SME environment in EU must improve, say ministers Special attention should be dedicated to improving the working environment for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), EU ministers for SME policy agreed at a conference held in Aranjuez, near Madrid on 23 February. With EU Commissioner for Enterprise and Information socie... Special attention should be dedicated to improving the working environment for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), EU ministers for SME policy agreed at a conference held in Aranjuez, near Madrid on 23 February. With EU Commissioner for Enterprise and Information society, Erkki Liikanen, in attendance, ministers agreed that an informal meeting of SME ministers should take place ahead of the spring summit. Spanish Minister for the economy and current President of ECOFIN (Council of economic and finance ministers), Rodrigo Rato, supported changes in bankruptcy laws (to make it easier for honest SMEs to get restarted) and making it cheaper and easier to establish SMEs. He added that the real need was to attain the goals set out at the Lisbon summit two years ago. The main issues that were discussed by delegates at the meeting included improving taxation and financing measures applicable to SMEs, encouraging better use of information technologies by SMEs (especially in relations between SMEs and public authorities), alternative regulation for SMEs to make operations easier and improved training. Two pressing issues which need to be addressed are the amount of capital and the length of time needed to establish an SME. Mr Liikanen outlined the priorities of the European charter for SMEs, whose 10 priority lines focus on many of the issues discussed, and stressed that there still remains much to be done. A report on the decisions and issues discussed in Aranjuez is to be sent to the European Council in Barcelona. Countries Spain
