Access to affordable energy and raw materials, friendly business environment and the development of new skills are the most pressing challenges for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the EU. Local and regional leaders, members of
the Commission for Economic Policy (ECON) of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), gathered in Zwolle (the Netherlands) to discuss how to help SMEs face these challenges to overcome the current crisis and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future.
SMEs represent 99,8% of businesses in the EU and two third of the total
private sector employment. EU's regions and cities are doing all efforts to
preserve their vital contribution for EU's society and economy as well as
to mobilise them to achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal and
the EU Digital Decade.
How to create a stable framework for SMEs to operate, invest and expand
while taking advantage of digital and green deal transition was the main
topic of the ECON commission meeting in Zwolle on 22-23 September.
ECON members from all across Europe welcomed the recent announcement by EU
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen of the launch of a SME relief
package to help businesses cope with the consequences of soaring energy
prices, inflation, and supply chain bottlenecks. They also stressed that
longer term goals on the green and digital transitions will only be
achieved if the EU policy framework is fully SME-fit and backed by robust
funding
Ilpo Heltimoinen
(FI/ECR), 1st Vice-Chair of the ECON commission and Lappeenranta
City Councillor, chaired the meeting and said: "
I am pleased to chair the first meeting of the ECON Commission in the
second part of the mandate of the Committee of the Regions. Since the
outbreak of the pandemic and the Russian attack on Ukraine, Europe has
been confronted with unprecedented challenges, all of which have their
serious economic repercussions. Today we are meeting in Zwolle to
discuss how we as local and regional politicians can help businesses to
survive and prosper in these turbulent times. Meetings like the one
today help us to exchange good practices which we can then implement in
our cities and regions.
"
The host of the event,
Eddy van Hijum
(NL/EPP), Member of the Council of the Province of Overijssel, underlined
that: "
In the Netherlands, nearly 70% of businesses are family businesses, the
share of which is even larger in Overijssel. SMEs and family
businesses, together with governments and knowledge institutions, can
take a pioneering role in tackling major societal challenges. In
Overijssel we have many inspiring examples of small businesses who
create solutions for a smart and sustainable industry
."
Members visited best practices from the Province of Overijssel, such as
Koninklijke Van Wijhe Verf, a local family business that is a frontrunner
in the green transition, and 'Perron038', the innovation centre for the
manufacturing industry in the Zwolle region, a collaboration between
high-tech companies and knowledge and research institutions that facilitate
innovation projects and knowledge development. To further support family
businesses, the province launched the
digital magazine
'Family Next', which reflects how Overijssel continues to support its
family businesses in the future.
During the meeting, the ECON commission elected Jaroslava Jermanová as its
new chair. Ms Jermanová is a councillor of the Central Bohemian Region of
the Czech Republic and has been a member of the CoR since 2017. She
will chair the ECON's commission's work during the next two and a half
years.
Jaroslava Jermanová
(CZ/Renew) commented on her election:
"
I take very seriously the responsibility of chairing the ECON
commission in these times of global instability, persisting inflation,
high energy prices, and continued disruptions of trade and supply
chains, which heavily impact our citizens and businesses, but also
local and regional authorities. Being from the industrial region of
Central Bohemia,
the pertinent economic policy issues which our cities and regions face
are very important to me
and
during my mandate
I will work to improve the EU's policy responses and towards their more
effective implementation
.
"
Background:
Local and regional authorities have a crucial role to play in promoting
sustainable and resilient growth of SMEs. According to the
latest survey report by the Eurochambres
, taking account of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in
Ukraine, SMEs are constantly facing challenges in accessing finance, skills
and coping with regulatory burdens to move forward with the digital and
green transformation. The survey gathered feedback from chambers of
commerce and industry in 19 countries across Europe and included questions
on investment performance and accessibility of EU funding, the digital
transition and green transition.
Contacts:
CoR:
Theresa Sostmann
Tel. +32 475999415
Theresa.Sostmann@cor.europa.eu
Province of Overijssel:
Petra Timmer
Tel. +31 (0) 38 499 92 23
PA.Timmer@overijssel.nl