Commission to propose action on SME support services
The European Commission will outline the results of its work on support services for small businesses at a European seminar in Vienna April 11 to 12. However, some details have emerged in advance on their presentation, which was formulated in close collaboration with the Member States. According to a study undertaken for the Commission, out of a total 21.3 billion euro of Structural Fund grants invested directly in measures promoting SMEs between 1994 and 1999, some 2.7 billion euro (12.6 per cent of the total figure) were channelled towards business support services. Governments have set up a number of support services in areas such as law, taxation, social and environmental considerations, finance, business management, research and innovation. However, the Commission argues that those small businesses that are most in need of support services use them the least, because their needs are not met by the services currently available. The European Charter on Small Enterprises (the 'Feira Charter') calls on the Member States and the EU to promote support for small businesses that is easy to use and meets their needs. The Commission's Vienna presentation will emphasise this fundamental principle. The Commission will argue that a package of services should be made available, covering all the main management functions, and closely co-ordinated with management training provision for enterprises. The aim must be to help enterprises develop their own permanent management capacity. Support should take account of the differing needs of different types of SME by providing distinct packages of services for the different target groups. Support organisations should develop procedures that determine which is the best advice available for the client and that subsequently manage and follow-up the access of clients to the corresponding specialist staff. The Commission will also argue that support organisations should have access to the necessary human and material resources to provide top class services. In particular, information technology resources need to be frequently reviewed. The development of a distinctive professional culture needs to be further encouraged among support service staff, and quality assurance systems routinely implemented These and other proposals will be presented by the Commission in Vienna on the basis of two new documents, entitled: 'Creating Top-Class Business Support Services' and 'Support services for micro, small and sole-proprietor businesses'.