Ahead of the Competitiveness Council, on 30-31 May, BusinessEurope wishes to draw the Hungarian Presidency’s attention to the “key role” that can be played by this configuration of the Council on measures proposed in the Single Market Act (SMA) and those proposed in the Small Business Act (SBA). In a letter dated 20 May, Philippe de Buck, director-general of BusinessEurope, said: “The Competitiveness Council has a key role to play in the implementation of the Single Market Act and the Small Business Act but its responsibilities extend way beyond that. It must act as the competitiveness conscience of Europe and shape the decisions taken at European level to answer economic, social and environmental challenges facing us.”

Concerning the SMA, BusinessEurope supports in particular measures to improve access to finance for SMEs, boost e-commerce and create a patent protection system. Moreover, the organisation welcomes the adoption of a simple and flexible European private company statute. Conversely, it is concerned by “unnecessary changes in public procurement rules and controversial social or fiscal proposals”.

Turning to the SBA, the organisation calls on the Competitiveness Council to: “adopt ambitious and quantified targets limiting the start-up time for new enterprises” and ensure that each member state nominates its own national SME envoy. Ministers should also “obtain a redeployment of EU financial instruments” in the future multiannual financial framework and “direct the support of the Commission and the EIB group towards technological innovation companies”.