The exemption of small and medium-sized enterprises from the SME definition constitutes a significant disadvantage in Europe.
As a result, small and medium-sized companies are unduly burdened with additional costs due to the exclusion from SME privileges or certain promotion programmes.
According to the recommendation of the EU Commission, a company is not an SME if at least 25% of its capital or voting rights are owned directly or indirectly by one or more public bodies or public-law entities and controlled individually or jointly by them.
13 years ago, in its recommendation of 2003, the Commission argued that companies with public participation obtain certain, especially financial benefits, compared to companies which are financed with private capital. The Commission assumed that it is often not possible to calculate the relevant personnel and financial data for public sector bodies or bodies governed by public law.
But does this view still reflect reality? And what are the Commission’s plans for a future definition of SME?
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Agenda & speakers
Valerie Ronzitti
General secretary of CEEP
Karl-Heinz Lambertz
President of the European Committee of the Regions
Aexel Gadaschko
President of GdW Housing Germany
Dr Markus Pieper
Member of the European Parliament
Thierry Durnerin
Chair of the CEEP Public Services Board
Dr Andreas Zuber
Managing director of VKU
Constantinos Andropoulos
Advisort to the Director of the COSME programme, DG Grow, European Commission
Discussion with speakers moderated by Dr Özgür Öner, Director Brussels Office GdW Housing Germany