WRITTEN QUESTION E-2219/01

by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(24 July 2001)

Subject: The Euro changeover and small businesses

As the commercial sector closest to the grass roots, small businesses have a fundamental rôle to play in explaining the changeover to the euro on 1 January 2002 to the public. Indeed, small businesses are a key element in the entire process of replacing national currencies with the euro, which imposes an extra effort over and above all the enormous changes in terms of book keeping, internal and external documentation, data processing, etc.

Since we are talking about small and micro-undertakings, and specifically, in Portugal, it is essential that small businesses be given proper assistance in shouldering this enormous effort and making this major economic and social contribution support which strikes me as currently rather underfunded to say the least.

Can the Commission answer the following:

- What assistance has been granted to small businesses in Portugal and the other EU Member States in this connection? How many businesses received such assistance in Portugal?

- What other support measures is the Commission contemplating with a view to minimising the costs of the changeover to the euro the sector is having to bear?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(22 October 2001)

In order to help enterprises prepare for the euro, the Commission has been working closely with Member States and various organisations to support several communication and awareness-raising actions targeted at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

In the framework of the Prince programme / 2nd and 3rd calls for proposals on information and communication on the euro, published in 1999 and 2000, 12 selected projects targeting SMEs had Portugal as a partner, details are sent direct to the Honourable Member and to the Parliament's Secretariat.

A dedicated Website on the euro, which is regularly updated and accessible to everyone, has been set up (http://europa.eu.int/euro/html/home6.html?lang=6) and a publication titled Europapers made available at the following Website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/economy_finance/document/europap/eupidxen.htm.

A booklet titled Your business and the euro, A strategic guide, containing a CD-ROM was published and widely disseminated through the network of Euro Info Centres and Euro Info Points in 1999 and beyond (some 1,000,000 copies).

Partnership agreements have been signed with Member States in order to co-finance their national information campaigns on the euro, aimed at various target groups, among which SMEs are a priority. In the case of Portugal, the total budget amounts to 3 110 000 in 2000 and 2 100 000 in 2001, of which the Commission has contributed 50 % each time.

The Commission also conducts regular FLASH Eurobarometer surveys on the SMEs and the euro which enables it to follow their state of preparation on a regular basis via trends by country, sector and size.

In addition, the network of Euro Info Centres (EIC's) offers valuable assistance and advice. Most of them provide preparation tools such as booklets, diskettes or CD-ROMs, and are running awareness-raising campaigns targeted at SMEs.

From asking for or receiving information material, consulting a dedicated website on the euro to participating in seminars, it is clearly impossible to figure out the number of small businesses which have been reached by the above initiatives. Their main thrust consists of enhancing the impact of the various tools used by maximizing the synergy between the main actors (banks, accountants, auditors, chambers of commerce and business organisations), the network effect, by fostering such pilot actions which can be extended to other associations, partners, regions and countries, and by disseminating good practices through all available channels.

The Commission does not provide any direct financial support to companies for their changeover to the euro and is not contemplating support measures with a view to minimising the sector's changeover costs. Support to business is generally provided by Member States or business organisations, but consists mainly of information and advice, rather than financial assistance.