Small and medium-sized enterprises SMEs, craft sector: coordination of actions. 1997 report

In adopting the report by Mrs Marianne THYSSEN (PPE, B) on coordination of activities to assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the craft sector, the European Parliament approved the idea of systematically consulting representative SME organisations when legislative proposals relating to industry were being drafted. Parliament urged that aid to SMEs should continue to be a priority during the programming period 2000-2006 and expected the Commission, in its proposals for this programming period, to use the definition from its own recommendation of 03.04.1996 (which made a precise distinction between medium-sized, small and micro-enterprises) and to formulate quantitative and verifiable objectives for the participation of SMEs in these programmes. With regard to consultation of SMEs, Parliament called for the study of the degree of representativeness of the European social partners currently involved in the social dialogue, which had been announced in September 1996, to be carried out. It was important for specific representative SME organisations to be involved in the European social dialogue at every stage. Parliament called on the Austrian Presidency of the Council to work to ensure this. Parliament welcomed all measures to create a better climate for enterprise and a better apparatus of government, and expressed the hope that binding measures would be adopted, along the lines of the Directive on time limits for payment of debts. Parliament called for the SME dimension to be incorporated in all training programmes.�