WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2059/97 by Marjo MATIKAINEN-KALLSTRÖM to the Commission. SMEs and the 5th Framework Programme
Date: 1997-06-16
Institutions: European Parliament, MATIKAINEN-KALLSTROEM
Subjects: EU programme, research and development, research programme, size of business, small and medium-sized enterprises, technological change

11. 3. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 76/71

(98/C 76/157)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2053/97

by Luis Campoy Zueco (PPE) to the Commission

(9 June 1997)

Subject: Cohesion Fund activities in Navarre

Can the Commission specify what co-financing investments were made by the Cohesion Fund in the Community
of Navarre in 1995 and 1996?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf- Mathies on behalf of the Commission

(4 July 1997)

The Commission does not have any specifically regional data regarding the Cohesion Fund.

It draws the attention of the Honourable Member to the fact that the annual report on the activities of the Fund in
1995 (1) contains in Annex I the main points of the environmental and transport projects part-financed in Spain,
including those part-financed in Navarre.

With  regard  to  1996,  the  Commission  is  sending  directly  to  the  Honourable  Member  and  to  Parliament(cid:146)s
Secretariat the main points of the projects adopted.

(1)  Doc. COM(96) 388.

(98/C 76/158)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2059/97

by Marjo Matikainen-Kallstro¤m (PPE) to the Commission

(16 June 1997)

Subject: SMEs and the 5th Framework Programme

Small and medium-sized enterprises account for 66% of employment in the EU. They have a very important role
to play particularly in terms of innovation and research. In the European Parliament(cid:146)s Committee on Research,
Technological Development and Energy we have discussed the position of SMEs particularly in connection with
the EU(cid:146)s 5th framework programme on research, technological development and demonstration.

Because the term (cid:145)small and medium-sized enterprises(cid:146) has not been sufficiently clearly defined, it also remains
unclear  in  what  capacity  they  can  participate  in  the  5th  Framework  Programme.  I  should  like  to  ask  the
Commission how it defines SMEs and how it intends to take account of these firms in the implementation of the
5th Framework Programme.

Answer given by Mr Papoutsis on behalf of the Commission

(31 July 1997)

On  3  April  1996,  the  Commission  adopted  a  Recommendation  concerning  the  definition  of  small  and
medium-sized  enterprises  (SMEs) (1).  Thanks  to  this  Recommendation,  clear  and  precise  rules  now  exist  for
defining SMEs, small enterprises and micro-enterprises in both Community programmes and instruments and
those of Member States. In adopting this definition, the Commission sought in particular to introduce greater
clarity,  coherence  and  visibility  into  Community  programmes  which  previously  had  often  used  different
definitions of SMEs.

In order to qualify as an SME, an enterprise must, under this Recommendation, meet a workforce-size criterion
(fewer than 250 employees), a financial criterion (turnover less than ECU 40 million or an annual balance-sheet
total of less than ECU 27 million) and an independence criterion (i.e. the enterprises must not be owned as to
25 % or more of the capital or the voting rights by one or several enterprises which are not SMEs themselves.

Lower thresholds apply in the definitions of small enterprises and of micro-enterprises.