ESBA welcomes Spanish Presidency conclusions following meeting of SME ministers
The European Small Business Alliance (ESBA) has welcomed the Spanish Presidency's conclusions following a meeting of EU ministers responsible for SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) policy, who met in Aranjuez, Spain, from 23 to 24 February. 'This is almost exactly what was needed before the Barcelona European Council,' said ESBA Secretary General Frédéric Soudain. Particularly pleasing was that some of the recommendations ESBA made at recent meetings with Enterprise Commissioner Erkki Liikanen and the UK Minister for SMEs, Nigel Griffith, had been taken on board by ministers in Aranjuez, he added. Mr Soudain welcomed the positive reception given to a proposal from the Spanish Presidency to hold SME meetings ahead of the yearly European Spring Councils to review progress made in the implementation of the European Charter for Small Businesses (the Feira Charter). The measure was described as 'a permanent means of promoting measures to enhance the SME environment and of recognising their role in the EU' by ECOFIN President and Spanish Minister for the economy Rodrigo Rato. Mr Rato also spoke of the need to 'achieve the goal we set ourselves at the Lisbon Council' of March 2000, namely, to make Europe the world's most competitive knowledge-based economy. A report on the Aranjuez meeting will now be submitted to the Barcelona European Council.