2.3. InimplementingtheDecision,theCommissionmayhaverecoursetoexpertsandtotechnical
assistanceorganisations,thefinancingofwhichmaybeprovidedforwithintheoverallfinancialframeworkfortheDecision.TheCommissionmayorganiseseminars,colloquiaor suchother
meetingsofexpertsasarelikelytofacilitatetheimplementationoftheDecision,and mayunder-
takeappropriateinformation,publicationand disseminationactions.
P5_TA(2004)0363
Programmeforenterpriseandentrepreneurship***I
EuropeanParliamentlegislativeresolutionontheproposalforaEuropeanParliamentandCouncil
decisionamendingDecision2000/819/EConamultiannualprogrammeforenterpriseandentre-preneurship, and in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (2001-2005)
(COM(2003)758/dashC5-0628/2003/dash2003/0292(COD))
(Codecisionprocedure:firstreading)
TheEuropeanParliament ,
/dash having regard to the Commission proposal to the European Parliament and the Council
(COM(2003)758)(
1),
/dash havingregardtoArticles251(2)and157(3)oftheECTreaty,pursuanttowhichtheCommission
submittedtheproposaltoParliament(C5-0628/2003),
/dash havingregardtoRule67ofitsRulesofProcedure,
/dash havingregardtothereportoftheCommitteeonIndustry,ExternalTrade,ResearchandEnergyand
theopinionoftheCommitteeonEmploymentandSocialAffairs(A5-0237/2004),
1. ApprovestheCommissionproposalasamended;
2. CallsontheCommissiontoreferthemattertoParliamentagainifitintendstoamendtheproposal
substantiallyorreplaceitwithanothertext;
3. InstructsitsPresidenttoforwarditspositiontotheCouncilandCommission.
(1) NotyetpublishedintheOJ.
P5_TC1-COD(2003)0292
PositionoftheEuropeanParliamentadoptedatfirstreadingon22April2004withaviewtothe
adoptionofEuropeanParliamentandCouncilDecision No…/2004/ECamendingDecision2000/
819/EConamultiannualprogrammeforenterpriseandentrepreneurship,andinparticularfor
smallandmedium-sizedenterprises(SMEs)(2001-2005)
THEEUROPEANPARLIAMENTANDTHECOUNCILOFTHEEUROPEANUNION,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanCommunity,andinparticularArticle157(3)thereof,
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission,
HavingregardtotheOpinionoftheEuropeanEconomicandSocialCommittee(1),
(1)O J C …30.4.2004EN C104E/977 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Thursday22April2004
AfterconsultingtheCommitteeoftheRegions,
ActinginaccordancewiththeprocedurelaiddowninArticle251oftheTreaty(1),
Whereas:
(1) On5November1997,theCommissionadoptedDecision97/761/ECapprovingasupportmech-
anismforthecreationoftransnationaljointventuresforSMEsintheCommunity(2).
(2) The ETF Start-upFacility, the JointEuropean Venture (JEV) programme andthe SME Guarantee
FacilityweremeasuresprovidedforinCouncilDecision98/347/ECof19May1998onmeasuresoffinancialassistanceforinnovativeandjob-creatingsmallandmedium-sizedenterprises(SMEs)/dashthegrowthandemploymentinitiative(
3).
(3) ThemultiannualprogrammesetupbyDecision2000/819/EC(4),aimsatimprovingthefinancial
environmentforbusiness,inparticularbyimprovingthefunctioningoftheETFStart-upFacility,amendingtheSMEGuaranteeFacilityand,withregardtoJEV,byusing,forthebenefitofundertak-ings planning to enter into a transnational partnership, the commitments effected up until31December2000underDecision98/347/EC.
(4) ThepurposeoftheETFStart-upFacility,JEVprogramme,andSMEGuaranteeFacilitymustbeto
efficientlyaddressmarketfailuresintheaccessforSMEstoriskcapitalthroughenhancingpartici-pationofbothprivateandpublicactors,withtheaimofreachingdistributionratesof100%.
(5) AccordingtopointIVofAnnexIItoDecision2000/819/EC,experiencehasshownthattheJEV
programmeneedstobesimplifiedinordertoenableSMEs’requestsforfinancialcontributionstobedealtwithquicklybythefinancialintermediariesandCommissiondepartmentsandtoensurethatCommunityresourcesareusedcorrectly.ItwasalsostatedthattheCommissionwasexaminingthepossibilityofadaptingtheeligibilitycriteriainordertorespondmoreeffectivelytotheneedsofSMEswithregardtocross-borderinvestments,includingthoseinapplicantStates.
(6) On10October2002theEuropeanParliamentadoptedaresolutionontheReportfromtheCom-
mission to the European Parliament and the Council on Growth and EmploymentInitiative /dashmeasures onfinancial assistancefor innovative andjob-creating smallandmedium-sizedenterprises(SMEs)(
5),whereitnotesthattheJEVprogrammeinitscurrentformisnolonger
appropriate.
(7) TheCommission’sevaluationoftheGrowthandEmploymentInitiativeasat29May2002concludes
thatthetake-upoftheJEVprogrammebythemarketislow,thejobcreationeffectlimitedandtheadministrativecostveryhighandthatJEVshouldbephasedoutassoonaspossible.
(8) Forreasonsofcost-efficiency,theCommunityshouldwithdrawprogressivelyfromprogrammesthat
involvemicro-managementofsmallamountsofmoney,asisthecasewiththeprojectsfinancedundertheJEVprogramme.
(9) Aftercarefulanalysis,ithastobeconcludedthatasubstantialsimplificationoftheJEVprogrammeis
notpossible,sinceanysubstantialchangetothestructureoreligibilitycriteriaoftheprogrammewouldchangeitsnatureandthereforebeoutsidethescopeofthelegalbasis(Decision98/347/EC).Thereforeitwouldnotbepossibletousetheremainingcommittedbudgetnorwoulditbepossibletousethebudgetforprojectsinvolvingthethenaccessioncountriesandthecandidatecountries.
(1) OpinionoftheEuropeanParliamentof22April2004(notyetpublishedintheOfficialJournal).
(2) OJL310,13.11.1997,p.28.
(3) OJL155,29.5.1998,p.43.
(4) OJL333,29.12.2000,p.84.Decisionamendedbythe2003ActofAccession.
(5) OJC279E,20.11.2003,p.78.C104E/978 EN30.4.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Thursday22April2004
(10) ThebudgetfortheJEVprogrammewascommittedonthebasisofframeworkagreementssigned
withthefinancialintermediariesintheJEVnetwork,thuscreatingadirectlegalrelationshipbetweenthe Commission and these intermediaries. Therefore a replacement of these existing frameworkagreementswithdirectlegalagreementsbetweentheCommissionandSMEs,which,inthisparticularprogramme,wouldhaveresultedinsimplificationandimprovedprotectionofthefinancialinterestsoftheCommunity,isnotpossible.
(11) Onlyrelativelyminorproceduralchangeswouldbepossiblewithoutlosingtheremainingcommitted
budget,andthesearedeemedtobeinsufficienttoensurethattheJEVprogrammeperformssignifi-cantlybetter.
(12) Itisnotpossibletousetheremainingcommittedbudgetforprojectsinvolvingthethenaccession
countries and the candidate countries, since this budget was committed under the Growth and
EmploymentInitiative(1998-2000)andisthereforereservedexclusivelyforthosestatesthatare
membersoftheEuropeanUnionandEuropeanEconomicArea,asprovidedbyDecision98/347/EC.
(13) Sincethephasing-outoftheothertwoEuropeantransnationaljointventureprogrammes/dashEuro-
peanCommunityInvestmentPartners(ECIP)forthedevelopingcountriesinAsia,LatinAmerica,theMediterraneanregionandSouthAfrica(Alamedsacountries)in1999andtheProgrammetopro-moteSMEjointventures andother jointagreements (JOP)in the CentralandEastern EuropeanCountries(CEECs)andNewIndependentStates(NIS)in2000/dashmanyfinancialintermediariesintheJEVnetworkhavescaleddownorceasedthisactivitybecauseofthelowvolumeofJEVappli-cationsfromSMEswiththeresultthatinthemajorityofMemberStates,inreality,itisnolongerpossibletoapplyforparticipationintheprogramme.
(14) Inviewoftheclearconclusionoftheevaluation,itisnotconsideredappropriatetoproposereplac-
ingtheJEVprogrammewithasimilarone.
(15) Thephasing-outoftheJEVprogrammeshouldnotaffecttherightsandobligationsoftheCommun-
ity,thefinancialintermediariesorthebeneficiaries(SMEs)thatrelatetoapprovedprojects.
(16) Inobservanceoftheirlegitimateexpectations,thefinancialintermediariesshouldbeallowedtopre-
sentapplicationsforfinancialcontributionsforSMEsforacertainperiodafterthisDecisionhasbeenadopted.
(17) On23October2003theEuropeanParliamentadoptedaresolutiononentrepreneurshipinEurope,
whereitcallsfortheestablishmentofsystemsallowingimprovedaccess,inparticularforsmallandmicro-enterprises,toEuropeanInvestmentBank/EuropeanInvestmentFundfundsforinvestmentsinnewtechnologiesandinvestmentslinkedtotraining.
(18) Forthepurposeofpromotinginnovation,researchanddevelopmentandentrepreneurshipbySMEs,
asrequestedbytheBarcelonaCouncil,anenvironmentfavourabletoprivatesectorinvestmentinresearchanddevelopment,inparticularthroughventurecapital,shouldbeencouraged.
(19) TheCommissionhascommitteditselftoreformingtheexistingmultiannualprogrammeforenter-
priseandentrepreneurshipinduetimetakingintoaccountthenecessityofpromotingcooperationbetweenenterprisesandbusinessorganisationsandofsupportingdialoguebetweenhorizontalandsectoralorprofessionalorganisationsofsmallandmicro-enterprisesandcraftenterprises.
(20) TheCouncilof26November2002statedthatMemberStates,theCommissionandfinancialinstitu-
tionsshouldconsiderhowtoimprovethefinancialframeworkforbiotechnologies.
(21) TheEuropeanParliamentrequested,initsresolutiononlifesciencesandbiotechnologiesof21Nov-
ember2002(
1),thattheCommissionshouldidentifyhowtoovercometheissueofinsufficientfund-
ingregardingbiotechstart-upsandaskedtheEuropeanInvestmentBanktogivefavourableconsider-ationtofollow-upactions.
(22) Decision2000/819/ECshouldbeamendedaccordingly,
(1) OJC25E,29.1.2004,p.384.30.4.2004EN C104E/979 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Thursday22April2004
HAVEADOPTEDTHISDECISION:
Article1
Decision2000/819/ECisherebyamendedasfollows:1) Article5(1)shallbereplacedbythefollowing:
‘1. TheCommissionshallsubmittotheEuropeanParliamentandtotheCouncilanannualreport
ontheimplementationofthefinancialinstrumentsofthisprogrammefor2004aswellasasimilarendreportfor2005(thefinalyear)’
2) AnnexIshallbeamendedasfollows:
(a) inthefirstindentofpoint4(a)(i),thefirstsentenceshallbereplacedbythefollowing:
‘/dash byinvestinginrelevantspecialisedventurecapitalfunds,particularlyinseedfunds,smallerfunds,
fundsoperatingregionallyorfundsfocusedonspecificsectorsortechnologies,orventurecapitalfundsfinancingR&D,e.g.fundslinkedtoresearch centresandscienceparkswhichinturnprovideriskcapitalforSMEs.’
(b) inpoint4(a)(i)thefollowingsubparagraphshallbeadded:
‘Thestart-upphaseisnormallydefinedasupto5years.However,forcompaniesinspecifichigh
technologysectors,inparticularlifesciences,thestart-upphasecanbeupto10years,duetotheextended pre-commercialisation product development and testing phases that are characteristic oftheseparticularsectors.’
(c) inpoint4(a)(iv),thefollowingsubparagraphsshallbeadded:
‘TheJointEuropeanVentureprogrammeshallbephasedout.
ThefinancialintermediariesmaypresentapplicationsforfinancialcontributionsfromSMEstothe
Commissionuntil(
*).
ApplicationsandprojectsshallbedealtwithaccordingtoArticle4andAnnexIIofCouncilDecision
98/347/ECof19May1998onmeasuresoffinancialassistanceforinnovativeandjob-creatingsmallandmedium-sizedenterprises(SMEs)/dashthegrowthandemploymentinitiative(
**).
_____
(*) 115daysafterthedateofentryintoforceofDecisionNo…/2004/ECoftheEuropeanParliamentandofthe
CouncilamendingCouncilDecision2000/819/EConamultiannualprogrammeforenterpriseandentrepre-neurship,andinparticularforsmallandmedium-sizedenterprises(SMEs)(2001-2005).
(
**) OJL155,29.5.1998,p.43.’
(d) inthefirstindentofpoint5,theword‘fifth’shallbedeleted;
3) inAnnexII,pointIVshallbedeleted.
Article2
ThisDecisionshallenterintoforceonthetwentiethdayfollowingitspublicationintheOfficialJournalof
theEuropeanUnion.
Article3
ThisDecisionisaddressedtotheMemberStates.
Doneat…,on…
FortheEuropeanParliament
ThePresidentFortheCouncil
ThePresidentC104E/980 EN30.4.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Thursday22April2004