Where they do try to solve problems, businesses tend to use trade associations, chambers of commerce or their own networks. Use of administrations, national or at European level, as a form of recourse is not popular with most firms regardless of size. However, it is a means which larger companies will use more often than smaller ones. The findings underline the importance of making means of redress more accessible and effective, notably at the national level. Response to these questions were similar from SMEs and larger companies.
Large companies tend to view developments more favourably than SMEs.
Many of the obstacles are related to compliance with national specifications for goods and services, VAT systems, and discriminatory behaviour by public authorities and so have not changed to any great extent over the last 12 months. Similar numbers of firms seem to face such barriers, and few firms seem to consider it worthwhile to try to tackle them. Not surprisingly, companies' information needs and their priorities for improvements in administrative procedures reflect the nature of the barriers they are facing.