, Brando BENIFEI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Calls on the Commission to continue to pursue a better implementation of already existing EU recommendations 1 a with regards to the simplification of the tax and regulatory framework (reduced inheritance and gift taxes) to improve the legal climate for succession; __________________ 1a The Recommendation of 1994, the Communication of 1998 and the Lille Forum, the Good Practice Guide 2003, the 2006 Communication from the Commission: Continuity through a new beginning

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas many rights of codetermination, social protection and occupational safety are not respected in family businesses, because of their size;

Amendment 80 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Considers it advisable to harmonise at EU level the rules for transferring family businesses to heirs and/or to family members who are interested in maintaining employment levels and developing the company, through tax breaks to ensure continuity and in any case providing for cash compensation for those heirs or family members who are not interested in the business;

Amendment 81 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3c. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to further promote the exchange of best practices to aid family business transfers, notably in the regulatory environment;

Amendment 82 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3c. Considers it advisable to encourage the entry of professional external managers to improve the management of the family business;

Amendment 83 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 d (new)

3d. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to encourage employee financial participation in line with the growing public recognition of its merits due to the financial and economic crisis;

Amendment 84 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 e (new)

3e. Calls on the European Commission to actively promote gender equality in the framework of family businesses relating to entrepreneurship, skills, leadership, transmission and succession. To this end, using the existing administrative structures at the level of Member States to promote the setting up of one stop shop for female entrepreneurs. Calls also for the facilitation of child care support for "mother entrepreneurs".

Amendment 85 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Draws the Commission’ʼs attention to the ~~need for equal treatment of big multinationals and family businesses so as to ensure a balanced level~~ fact that the majority of family businesses are SMEs and that applaying ~~field in terms of competition, while respecting the unique nature of family businesses, in particular in those Member States in which such businesses were destroyed after 1945.~~the ʽthink small firstʼ principle is therefore essential in order to better adapt EU legislation to the realities and needs of these businesses, and enable them to benefit from funding programmes and a reduction in red tape;

Amendment 86 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Draws the Commission’'s attention to the ~~need for~~fact that equal treatment of big multinationals and family businesses so as to ensure a balanced level playing field in terms of competition, while respecting the unique nature of family businesses, in particular in those Member States in which such businesses were destroyed after 1945family businesses is at risk in what concerns multinationals and their options to evade tax in comparison to geographically bound family businesses.

Amendment 87 #

Jutta STEINRUCK

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Draws the Commission’s attention to the need for equal treatment of big multinationals and family businesses of a similar size so as to ensure a balanced level playing field in terms of competition, while ~~respecting the unique nature of family businesses, in particular in those Member States in which such businesses were destroyed after 1945~~care must be taken to ensure that the requirements which apply to Corporate Social Responsibility, rights of codetermination and compliance with the law and with the terms of collective agreements are no less stringent in family businesses.

Amendment 88 #

Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS, Paloma LÓPEZ BERMEJO, Patrick LE HYARIC

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Draws the Commission’s attention to the need for equal treatment of big multinationals and family businesses so as to ensure a balanced level playing field in terms of competition, while respecting the unique nature of family businesses, in particular of a balanced level playing field in terms of competition for all the companies operating in the EU, while respecting and fostering th~~ose Member States in which such businesses were destroyed after 1945~~e unique nature of family businesses.

Amendment 89 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas new enterprises create on average two new jobs and expansion of existing businesses creates on average five new jobs;

Amendment 90 #

Ivan JAKOVČIĆ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

4. Draws the Commission’s attention to the need for equal treatment of big multinationals and family businesses so as to ensure a balanced level playing field in terms of competition, while respecting the unique nature of family businesses, in particular in those Member States in which such businesses were destroyed ~~after 1945~~in the decades from 1945 until the era of democratic change.

Amendment 91 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Draws the Commission’s attention to the need for equal treatment of big multinationals and family businesses so as to ensure a balanced level playing field in terms of competition, while respecting the unique nature of family businesses, in particular in those Member States in which such businesses were destroyed ~~after 1945.~~before and after 1945, family businesses being in some cases a centuries old tradition;

Amendment 92 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 93 #

Jutta STEINRUCK, Brando BENIFEI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Draws the Commission’s attention to the absolute need for equal treatment of big multinationals and family businesses so as to ensure a balanced level playing field in terms of competition, while respecting the unique nature of family businesses, in particular in those Member States in which such businesses were destroyed after 1945.

Amendment 94 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 – point 1 (new)

(1) Stresses that family businesses too have a responsibility to offer appropriate training places or comparable work experience placements and must promote the further training of employees in their businesses in order to prevent skills shortages and to support the concept of lifelong learning.

Amendment 95 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Highlights the importance of the EU- funded training schemes for small business entrepreneurs, which allow family business owners to adapt their companies to a fast-changing environment driven by increasing global economic integration, the appearance of new technologies and the focus on a low- carbon and greener economy.

Amendment 96 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Calls on the Commission to draw up a non-legislative European family strategy which takes full account of the role played by parents in family businesses, including the social and economic significance of 'mompreneurs' and the specific contribution they make to implementing the principles underpinning fair leadership, entrepreneurial social responsibility and a new, sustainable working culture.

Amendment 97 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Is concerned that the growing bogus self-employment can have a negative impact on the perception of family business;

Amendment 98 #