Coordination of activities in favour of SMEs and the craft sector

The Committee adopted the report on the future SME and craft industry policy drafted by Mr Riccardo GAROSCI (UfE, I), largely supports the efforts of the Commission to improve coordination between different Community initiatives in favour of SMEs. The report call for a broad range o f range of measures to improve the situation for SMEs, in particular by putting the political will to support SMEs into action by stepping up financial support to this sector, such as the Elise scheme for loan guarantees which is currently blocked in the Council. The main theme of the report is the need to lighten the heavy administrative burdens that the SMEs have to carry and to involve SMEs in the EU decision-making mechanisms to a greater extent. �