Competitiveness Council Targets Entrepreneurship & Single Market
At the Informal Competitiveness Council in Bucharest, gathering the European ministers for Internal Market and Industry, President Ulrike Rabmer-Koller emphasised that a long-term SME strategy with a vision for 2030 and an action plan including concrete measures, timing for implementation and monitoring have to be part of next EU Strategic Agenda. SMEs are the backbone of the economy and they ensure day-to-day needs as well as innovation in cities and rural areas alike. They are the basis for competitiveness, growth, jobs and welfare of Europe. Therefore, she called to move from the ‘Think Small First’ principle to the ‘Act Small First’ principle and allow SMEs to thrive and ensure a prosperous future for the EU.
The European Single Market is one of the greatest achievements of the European integration process. Millions of businesses and consumers are benefitting on a daily basis from its “four freedoms” in the largest economy in the world. However, the Single Market has been built over several decades, and there is still room for improvement. The fragmentation reflected by different rules, non-harmonised standards or gold plating at national level, and deficits as regards enforcement are often in contradiction to real integration. That is why SMEunited calls for focus on a timely and correct transposition and enforcement while carefully considering and examining the combined impact of several regulations on businesses.
REACH Revision: What could it bring?
One of the most significant regulatory shifts in years is stirring debate. The EU is preparing for a balancing act between keeping safety high and reducing overregulation. SMEunited intensively contributes to this mega project, advocating for simplifications for SMEs that matter.
Startups and Scaleups need stronger Single Market and Capital Markets Union to succeed in Europe
Brussels, 28/05/2025 – “Europe can no longer afford to see its most promising innovative companies scale up in the USA or Asia”, said SMEunited President Petri Salminen in response to the launch of the EU Startup and Scale-up Strategy. “We welcome this new strategy, which rightly highlights the existing shortcomings. But its success will ultimately depend on real progress in strengthening the Single Market, improving regulation, and advancing the Capital Markets Union”.
SMEunited reinforces recommendations Regulatory Scrutiny Board
“SMEunited fully supports that evaluations should be performed more seriously. Looking at the priorities of the current mandate, it is troubling to learn that evaluations insufficiently reflect on the potential for simplification and burden reduction” reflected Véronique Willems, SMEunited Secretary General, on the results of the 2025 annual report of the Regulatory Scrutiny Board (RSB).