European cooperation benefits SMEs European cooperation is having positive benefits for small and medium-sized enterprises, a report recently adopted by the Commission reveals. The report on 'Concerted action with the Member States in the field of enterprise policy' shows individual Member States are learning ... European cooperation is having positive benefits for small and medium-sized enterprises, a report recently adopted by the Commission reveals. The report on 'Concerted action with the Member States in the field of enterprise policy' shows individual Member States are learning from each other, and copying examples of best practice to make life easier for SMEs. Improvements have been noted in regulatory and administrative procedures, and the effectiveness of support procedures. In presenting the report the Commissioner for Enterprise and the Information Society, Erkki Liikanen said: 'This is a very European story. We are exploiting the diversity of our experience in promoting enterprise across Europe in order to bring about a general improvement in the environment for business. Concerted action is based on the active exchange of best practice, which means that it is a process based on emulation rather than regulation. As such, concerted action has to be one of the main currents in our developing enterprise policy.' The Commission has been helping Member States identify and exchange best practices in the broad areas of enterprise policy since 1995. In particular they have focussed on simplifying business environments, providing effective business support measures and improving the visibility and take-up by enterprises of these services. In a series of forums and seminars they have concentrated on the circumstances of enterprises at different stages in their development, supplemented by an analysis of case material. The results identified central issues and made several recommendations of good practices, which are outlined in the report.
