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• To reflect on the revision of the EU policy framework for SMEs from a territorial perspective, in order to preserve and strengthen the "think small first" principle in the policy making at different levels
• To raise awareness of LRAs as key actors helping SMEs at their territories to cope with the challenges stemming from the impact of major economic transformations, such as digitalisation, the rise of the data and platform economy, changing value chains and shifting consumer demand.
• To promote a broad reflection on how the EU programmes post-2020, in combination with existing policy tools can continue to support the growth and competitiveness of SMEs in EU regions and cities

THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS



- recognises that the competitiveness of European economies is based on the entrepreneurial and innovative potential of SMEs;

- stresses the role and responsibility of the Member States' and regions in developing and implementing EU policy tools for SMEs, which should be specifically geared towards supporting the development of skills of SME employees and SMEs themselves, including in the area of digitalisation, which will help these enterprises grow in the long term;

- recognises the importance of start-ups within the framework of SMEs, since they are responsible for many disruptive innovations, but points to the need to also support existing businesses to scale up and innovate in an incremental way;

- notes that the proposed framework of common rules for the European Structural and Investment Funds must be flexible in order to enable requesting regions to focus their operational programmes on SMEs and micro-entrepreneurship;

- expects regional representatives to be involved in the management of the EU's SME policy and for them to cooperate more closely with SME Envoys;

- points to the important idea of a one-stop shop for SMEs and, to this end, stresses the need to consolidate SMEs' support networks on a European scale;

- highlights the importance of supporting the cooperation of groups of specialised small and medium enterprises (clusters);

- draws attention to the issue of SMEs' access to public procurement, while also welcoming the inclusion of this category of enterprises in the reform of the public procurement directive and calls for further measures to support SMEs;