WRITTEN QUESTION E-3520/95 by Spalato Belleré (NI) to the Commission (3 January 1996)

Subject: Protecting small and medium-sized enterprises

Some small businesses and some categories of craftsman produce pollutants during the manufacture of certain products (tanning of hides, production of artificial flowers, etc.).

Some of these firms are family businesses with a narrow profit margin.

Does the Commission not consider it advisable to provide incentives for investment in measures to restrict the production of pollutants, measures which these firms would not otherwise carry out?

Reply by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission (1 March 1996)

The Commission shares the concerns of the honourable Member regarding the difficulties faced by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in financing clean technologies to reduce pollution and introducing environmental management systems. It is generally more troublesome and more expensive for SMEs than for large enterprises to modify their production processes in order to take better account of environmental considerations. Certain Community initiatives have already been taken to encourage SMEs to take account of environmental aspects and reduce pollution.

Within the framework of the budget heading 'growth and the environment', decided by Parliament with an appropriation of ECU 14 million, the Commission has been given the task of setting up a mechanism to encourage investment in SMEs in the fields of clean technology and energy savings by bearing the costs of loan guarantees. This action will make it possible to stimulate further investment to the tune of ECU 650 million.

The Community SME initiative, which has a budget of ECU 1 000 million for regions eligible under Objectives 1, 2 and 5b, includes amongst its fields of action the aim of helping SMEs to take account of the environment and to use energy rationally. A number of Member States have introduced measures of this type in the programmes submitted to the Commission. In addition, it should be pointed out that numerous planning documents adopted by the Commission and financed under the structural funds for the period 1994-99 contain actions devoted to the twin fields of SMEs and the environment, including investment aimed at restricting the production of pollutants.

In order to identify and select priorities concerning pilot activities aimed at preparing and facilitating the implementation of the eco-audit Regulation (EEC) No 1836/93 ((OJ L 168, 10.7.1993. )) (environmental management audit-scheme (Emas) Regulation) primarily in SMEs, the Commission has financed 32 pilot projects to date involving around 380 SMEs. The total cost of the projects is in the region of ECU 4,5 million. The first results of these pilot activities are only now becoming available and the results thus far are encouraging. The Commission expects to follow up the key lessons arising from the pilot projects with further activities in 1996.

As part of its enterprise policy, the Commission has launched a new Euromanagement pilot scheme in the field of environmental management and the eco-audit, which aims to carry our environmental assessments in 500-750 SMEs and identify the constraints and burdens imposed upon them by the introduction of the Emas system. Furthermore, the Euro Info Centres group specialising in the environment has drawn up a practical guide for the self-assessment of environmental performance by SMEs, which aims to raise their awareness of the contents of the Emas regulation and the advantages which they may derive from it. This guide, which is on sale to the public, also contains the national regulations which must be observed by SMEs.