16.12.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC332/27
OpiniononSMEsandCraftIndustries
(92/C332/13
On26March1992theEconomicandSocialCommittee,actingunderthefourthparagraph
ofArticle20ofitsRulesofProcedure,decidedtodrawupanOpinionon:SMEsandCraft
Industries .
TheSectionforIndustry,Commerce,CraftsandServices,whichwasresponsibleforpreparing
theCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon30September1992.The
RapporteurwasMrSchleyer.
Atits300thPlenarySession(meetingof22October1992),theEconomicandSocialCommittee
adoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
1.Introduction urgetheECCommissiontopayattentionnotonlyto
thesizeoffirmsbutalsotothespecificproblemsof
individualsectors.ThepresentOwn-initiative Opinion
takesuptheserecommendations andaddsproposals
forthecraftsector.
1.3.1.ThepresentOwn-initiative Opiniontakesinto
considerationthesecondECCommissionreport(cover­
ing1991)(4)onimplementation oftheCouncilDecision
of28June1989,thefirstECCommissionreport(cover­
ingtheperiodfromJuly1989toDecember1990)on
thevariousCommunityprogrammesnotcoveredby
thatDecision,insofarastheseconcernSMEsandcraft
industries(5),andtheCouncilResolutionof17June
1992onCommunityactiontosupportenterprises,in
particularSMEs,includingcraftindustryenterprises (6).1.1.On27May1991,theCounciladoptedaResol­
utionontheactionprogrammeforsmallandmedium­
sizedenterprises (SMEs),includingcraftindustry
enterprises(*).
1.1.1.ReferringtoitsDecision89/490/EECof28
July1989(2),theCouncilreaffirmedthecommonwill
tomakesubstantialandeffectiveprogressinthearea
ofSMEpolicyandemphasizedtheneedtotakeinto
accountthefinalrecommendations oftheCommunity
conferenceonthecraftindustryandsmallenterprises,
heldinAvignonon12and13October1990.(Cf.Euro
Info46/92/ENJan./Feb.1992,p.5.Theconference
documentswerepublishedasacollectionwhichwas
senttoallnationalandEuropeancraftorganizations
participatingintheEuropeanCraftIndustriesConfer­
enceheldinAvignonon12/13October1990.)The
Committeewould,however,pointoutthat,unfortu­
nately,notallthegroupsrepresentedwithintheESC
hadtheopportunityofparticipatingintheconference
andthattheCommissionhasnotyetpublishedthe
conferencedocuments .2.HistoricalsurveyofECenterprisepolicyforSMEs
andcraftindustries
2.1.TheTreatiesofRomedidnotprovideforan
ECenterprisestrategy.Itwasfirstdevelopedinthe
1980s,whentheWhitePaperontheSingleMarket
programmewasimplementedandcommonpolicies
weredrawnupforthepurposeofcreatingafavourable
businessenvironmentforCommunityfirmsandensur­
ingequalopportunitiesforSMEs,subjecttothesubsidi­
arityprinciple.
2.2.In1986,thisstrategywasgivenalegaland
financialfoundation (110MECUbetween1990and
1993)bythefirstactionprogrammeforSMEs(7).In
1989,theactionprogrammebecametheECenterprise
policybyvirtueofaCouncilDecision(8).Themile­
stoneswere:
—theEuropeanyearofthesmall,medium-sizedand
craftenterprise(1983);1.2.ThepresentOwn-initiative Opinionsuggests
waysinwhichtheCommissioncanimplementthe
CouncilResolution .Atthesametime,sincetheSME
actionprogramme (3)runsoutin1993andisduetobe
reviewedinthesecondhalfof1992,guidelinesare
proposedforthefutureshapingofECenterprisepolicy
forSMEsandespeciallyfortheeconomicandsocial
developmentofcraftindustries.
1.3.TheCommitteehasemphasizedtheimportance
ofSMEsfortheCommunityeconomyandCommunity
societyinanumberofOpinions.TheseOpinionsstress
howimportantitisforthesocialpartnerstobeinvolved
indevelopinganECenterprisepolicyforSMEs,and
(4)SEC(92)764final,11.6.1992.
(-5)SEC(92)704,26.5.1992.
(')OJNoC146,5.6.1991,p.3.
(2)OJNoL239,16.8.1989,p.33.
(3)OJNoC287,14.11.1986,p.1.(6)OJNoC178,15.7.1992.
(7)OJNoC287,14.11.1986,p.1.
(8)OJNoL239,16.8.1989,p.33.

NoC332/28 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 16.12.92
vocationaltraining,accesstonewtechnologiesand
theirapplication,accesstonewmarkets,andthegather­
ingofinformationontheEuropeanbusinessenviron­
mentforcraftindustries .
2.6.TheResolutionontheactionprogrammefor
smallandmedium-sized enterprises,includingcraft
industryenterprises (3),whichwaspresentedbythe
LuxembourgPresidencyandadoptedunanimouslyby
theCouncilon27May1991,togetherwithconclusions
andrecommendations oftheAvignonConference,sup­
pliestheframeworkforthefirstspecificECaction
programmetoimprovethebusinessenvironmentfor
craftindustriesandsmallfirms(4).
2.6.1.Theactionprogrammecoverseightsubject
areasandaimstoallowsmallfirmsandcraftindustries
betteraccesstoallECmeasures.Contactsbetween
tradeassociationsaretobepromoted,sothattheycan
exchangeinformation ,cooperateandbuildupnet­
works.Cooperationbetweencraftindustriesandsmall
firms,particularlyinfrontierareas,isalsotobesup­
ported,asaremeasurestoimprovemanagement .The
actionprogrammeiscurrentlyintheevaluationphase.
Initialresultsareexpectedattheendoftheyear.—theestablishment bytheEuropeanParliamentofan
all-partyworkinggrouponsmallfirms(1984);
—theappointmentofaCommissioner withresponsi­
bilityforSMEpolicy(1986);
—thecreationofanSMEtaskforceattheCommission
(1986);
—theactionprogrammeinfavourofsmalland
medium-sized enterprises (CouncilDecisionof3
November1986)and
—theestablishment ofDirectorate-General XXIII
(Enterprisepolicy,distributivetrades,tourismand
cooperatives )(1989).
2.3.InJune1991,theCounciladoptednewguide­
linesforECenterprisepolicyundertheheading'Anew
dimensionforSMEs'^)andprovidedanadditional25
MECU,therebybringingtotalfundingto135MECU.
2.4.ECenterprisepolicyforSMEsandcraftindus­
trieswillcontinuetobeprimarilytheresponsibilityof
MemberStates,evenaftertheTreatyofMaastrichton
EuropeanUnion.However,underArticle130ofthe
TreatyonEuropeanUnion,theCommunitywishesto
achieveopenandcompetitivemarketsand,inparticu­
lar,toencourageanenvironmentfavourabletoSMEs.
TheCommunityisalsospecificallyrequiredtofurther
thismainobjectiveinitsresearchandtechnologypolicy
(Article130foftheEuropeanUnionTreaty)initsmoves
tobringMemberStates'policiesclosertogetherand
alsoaspartofECcohesionpolicy(Article130a).In
socialpolicy,ECdirectivesmustavoidimposingadmin­
istrative,financialandlegalconstraintswhichhamper
thecreationanddevelopmentofsmallandmedium­
sizedenterprises (Article118aoftheEuropeanUnion
TreatyandArticle2(2)oftheMaastrichtProtocolon
socialpolicysignedbyelevenMemberStates).The
declarationonArticle2(2)bythesignatoriestothe
Protocolalsostatesthatthedefinitionofminimum
requirementsfortheprotectionofthesafetyandhealth
ofemployeesmustnotleadtodiscrimination ina
mannerunjustifiedbycircumstancesagainstemployees
insmallandmedium-sizedundertakings (2).Forthe
present,theCommitteecanonlynotethelegalbasisin
theTreatyonEuropeanUnioncitedhere,reservingthe
righttocommentindetaillater.
2.5.Thedefinition,productivecapacity,structure
andenvironmentofcraftindustriesdiffergreatlyfrom
oneMemberStatetoanother.Thiswaswhyitwas
decidedatthefirstCommunityconferenceoncraft
industriesinAvignontodevelopCommunitymeasures
infavourofcraftindustriescovering:rightofestablish­
mentandfreedomtoprovideservices,basicandfurther2.7.Thisprogrammewillcompletetherangeof
facilitiesalreadyavailabletoSMEsandcraftindustries
inthefollowingareas:information (Euro-Info-Centres ),
cooperation (BCC,BC-Net,Europartenariat ,
Interprise),basicandfurthertraining(Force,Euroform,
Lingua,Sesam)andtechnologicaldevelopment (Brite/
Euram,Value,Sprint,Craft).Furthermore ,atitsmeet­
inginLisbon,theEuropeanCouncilaskedtheEC
CounciltoencourageincreasedSMEparticipation in
Communityresearchandinnovationprogrammes (5).
3.SMEsandcraftindustryenterprisesintheoverall
economy
aSMEs
3.1.ThecentraleconomicandsocialroleofSMEs
intheECcanbeseennotonlyfromtheirhighshare
ofproductionandemploymentbutalsofromtheir
disproportionate achievementincreatingjobs,applying
innovationsandadaptingflexiblytochangingmarkets.
(3)OJNoC146,5.6.1991,p.3.
(4)OJNoC334andS245,28.12.1991.
(5)ECCommissionOfficeintheFederalRepublicofGermany,
EC-Nachrichten No7of1July1992,EuropeanCouncil,
Lisbon26-27June1992.ConclusionsofthePresidency .Point
C3.4.(')OJNoL175,4.7.1991,p.32.
(2)ECCouncil/ECCommission ,TreatyonEuropeanUnion,
Luxembourg 1992.

16.12.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC332/29
3.2.Inthelightoftheforthcomingcompletionof
theInternalMarketandthedeepeningofEuropean
integration,thecreationofabusinessenvironment
whichstrengthensthecompetitiveness ofSMEsisone
oftheCommunity'spriorityobjectives(l).medium-sized categories.(IntheFederalRepublicof
Germany,forexample,therearecraftindustrieswith
350employeesandmore,buttherearealsoindustrial
firmswithfewerthan10employees .Here,thelegal
situationinGermanyisdifferentfromthatinFrance
andItaly,forexample,wherethelawlimitsthesizeof
craftfirms;shouldtheyexceedthestipulatednumberof
employeestheyareautomatically labelledasindustrial
firms.InLuxembourg ,ontheotherhand,thereare
noemployeelimitsaffectingcraftindustrysize.)The
hallmarkofthecraftsectoristheprovisionofindividual
servicestoprivateconsumers,andtotrade,industry
andthepublicsector,oftenusingthemostmodern
productionandsalesmethodsinbothtechnicaland
businessmanagementterms(NC/CNC,CAD/CAM
technologies,EDP,marketing,etc.).Othertypicalfea­
turesofcraftindustriesinclude:
—ownershipandmanagementinthesamehands;
—closelinksbetweenfamilyandfirm;3.3.In1988,therewere11,6millionenterprisesin
theCommunity (excludingprimaryagriculturalpro­
duction),employing80,7millionpeople.92%ofthese
firmswereverysmall(0-9employees)and7,9%were
small(10-99employees)ormedium-sized (100-499
employees).Theshareofemploymentoftheverysmall
andsmall/medium-sized firmswas29%and41%
respectivelyandtheirshareofturnover22%and48,5%.
TheaverageECfirmhad7employees .Thenorthern
MemberStateshadarelativelyhighnumberofsmall
andmedium-sizedenterpriseswhilstthesouthernMem­
berStateshadahighnumberintheverysmallcate­
gory(2).
b)Crafts —legalandfinancialindependence vis-à-vislarge
firms;
3.4.Therearenogenerallyaccepteddefinitionsof
'verysmall','small'and'medium-sized'enterprises;the
CommitteealsoagreeswiththeCommissionthatthere
isnoneedforany.[SeetheCommissionreporttothe
CouncilonSMEdefinitions,SEC(92)351finalof29
April1992,p.2:'Therecanbenoabsolutedefinition
ofSMEs.Thequestionoftheappropriatedefinitionof
SMEsismeaningfulonlyinthecontextofaspecific
measureforwhichitisconsiderednecessarytoseparate
onecategoryofenterprisesfromothersforreasons
oftheir«size».Thecriteriaadoptedformakingthis
distinctionnecessarilydependontheaimpursued.']
Differentdefinitionsaregivendependingonthecountry
andbodyconcerned;therangeofdefinitionsisalso
apparentinthevariousCommunitysupportmeasures
onbehalfofSMEs(3).—usuallypersonalinvolvementbythefirm'sowner;
—relativelyhighproportionofthestafftrainedand
qualifiedincrafts;
—labour-intensive production,althoughmanyfirms
alsouseadvancedtechnology;
—shortageofcapital,withfundscominginmany
casesfromtheownerssinceriskcapitalandcapital
fromexternalsourcesisdifficulttoobtain;
—predominance ofcustomizedproduction/working­
to-order.
3.5.Althoughcraftindustriesdonotformaseparate
categoryinthe'EnterprisesinEurope'statistics,acon­
siderableproportionoffirmsintheverysmallcategory
andalargenumberofSMEscanbeclassifiedascraft
enterprises .ThenumberofCommunitycraftenterpris­
esisprobablybetween3,9millionand5million.3.7.Attemptstolaydownastandarddefinitionof
theterm'craftsector'atCommunitylevelandtocollate
statisticsonthesectorhavebeenunsuccessful ,oronly
partiallysuccessful,becauseofthemanydifferenttypes
offirmactiveinthisbranchoftheeconomy(manufac­
turing,services,artsandcrafts,industrialsubcon­
tracting,commercial )andthelargenumberandvariety
ofcrafttrades.
3.6.Firmsize,staffnumbersandturnoverareof
limitedvaluefordistinguishingbetweencraftindustries
andcommercialfirmsintheverysmall,smalland3.8.Certaininherentfeaturesarecommontocraft
workthroughoutEurope,despitetheextensivediffer­
encesbetweenthecraftsectordefinitionsandjobpro­
filesoftheMemberStates,thedemandsplacedonself­
employedcraftsmenintheirwork,thetrainingsystems
andthetradeorganizations .Thesefeaturesinclude:the
importanceofcraftsfortheEuropeaneconomy;their
roleinsupportofEuropeanculture;theimportance
ofoccupationalskillsandparticularlydualvocational
training(i.e.bothonthejobandinavocationaltraining
school)formaintainingtheproductivity,competi­
tivenessandcontinueddevelopmentofthesector;and(MCOM(92)2000,11.2.1992.
(2)EnterprisesinEurope(PreliminaryVersion),Eurostat/DG
XXIII,May1992,p.2etseq.Coversverysmall,small
andmedium-sized enterprisesinareas1-8oftheNACE
classification .
(3)SeeSEC(92)351final,29.4.1992.

NoC332/30 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 16.12.92
thediversetasksincumbentonthecraftindustries,specialneedsofthecraftindustrieswithoutneglecting
especiallyinenvironmental andconsumerprotection,thesocialdimensionoftheSingleMarketcanmakea
healthcare,energysupply,theapplicationofnewtech-majorcontributionhere.
nologiesandstandardsatworkandtheshapingofa
decentlivingenvironment .
4.RequirementsforanECenterprisepolicyforSMEs
withspecialreferencetocraftenterprises
a)Generalrequirements3.9.Craftindustriesareofgreatimportanceforthe
balanceofthelocal,regionalandnationaleconomy,as
theycanadapttheirproductiontodemand,whichoften
dependstoagreatextentonculturalfactors;theycan
alsorespondtospecificneedsonlocal,regionalor
supra-regional markets.Craftindustriesareanindis­
pensablesourceofsub-contracting ,manufacturing ,
assembly,maintenanceanddevelopment servicesto
mainstreamindustryanditsproductsandplants.Craft
industriesmakeafundamentalcontributiontoensuring
awiderangeofsupplyofgoodsandservices.Theyare
alsoanimportantemployerandsourceofnewjobs.
Thecraftsectorisasimportantinthefieldofbasic
andfurthertrainingasitisforthedevelopmentof
decentmodernformsandconditionsofemployment
andcooperativemanagementsystems.Craftindustries
makeanimportantcontributiontosocialstabilityand
giveskilledworkersandmanagersanopportunityto
setupinbusiness.4.1.TheCommitteenotesthatthefoundationsofa
futureCommunityenterprisepolicyforSMEs,with
specialreferencetocraftenterprises,arealreadyin
place.Thedetailedformulationofthispolicymustbe
speededupandgivenasolidpoliticalbasis,withdue
regardtotheprinciplesofsubsidiarityandpro­
portionality .
4.1.1.TheCommitteethinksthat,whentheCom­
missionproposesCommunityprovisions,itshould
explainwhythesehavetobeenactedatCommunity ,
andnotatnationalorregionallevelorbyindustry.
Thiscouldbeasuitablewayofapplyingthesubsidiarity
principle.
4.1.2.Inthiscontext,measurestakenbytheCom­
munitytoassistSMEsmustbecoordinatedmoreinten­
sivelywiththerelevantnationalauthorities .TheCom­
mitteethereforewelcomestheUKPresidency'splanto
holdaconferenceinBirminghaminOctoberonhow
tomakenationalandCommunitySMEpoliciesmore
consistentwitheachother.3.10.SMEsandcraftenterprisesarealsoaffectedby
theopeningupofmarketsandthedeepeningofEuro­
peanintegration—althoughtheextenttowhichthis
issodependsontheregionandsector/craftactivity
concerned.Greateropportunitiesforsalesandpurchas­
ing,openingsinsub-contracting asaresultofreduced
in-housemanufacturing inindustryandthefreedomto
recruitnewandspecializedstaffinotherMemberStates
willprovideacounterweight tothechallengesand
risksinherentintoughercompetitionandstructural
adaptation .Hitherto,onlyaminorityofcraftenterpris­
eshaveoperatedinternationally ,butmoreandmore
firmsmaybeexpectedtobecomeenthusiasticexporters
ofgoodsandservicesandtakeadvantageoftheInternal
Market.Thisistheconclusionreached,interalia,in
studiescarriedoutbyGermanchambersofcraftsin
borderregions.TheESCregretsthatthetransitional
VATarrangementsapplicablefrom1January1993will
imposeaheavyadditionaladministrative burdenon
exportingSMEsandthusformafurtherobstacleto
thesefirms'cross-border activities.4.1.3.IftheCommunity'senterprisepolicyistobe
basedonpracticalneeds,Europeanassociationsrep­
resentingSMEsandthecraftsectorandworkers'organ­
izationsshouldparticipateinallECbodiesofrelevance
toSMEs.TheCommitteewouldstressthatemployers'
andworkers'organizations mustbefullyconsultedat
theearliestpossiblestageonproposedCommunity
measures.TheCommissionshouldmakegreateruseof
the'GreenPaper'proceduresothatallinterestedparties
havethechancetocommentbeforedraftlegislationis
putforward.TheCommitteealsothinksthatEuropean
associationswhichrepresentSMEsmustbeinvolvedin
theselectionofimpactassessmentproposals.
4.1.4.InviewoftheCommission'sgreaterpowers
inregulatingsocialpolicymattersandthecloser
involvementoftheEuropeansocialpartners,itis
importantfortheEuropeancraftsectortoparticipate
intheSocialDialogueandsocialconsultations asan
equalpartner.
3.11.Agenuinelyopenmarket,whichisavital
requirementforeffectivecompetition,mustprovidea
levelplaying-fieldforallfirmsirrespectiveoftheirsize.
AnECenterprisepolicywhichtakesaccountofthe4.2.TheCommitteewouldreiteratethatCom­
munityenterprisepolicyforSMEsmustbecomean

16.12.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC332/31
ed.TheCommitteewouldpointout,however,that
considerable workstillhastobedonetotranslate
theAvignonConference'sconclusionsintoCommunity
measures .
4.3.3.TheCommitteethinksthattheCommission's
DGXXIII,whichalreadyhasspecialdepartmentsfor
thetrade,tourismandcooperativesectors,shouldset
upanappropriatelyfundedandstaffeddepartmentfor
thecraftssectorwhichwouldalsoliaisewithcraft
industryworkers'organizations .Thisisinlinewiththe
demandsoftheAvignonConferenceandtheCouncil
ResolutionofJune1991.Onlybydoingthiswillitbe
possibletoactswiftlyinimplementinganddeveloping
thefirstactionprogrammeforcraftindustriesandhold
asecondconferenceoncraftindustriesbeforetheend
of1993(2).TheCommitteecallsonthebudgetauthority
tomakefundsavailableinthe1993budget.integralpartofCommunitypolicymaking .Itthinks
thattheCommission'sDirectorate-General XXIII,as
theguardianofSMEs'interests,mustbeconsultedas
amatterofcourseonallCommunitypolicieswhich
affectsmallandmedium-sized businessesandmustbe
assignedthepersonnelneededtocarryoutthistask.
4.2.1.WithintheframeworkofDGXXIII'scoordi­
nationoflegislation,thefollowingareasinparticular
—someofwhichhavealreadybeenreferredtobythe
CommitteeinitsOpinionsonindustrialpolicy—
willhavetobeaddressedinthepost-Maastricht period:
creationofatransparentbodyofcommercial,taxand
competitionlawtoassistSMEs;systematicconsider­
ationoftheinterestsofSMEsandcraftenterprisesin
social-policymeasures,vocationaltraining,consumer
andhealthprotectionandenvironmental andR&TD
policyandintheestablishmentoftrans-European infra­
structurenetworks;systematicactionagainstalldistor­
tionsofcompetitionandcasesofover-regulation .The
Committeewouldstressthat,whentheimpactassess­
mentiscarriedout,acarefulbalanceshouldbestruck
betweenadministrative burdensontheonehandand
justifiedenvironmental andsocialpolicyconcernson
theother.Theflexibilitywhichfirmsrequireshould
notcompromisethelevelofsocialprotectionenjoyed
byworkers.
4.2.1.1.OnequestionfacingSMEs,includingcraft
enterprises,isthatoftheircompetitiveness intheEuro­
peanEconomicArea.Inparticular,newandestablished
SMEsmustbeabletokeeptheiradministrative burdens
andtheircapitalandpersonnelcostsatacceptable
levels.TheCommitteetruststhattheSutherlandReport
onthepost-1992InternalMarket,whichisdueoutin
theautumn,willmakesuggestionsonthismatter.4.3.3.1.TheCommitteealsocallsontheCom­
missiontoensurethatallthesocialgroupsrepresented
attheESCparticipateintheAvignonfollow-upconfer­
ence.TheCommitteehasrepeatedlystressed—in
particularinconnectionwiththerepresentationofwor­
kers'interestsinfirms—thatworkerparticipationin
certainbusinessandsocialdecisionsisanimportant
preconditionforthedevelopmentofademocratic
society.
4.4.TheCommitteesupportstheCommission's
initiative—aspartofitshorizontalindustrialpolicy
strategy—tofacilitate,underpinandacceleratethe
structuraladaptationoftheeconomy(3).TheCom­
mitteefeelsthatallCommunitypoliciesshouldbe
framedwithsmallfirms,includingcraftenterprises,in
mind,thuscreatingstableconditionsfortheircompeti­
tivenessintheInternalMarket.Inthisway,abalance
canbemaintainedbetweenverysmall,small,medium­
sizedandlargefirmsintheEuropeanCommunity ,
creatinggreatervarietyinthesizeprofileoffirms.4.3.Inorderthatsmallandmedium-sizedenterprises
canmasterthechallengeswhichthedeepeningofEuro­
peanintegrationwillbring,theSMEactionprogramme
willhavetobeupgradedtocaterfortheneedsofcraft
enterprisesandotherspecificsectorsandtheirlabour
forces.
4.3.1.TheCommitteecallsontheCommission to
makeanearlystartonitspreparatoryworksoasto
beinapositiontosubmitproposalstotheCouncil
bytheendof1992.ItalsoappealstotheEuropean
ParliamentandtheCounciltoprovideadequatefunds
fortheactionprogramme'supdate.TheCommittee
truststhatthenewactionprogrammewillbedrafted
inagreementwiththerelevantemployers'andworkers'
organizations .4.4.1.Inthiscontext,theCommitteewelcomesthe
Commission'splantotargetmorespecificgroupsof
firms,andtogivespecialencouragement tosmallfirms
orletthembethefirsttobenefitfromCommunity
measures(4).TheCommitteealsosupportstheCom­
4.3.2.Thespecificneedsofcraftindustrieswere
takenintoaccountforthefirsttimewithintheframe­
workofSMEenterprisepolicywhentheactionpro­
grammeforsmallfirmsandcraftindustrieswasadopt­(2)StatementbytheCommissionattheCouncilmeetingof29
April1992—Enterprisepolicy:anewdimensionforsmall
andmedium-sized enterprises—guidelinesforsmall
enterprisesandcraftindustriesDGXXIII/353/91—EN,p.4.
(3)CC)M(90)556final,16.11.1990.
(4)SEC92/351final,28.4.1992. (')OJNoC40,17.2.1992,p.46,p.101.

NoC332/32 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 16.12.92
mission'sintentiontodefineSMEsonthebasisofa
combinationofcriteria:numberofpersonsemployed,
turnover,balance-sheettotalsandindependence .4.5.2.TheCommission'sannualreportonthesim­
plificationofadministrativeprocedures(2)mustaddress
theunresolvedproblemsoftheremovalofbureaucratic
obstaclestocross-border businessactivities.
4.4.2.Size-relateddisadvantages sufferedbySMEs
mustbeneutralizedinallpolicyareasasfaraspossible.
ThiswillbeespeciallyurgentintheInternalMarketas
distortionsofcompetitionwillbeparticularly
importantwhenfrontiersareopened.TheCommittee
callsontheCommission tomakefulluseoftheinstru­
mentsavailableforkeepingastrictcheckonnational
supportmeasuresandformonitoringthesemeasures
continuouslyandmakingthemmoretransparent .4.6.TheCommitteeconsidersthataEuropeanacad­
emyforthecraftsectorandsmallandmedium-sized
enterprisesisurgentlyneededtohandleinformation
andactasafurthertrainingbody.Itsaimwouldbe(a)
toimprovethedecision-making basesforasuccessful
CommunitypolicyonSMEsandcraftenterprisesand,
insodoing,toprovideaninstitutionalframeworkfor
Europeancooperationinthefieldofresearchand
know-howtransferand(b)toincreasetheskilllevels
ofentrepreneurs ,managersandworkforces .Itshould
serveprimarilyasaclearinghouseforinformationand
forcoordinatingtheworkofexistingnationalSMEand
craftsectorinstitutesatCommunitylevel.Suchan
academywouldalsotakesomepressureofftheEC's
SMEobservatory (3),whoseworkitwouldcomp­
lement.InthisconnectiontheCommitteewouldpoint
totheneedtotakeappropriateaccountoftherelevant
employers'andworkers'organizationsontheadminis­
trativeboardsoftheEuropeanacademy.4.4.2.1.Thepublicationofguidelinesonstateaid
forSMEsisregardedasapositivemovebytheCom­
mittee.Forthefirsttime,theseguidelinescontainrules
definingSMEsforthepurposesofpublicaidandthe
typesandlevelsofaidwhichMemberStatesmaygrant
them.Therulesoninvestmentaidarebasedonthe
principlethataidinthecentral,structurallystronger
partsoftheCommunityshouldnotcounteractthat
offeredinthestructurallyweakerperipheralareas.The
Committeepointsoutthat,inthisway,abalancecan
beestablishedbetweenSMEpolicyandeconomicand
socialcohesionf1).
4.6.1.TheCommitteeurgestheCommissiontocon­
tinueitsworkonimprovingthetransparencyofthe
craftsector.Thefollowingactionisrecommended : 4.5.SuitableandsoundECframeworklegislationis
neededtoimprovethecompetitivechancesofSMEs,,
includingcraftenterprisesintheInternalMarket.If
craftenterprisesaretooperatethroughouttheCom­
munity,thelegalenvironmentsinthedifferentMember
Statesmustbecomparable .WhilsttheEChasmade
tangibleprogressintheapproximation oflaws,awhole
seriesoffurthermeasuresarestillneeded—notleast
inthefieldsofcompanylawandtheprotectionof
intellectualandcommercialproperty.—establishmentofaninventoryofcraftenterprisesin
theindividualMemberStates.Informationoncraft
industryorganizational structuresandcontactsin
theMemberStateswillbemadeavailableinmid­
1993intheformofaWho'sWho.TheESCfeels
thatoneofthetasksoftheEC'sSMEobservatory
willbetopublishanannualreportonthesituation
andprospectsofcraftindustriesintheCommunity
withthehelpofthestatisticalinformationservice
currentlybeingdeveloped;4.5.1.Itwould,forexample,beworthadopting
Community-level rulesonthesaleandtransferofown­
ershipoffirms(partsoffirms)andmeasuresproviding
fortheretentionofownershiprightsingoodssupplied
acrossborders.TheCommission isaskedtoensurethat
theCommitteecanattendtheconferenceplannedfor
thesecondhalfof1992onthesaleandtransferof
firms'ownership.Furthermore,theCommitteethinks
thatlegislationonpettypatentsoughttobeadoptedat
Communitylevel.Thisformoflegalprotectionalready
existsinsomeMemberStatesanditprovidesSMEsin
particularwitharelativelycheapandeasywayof
protectingnewinventionsforalimitedperiod.The
CommitteecallsontheCommissiontosubmitpro­
posalsinthisarea.—improvementofstatisticsoncraftindustries.In
collaboration withEurostatandthestatisticsoffices
oftheMemberStates,astartshouldbemadeon
pilotstudiesofcraftindustriesalongthelinesof
thestatisticalworkdoneforthedistributivetrades,
tourism,the'economiesociale'andservices.To
avoidcreatingadministrative workforfirms,sec­
ondarystatisticsshouldbeused.Datakeptbythe
MemberStatesandcraftindustryassociations
(!)OJNoC213,19.8.1992—
aidforSMEs.Communityguidelinesonstate (2)OJNoL141,2.6.1990,p.55.
(3)OJNoC208,9.8.1991,p.22.

16.12.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC332/33
todealwithlegal,taxandadministrative formalitiesin
othercountries.could,forexample,befurtheranalyzed.Further­
more,aspecialnomenclatureforthecraftsector
couldimprovethescopeforstatisticalevaluations ;
—creationofaregularlyupdateddatabankcovering
nationallegislationrelatingtotheexerciseofthe
rightofestablishmentandfreedomtoprovideser­
vices(registrationrequirements ,rulesonaccessto
aprofessionandsimilaradmissionregulations).
Existingdatacouldbeusedforthispurpose(1).4.8.Accesstofinancialmarkets
4.8.1.DespitenumerousinitiativesintheMember
StatesandatCommunitylevel,SMEsandcraft
enterprisesstilldonotenjoyeasyaccesstothefinancial
markets.Eveniftheycanprovidetheguarantees
demandedbythebanks,theseenterprisesoftenhaveto
payconsiderablyhigherinterestratesthanlargerfirms.
TheCommitteethereforewelcomestheCommission's
initiativeontheestablishmentandpromotionofmutual
guaranteesystems(2),aswellastheCommission's
effortstodismantlebarrierstocross-borderpay­
ments(3).
b)Specialrequirements
4.8.2.Aspartoftheprocessofadaptingtothenew
economicenvironmentcreatedbytheopening-upof
markets,SMEsandcraftenterpriseswillhavetomake
internaladjustmentsintheareasoftechnology,man­
agement,tradingpolicyandmarketinginparticular.
Becauseoftheirhighproportionofspecializedstaff
andtheirconcentration onservices,theaveragepro­
ductivityofnon-farmSMEscanbelowerthanthatof
mainstreamindustry.Thislimitstheircapitalaccumu­
lation,especiallyinviewofthetaxesoncorporate
profits.Theneedforfinancefortechnologicalinno­
vation(e.g.lasers,CAD,CIM,quality-assurance sys­
tems)isrisingsharply.TheCommitteecallsonthe
Commissiontoconsiderwhatspecifictaxandfinancial
instrumentscouldbedevelopedtoenableSMEsand
craftenterprisestoovercometheseproblems.4.7.Accesstonewmarkets
4.7.1.TheestablishmentoftheEuropeanEconomic
Areaandtheopening-upofthemarketsinEastern
EuropeprovidenewopportunitiesforSMEsandcraft
enterpriseswhichoperatebeyondtheconfinesoftheir
region.TheCommitteetruststhatmorewillbedone
tohelpsuchfirmsgainafootholdinthesemarketsby
promotingstructuralstudiesofmarketsandsectors,
brochuresonnon-Community markets(DoingBusiness
in...),managementseminarsontheInternalMarket
(forheadsoffirms,managersandworkforces )and
attendanceattradefairsinsideandoutsidetheCom­
munity.
4.7.2.Theestablishment anddevelopmentofEuro­
Info-Centres isseenasapositivestepinthiscontext.
Thesameappliestothecomputerizednetworkfor
cross-bordercooperation (BC-Net)andtheEuroparte­
nariatprogramme,whichaimstopromotecontacts
betweenfirmsinstructurallyweakareasoftheECand
firmsbasedinotherregions.TheCommitteethinks
thatwaysandmeansmustbefoundofinvolvingcraft
enterprisesmorecloselyinEuropartenariat andBC­
Net.
4.7.2.1.TheCommitteeconsidersthatthesimplified
formofEuropartenariat knownasInterprise (pro­
motionofcooperationandpartnershipsbetweenindus­
trialandserviceenterprises )canprovidecraftenterpris­
esinparticularwithplentyofscopeforcooperation .
4.7.3.TheCommitteealsosupportstheestablish­
mentofpilotcentrestohelpSMEsandcraftenterprises4.9.Accesstopubliccontracts
4.9.1.Accesstonewmarketswillbeimprovedby
theEC-wideawardofconstructionandsupplycon­
tracts.Thisprocedurewillbesupportedbydirectives
providinglegalremediesfornon-compliance withCom­
munitylaw.ECrulesonpublicservicecontractsare
alsoplanned.
4.9.2.TheCommitteenoteswithconcern,however,
thatcurrenttenderingandcontractawardarrange­
mentsworkverymuchtothedisadvantageofSMEs
andcraftenterprises.Theseenterprises'cross-border
accesstopublicprocurementcontractscouldbe
improved,interalia,bybreakingdowntheTEDdata
bankbysector(thepurposeoftheGermanpilotproject
Point(PublicOrdersInformationNetwork)currently
(')Guidetotheestablishmentofenterprisesandcraftbusinesses
intheEuropeanCommunity .ISBN92-826-0185-4 .Klinge,
Gabriele:Niederlassungs -undDienstleistungsrecht für
Handwerker undandereGewerbetreibende inderEG,
Nomos,Baden-Baden1990;SchwappachJürgen;EG-Rechts­
handbuchfürdieWirtschaft,Beck,Munich1991.(2)OJNoC169,6.7.1992.
(3)SEC(92)621final,27.3.1992.

NoC332/34 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 16.12.92
inprogress).Aboveall,Euro-Info-Centres inborder
regionswillplayanimportantpartintheselectionof
smalllocaltenders(M.4.11.2.Infuture,thequalityoftheworkforcewill
playanevenbiggerroleinentrepreneurial successthan
itdoestoday.Investmentsin'humanresources'are
justasimportantascapitalexpenditureonphysical
resources.Technological andsocialprogress—andthe
concomitantprogressinworkorganization—alsocalls
forchangesinemployer-worker relations.Thefar­
reachingchangesinmanagementmethods,marketsand
technologyheightentheneedforintensivefurthertrain­
ingwhichtakesintheEuropeandimension .4.9.3.Theestablishment ofmorecross-border SME
orcraftcooperativesandconsortiaaimedatsecuring
largepubliccontractswouldalsohelpopenupmarkets
andshouldbepromotedbymeansofpilotmeasuresin
theframeworkofBC-Net.TheCommitteepointsto
theneedtouseCommunityinitiativeslikePrismato
helpfirmsbasedintheperipheralregionsoftheCom­
munitytoobtainpubliccontracts.
4.10.Cross-bordercooperationbetweenfirms4.11.3.Thepromotionofvocationaltrainingisnow
givenprioritybytheCommission .Initsend-of-1991
memorandum onvocationaltrainingpolicyinthe
1990s(2),theCommissionmappedoutitsobjectives
againstthebackclothoftheagreementsreachedat
Maastricht (andthepowerslaiddowninArticle127
oftheTreatyonEuropeanUnion).Theseobjectives
are:moreinvestmentintraining;improvements inthe
qualityoftraining;transparency ;andspecialallowance
fortheneedsofsmallbusinesses .4.10.1.Inter-firmcooperationisanotherimportant
instrumentinhelpingSMEsandcraftenterprisesto
thriveintheInternalMarket.Themaincriteriahere
arecostlevels,closenesstothemarketandcustomers
and,notleast,receiptofknow-how .Cooperationalso
hassynergisticeffectswhichhelpincreaseR&D
capacity.
4.10.2.AlthoughtheECalreadyhascertaininstru­
mentstofacilitatecross-bordercooperation,e.g.the
EuropeanEconomicInterestGroup(EEIG),theseare
rarelyusedbycraftenterprises .4.11.4.TheCommitteethinksthattheCommunity's
vocationaltrainingpolicyshouldgivegreaterconsider­
ationtothespecialfeaturesofSMEsandthecraft
sector.Firstly,theseenterprisesshouldbegivenbetter
accesstoCommunityresearchandfurthertraining
programmes ,whichhavesofarfocusedtoomuchon
largefirmsanduniversities .Secondly,vocationaltrain­
ingprogrammesshouldbetailoredtothespecialneeds
toSMEsandcraftindustrieswithregardtonewtech­
nologies,materials,environmental protection,pro­
ductionandmarketing,etc.4.10.2.1.TheCommitteethereforewelcomesthestu­
dyoftheEEIGinstitutedbytheCommission ,but
feelsthat,aboveall,pilotprojectsoncross-border
Europartnerships incraftactivities(Europeancraft
regions,inter-regionaltradingagreements,networksof
Europeancraftcentres,etc.)willhelptoimprovesales
onnewmarkets.Supportmeasuresshould,forexample,
includeaidforthemarketingofcraftproductsandthe
developmentofinfrastructure forqualitymarksand
environmental protectioncertificates .4.11.5.TheCommitteesupportstheCommission's
plantostepuptheexchangeofideasandinformation
onvocationaltraining.ThedialoguebetweenMember
States'bodies,theCommission ,CEDEFOP,trade
associationsandworkers'organizations shouldbe
intensified,coordinatedmoreeffectivelyandorganized
withgreaterurgency.
4.11.Vocationaltraining
4.11.6.TheCommunity'svocationaltrainingpolicy
hassofarnotmadesufficientallowanceforthespecial
benefitswhichthedualtrainingsystemoffersforSMEs
andcraftindustries .TheCommitteewelcomesthe
Commission'sintentiontorethinkitspolicyhere,and
proposestheexchangeofexperienceandlaunchingof
pilotprojectsondualtrainingcourses.Inthiscontext,
theCommitteeendorsespilotprojectssuchastheone
underwhichapprenticecraftsmenfromtheCom­
munity'speripheralregionsattenddualtrainingcourses4.11.1.Entrepreneurs ,managersandworkforces
mustbehighlyskilled.Customers'demandsforcus­
tomizedandbetter-quality productsandservices
requirethis,buttheacquisitionofqualifications isalso
akeyfactorforcompetitiononthemarkets.Cooper­
ationbetweenthesocialpartnersisessentialinthis
importantareaofvocationaltrainingandskills.
(2)COM(91)307final,12.12.1991. (MSEC(92)722final,1.6.1992.

16.12.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC332/35
inGermany.ThedualsysteminSMEsandcraft
enterprisesmustbecomplemented byinter-firmcooper­
ationontrainingtoensurethattrainingiscomprehen­
siveandofhighquality.ofthebasicandfurthertrainingreceivedbythepass­
holderareenteredbytherelevantauthorities .
4.11.12.Mastercraftsmanexaminations andthe
examinations whichareequivalenttotheGerman
'grosserBefahigungsnachweis '(whichentitlesmaster
craftsmentotrainapprentices )bearwitnesstoahigh
skillslevel.Thishighlevelmustbemaintainedand
safeguardedbyongoingfurthertraining.Theseexamin­
ationshavetobepassedbycraftsmenwishingto
becomeself-employed andentitledtotrainothers,and
thusguaranteethequalityoftheworkperformedby
craftsmenandthetrainingtheyreceive.OtherMember
States'effortstointroducecomparableexaminations
wouldfacilitatethemutualrecognitionofnational
qualificationsanddeservethefullsupportoftheEC
Commission .4.11.7.TheCommitteewouldalsopointoutthat
moreweightshouldbeattachedtotheteachingof
foreignlanguagesforvocationalpurposes.TheCom­
munity'sforeignlanguagesprogrammes (e.g.Lingua)
aremainlyintendedforuniversitystudentsorarecon­
cernedwiththeteachingofforeignlanguagesingeneral.
However,theteachingofforeignlanguagesmustalso
beapartofbasicandcontinuingvocationaltraining.
4.12.AccesstonewtechnologiesandCommunity
R&TDprogrammes4.11.8.TheCommitteethinksthattheliberalization
oftheCommunity'slabourmarketcanbeimprovedby
layingdownrulesonthecomparability ofvocational
trainingqualifications (1).Becauseofthecraftsector's
poorresponsetothecomparability procedure,the
CommitteeproposesthatCEDEFOP'scomparabilityof
vocationaltrainingqualificationsforcraftactivitiesbe
mademoretransparent .Inaddition,expertsfromthe
craftsectorshouldparticipatemoreintheextensive
workonthecomparability procedure.
4.11.9.TheCommitteealsoproposesthatCEDE­
FOP,workinginliaisonwiththeECCommission ,
shouldplayamoreactiveroleintrainingmanagers.
Forexample,theprojectonregionalcross-frontier
cooperationforthetrainingofSMEandcraftindustry
managersshouldbeextended,evaluatedand
implementedthroughouttheCommunitycraftsector.
Inordertoimprovetheperformanceandcompeti­
tivenessofcraftenterprises,theownersandworkforces
concernedshouldbetaughtextraskills.Inaddition,
wivesandotherfemaleworkersincraftenterprises
shouldbeincludedintheCommunityprogrammes .
CareersinSMEsandcraftenterprisesshouldbeattract­
ivelystructured.Thiswouldincludeopportunitiesfor
furtherindividualtrainingandworkexperienceabroad.4.12.1.SMEsandcraftenterprisesplayanimportant
roleinR&Dandtheexploitationofinnovativetechnol­
ogiesbyinterfacingbetweenindustryandthemarket
(consumers),byactingasaninnovatorandby
developingtheskillsneededfortherapidexploitation
ofinnovationwithintheframeworkofindustrial
vocationaltraining.
4.12.2.SMEsandcraftenterpriseswillonlyretain
theireconomicandsocialimportanceiftheyareable
tousenewtechnologiesinawaysuitedtothem.This
confrontsthemwithalargenumberoforganizational
andtechnologicalchallenges,suchas:
—furtherdevelopmentofcomputer-assisted technol­
ogies,planningandproductionmethodsadaptedto
thespecialneedsandworkingconditionsofSMEs
andcraftenterprises;
—developmentofnewproductionandmarketing
structuresinconnectionwithSMEs'andcraft
enterprises'roleassub-contractors forindustry;
—useandfurtherdevelopmentofrecyclingtechnol­
ogies,e.g.forvehiclesandconstruction ;
—designofnewheatingsystemsandnewenvironmen­
tallyfriendlysupplyanddisposalsystems;
—adviceontheappropriateandenvironmentally
sounduseofvarious(alternative )materialsinmany
sectors.4.11.10.TheECCommissionhasmadeanimportant
contributiontotheacquisitionofskillsbysupporting
Community-sponsored pilotprojectswhichenableGer­
man,FrenchandIrishworkerstoqualifyasmaster
craftsmen;theseandsimilarpilotprojectsshouldbe
extendedtoworkersinSMEsandcraftenterprises .
4.11.11.Themobilityofskilledworkersandjour­
neymenwithintheCommunityshouldbefurtheredby
introducingavocational-training passinwhichdetails
4.12.3.Itisclearfromtheabovethatavarietyof
R&Dprojectsandmanyofthepilotanddemonstration
projectssupportedbytheCommissionarelikelytobe HOJNoL141,2.6.1990,p.55.

NoC332/36 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 16.12.92
outinitsCommunication onthesubject(1).Itwel­
comes,inparticular,thestudywhichtheCommission
hasorderedtobecarriedoutonthecostsofmultiple
certification .Theestablishmentofdatabanks,theinter­
connectionofexistingdatabankstoforma'sub-con­
tractingcatalogue'andthemaintenanceandfurther
developmentofmulti-lingualsub-contracting termin­
ologiesarealsoregardedasnecessary.
4.13.3.ItisvitalforSMEsandcraftindustriesthat
theybeinvolvedintheestablishment ofstandards,
technicalrulesandinspectionandcertificationpro­
cedures(2).Theissuehereisnotjusttheacceptability
ofEC-wideharmonizedtechnicalregulations,butalso
informationonruleswhicharemutuallyrecognizedin
theindividualMemberStates,andgreaterawareness
onthepartoftheEuropeanstandardsbodiesofthe
interestsofthecraftsector.ofinteresttocraftindustriesintheshortandmedium
term.Tocitebutafewexamples,programmessuch
asJoule,Thermie,Sprint,Brite/Euram,Craft,Esprit,
Delta,Force,LIFE,StrideandFlaircouldbeofparticu­
larinterest.
4.12.4.TheneedtoinvolveSMEsandcraftenterpris­
esmoreinECresearchprogrammesandtosimplify
supportproceduresisasstrongasever.Information
onCommunityinitiativesrelevanttoSMEsandcraft
enterprisesshouldbeimproved;theexchangeofexperi­
enceofinnovationtransferprojectsbetweenenterprises
shouldalsobeimprovedandencouragedbyawarding
premiumsfortechnologytransferandfeasibility
studies.
4.12.5.Theapplicationprocedureistime-consuming
andcostly.Thegeneralintroductionofatwo-stage
applicationprocedure,whichisalreadybeingtriedout
inthepilotphaseofCraft,wouldbeahelp.
4.12.6.TheCommitteefeelsthatitwouldbeworth
consideringsettingupanadvicecentreforSMEs,
includingcraftenterprises,inordertofacilitatepartici­
pationinR&TDprogrammes .Aspecialbodycould
alsobesetuptospeedupthedistributionandanalysis
ofresearchresults.TheComettprogrammecanalso
playanimportantrolehere.
4.12.7.TheCommitteewouldpointoutinthiscon­
nectionthatSMEsandcraftindustriesandalsoworkers
andtheirunionsmustbeactivelyinvolvedintheCom­
munity'sR&TDpolicy.Theremustalsobeastopto
theduplicationofaid(i.e.aidfrombothnationaland
ECsources),inordertoavoiddistortionsofcompe­
tition.4.13.4.TheCommitteecallsontheCommissionto
encourageparticipation byexpertsfromsmallfirms
andcraftenterprisesinthetechnicalcommitteesofthe
Europeanstandardsorganizations ,viafinancialincen­
tivesandmeasurestoalleviatethelanguageproblem.
TheCommitteewelcomesthestepstakenbytheCom­
missiontoairproblemsofstandardization andcertifi­
cationinseparatediscussionswiththeconstructionand
foodindustries .
4.13.5.Qualityguaranteesystemstailoredtothe
craftsectoralsoneedtobedeveloped.Herethereisa
needforapplications-centred research,sincethestand­
ardizedworldwidesystemsofqualityguarantees,such
asthestandardsintheISO9000etseq.serieswhich
havebeentranslatedintotheEuropeanstandardsEN
29.000etseq.,cannotbeappliedunchangedtocraft
industries .
4.13.Sub-contracting ,standardsandinspectionand
certificationprocedures
5.Conclusions4.13.1.Sub-contracting willexpandfurtherasindus­
tryincreasinglycutsbackonin-housemanufacturing .
Craftenterprisesshouldbemadeawareofthismarket
opening.Thefollowingareessential:morecomplete
informationonsub-contracting servicesforindustrial
buyers,theavailabilityofascompleteaspossiblea
rangeofcomponents,andgreatercreativityinthesense
ofdiversification oftheservicesofferedbythecraft
sector,coupledwithcast-irondeliveryandquality
guarantees .Industrialfirmsnowpurchaseworldwide .
AstheInternalMarketwillbeopentotheworld,craft
sectorsub-contractors mustexpectcompetitorsfrom
non-Community countriestogeartheirproductionpro­
grammetoEuro-standards andcompeteintheInternal
Market.5.1.ThecentraleconomicandsocialroleofSMEs
intheECisevidentnotonlyintheirhighshareof
productionandemployment ,butalsointheirdispro­
portionatecontributiontojobcreation,applyinginno­
vationandflexibleadaptationtochangingmarkets.
SMEsarealsovitallyimportantforregionaldevelop­
ment.Theyarethesinequanonofathrivingeconomy.
(i)SEC(91)1286final,17.1.1992.
4.13.2.TheCommitteewelcomestheCommission's
proposedactivitiesinthefieldofsub-contracting set(2)Cf.CC)M(90)456final,8.10.1990,OJNoC96,15.4.1992,
p.2andOJNoC173,9.7.1992,p.1.

16.12.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC332/37
The11,6m.firmsintheECincludebetween3,9and5
millioncraftenterprises .supportmechanismsappropriatetotheneedsofsmall
firms.Thismustbedonewithdueregardforthe
principlesofsubsidiarityandproportionality andin
agreementwiththerelevantemployers'andworkers'
organizations . 5.1.1.Inthelightoftheforthcomingcompletionof
theInternalMarketandthedeepeningofEuropean
integration,thecreationofafavourablebusiness
environmentwhichstrengthensthecompetitiveness of
SMEsmustbeoneoftheCommunity'spriorityobjec­
tives.5.4.1.IntheCommittee'sview,actionisneeded,in
particular,to:
5.2.Inordertomeetthechallengeswhichwillface
SMEsandcraftenterprisesintheInternalMarket,the
SMEactionprogrammewillhavetobeupgradedin
goodtimetocaterfortheneedsofcraftenterprisesand
ofotherspecificsectorsandtheirlabourforces.a)improvethecompetitiveness ofSMEsandcraft
enterprisesbycreatingagenerallyfavourableEC
environmentforsmallbusinesses.Priorityshould
begiventopressingaheadwithmeasuresforreduc­
ingredtapeandincreasingflexibility,makingit
easierforbusinessestooperateacrossfrontiersand
abolishingtheremainingbureaucraticobstacles
facingbusinessesoperatinginotherMemberStates.
However,thelevelofsocialprotectionenjoyedby
workersshouldnotbecompromised bythe
reductioninbureaucracy .
b)pavethewayforadifferentiatedandspeciallytar­
getedsupportpolicyforSMEsandcraftenterprises
throughthecombineduseofthevariousCom­
munityinformation ,cooperationandfinancing
instruments .Theaimofthispolicywillbeto:
—improveinformationaboutSMEsandcraft
industries;5.3.TheCommitteereiteratesitsviewthatfuture
ECenterprisepolicymustformanintegralpartof
theCommunity'spoliciesandcallsforthefollowing
structuraladjustmentswithaviewtoattainingthis
objective.
a)DGXXIII,astheguardianofSME'sinterestswithin
theCommission ,shouldbeconsultedasamatter
ofcourseonallCommunitypolicieswhichaffect
SMEsandmustbegiventhepersonnelneededto
carryoutthistask;
b)thecoordinationofECenterprisepolicywiththe
relevantnationalauthoritiesmustbeintensified;—easeaccesstoinformation andnewmarkets
through:theestablishmentanddevelopmentof
Euro-Info-Centres inthecraftssector,also;the
promotionofmanagement seminarsonthe
InternalMarket;encouragement forfirmsto
attendspecialtradefairs;theestablishmentof
pilotcentresforassistingcross-frontierbusiness
activity;greatertransparencyandbetteraccess
topubliccontracts;c)EuropeanassociationsrepresentingSMEsandcraft
enterprisesandworkers'organisationsmustberep­
resentedonallECadvisorybodiesdealingwith
smallbusinesses;
d)inviewoftheCommission'sgreaterpowersinreg­
ulatingsocialpolicymattersandthegreaterright
ofparticipationenjoyedbytheEuropeansocial
partners,itisimportantfortheEuropeancraft
sectortoparticipateintheSocialDialogueand
socialconsultations asanequalpartner;—improveaccesstothefinancialmarketsthrough:
theestablishment andpromotionofmutual
guaranteesystems;thedismantlingofbarriers
tocross-frontierpayments;studyofthedevelop­
mentofsuitablefinancialinstrumentsforSMEs
andcraftenterprises;
e)acraftsectorunitmustbesetupwithinDGXXIII
andappropriatelystaffedandfunded.Thisisinline
withthedemandsoftheAvignonConferenceand
theCouncilResolutionofJune1991andnecessary
forextendingandupgradingtheactionprogramme
forSMEsandcraftenterprisesandlaunchingthe
Avignonfollow-upconferencein1993.—promotecross-frontier businesscooperation
through:greaterparticipationbythecraftsector
inBC-Net,Europartenariat andInterprise;the
establishmentofcross-frontierEuropartnerships
incraftactivities(qualitymarks,qualityassur­
ancesystems,pettypatents);actiontoensure
thatcompetitionlawdoesnotimpedecooper­
ation;
5.4.TheCommitteecallsontheCommission ,the
EuropeanParliamentandtheCounciltotransposethe
aboveproposalsintoCommunity-wide provisionsand—improveaccesstoandthetransparencyofstan­
dards,technicalregulationsandinspectionand

NoC332/38 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 16.12.92
certificationprocedures;providefinancialsup­
portforparticipation byexpertsrepresenting
employersandworkersinthetechnicalcom­
mitteesoftheEuropeanstandardization bodies;
—developadialogueconcerningmarketopenings
forsub-contractors ;extendandinterconnect
existingdatabanks;maintainanddevelopmul­
tilingualsub-contracting terminologies ;•supportforbasictrainingbytheorganization
ofexchangeprogrammes ,ensuringthat
instructorsarequalifiedandmakingqualifi­
cationsmoretransparent ;
•greaterpromotionofyouthtrainingschemes
andtraineediscussions;
•morevocationalteachingofforeignlanguages
underLingua;supportforstudytripsabroad
andmanagementplacements ;
•continuation ,evaluationandimplementation
oftheregionalcross-bordercooperationpro­
jectfortrainingthemanagersofSMEsand
craftenterprises;inclusionofworkingwives
andfemaleworkersinECsupportpro­
grammes ;
•supportforthetrainingof(master)craftsmen,
throughCommunity-wide projectssuchasthe
'journeymenproject'.
d)improvethedecision-making basesforasuccessful
ECenterprisespolicy(thusprovidinganinsti­
tutionalframeworkforEuropeancooperationon
thetransferofresearchfindingsandknow-how),
andenhancetheskillsofentrepreneurs ,managers
andworkforcesbycreatingaEuropeanacademy
forthecraftsectorandSMEs.Suchanacademy—
whichwascalledforattheAvignonConference
—wouldtakesomepressureofftheEC'sSME
observatory ,whoseworkitwouldcomplement .
Appropriateaccountshouldbetakenofemployers'
andworkers'organizations inthemembershipof
theacademy'sadministrative boards.
5.5.TheCommitteecallsontheCommission ,Parlia­
mentandtheCounciltoprovidesufficientfinancial
resourcesasevidenceoftheirfirmintentiontobring
abouteffectiveandsubstantialprogressinECenterprise
policyasitaffectsSMEsandcraftenterprises .—continueeffortstofacilitateparticipation in
CommunityR&DTprogrammesandtomake
tenderproceduressimpleandtransparent,plan
pilotprojects;extendtheBrite/Eurampro­
gramme'sfeasibilitypremiumstootherlarge
R&TDprogrammes ,establishanadvicecentre
forR&TDprogrammesandaspecialagencyto
distributeandanalyzeresearchresults.
c)reduceeducationalandlanguagebarriersandpreju­
dicesbypromotingbasicandadvancedvocational
trainingthroughouttheCommunity .Themainpri­
oritieshereare:
—continuationofCommunityvocationaltraining
programmeswithgreateremphasisontheneeds
ofSMEsandcraftenterprises,e.g.inthefieldsof
newtechnologies ,materialsandenvironmental
protection ;
—moreefficientcoordinationoftrainingpolicy
betweentherelevantbodiesintheMember
States,theCommission ,CEDEFOPandtherel­
evantemployers'andworkers'organizations ;
—developmentoftransnational ,dualpilotpro­
jectscateringparticularlyforyoungpeoplefrom
theCommunity'speripheralregionstobedeter­
minedbythesocialpartnersandtheEC;
•improvementofSMEs'andcraftenterprises'
accesstoCommunitybasicandadvanced
trainingprogrammes ;
DoneatBrussels,22October1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN