Activities of Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO related to 2013/2176(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on ‘How can the European Union contribute to creating a hospitable environment for enterprises, businesses and start-ups to create jobs?’ PDF (305 KB) DOC (169 KB)
Amendments (54)
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
- having regard to the Eurofound report of January 2013 entitled ‘Born global: The potential of job creation in new international businesses’,
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 b (new)
Citation 11 b (new)
- having regard to the Eurofound report of 2013 entitled ‘Public policy and support for restructuring in SMEs’,
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 c (new)
Citation 11 c (new)
- having regard to the Eurofound report of 2010 entitled ‘job creation measures’,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas it takes between 13 days (UK) and 40 days (Malta) to set up a business in Europe;there are worrying differences between member states in the time it takes to set up a business ranging from 13 days to 40 days in certain cases; 2 __________________ 2 http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IC.RE G.DURS
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas labour market rigiditiestandards thave been identified as having a negative impact ont combine flexibility and job security can provide a more favourable framework for job creation;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas SMEs are the backbone of the EU economy and have a huge potential for job creation being responsible for 85% of the newly created jobs;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas due to the financial crisis, and the credit crunch that arose in consequence SMEs are facing the highest cost of credit and the contraction of its availability. Whereas according to the Institute of International Finance smaller businesses in the peripheral countries are paying between 4 and 6 percentage points more for bank lending than their counterparts in central Europe, putting them in significant disadvantage and thus hampering the region’s prospects for economic revival and net job creation;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas corporate bond, equity and securitisation markets in Europe remain relatively underdeveloped compared to other economies, and non-bank financing remains largely inaccessible to SMEs, undermining their potential to grow and create jobs;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
Ec. whereas with a heavy dependence on domestic markets, SMEs have been coping with a sharp drop in demand while facing a bigger struggle than larger companies to establish export markets or find new ones;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E d (new)
Recital E d (new)
Ed. whereas SMEs are highly diverse and therefore require tailor made programmes throughout their whole lifecycle that take appropriately into account their size/turnover and financial needs;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Notes that young enterprises that quickly and intensively internationalise after start-up show promising contributions to the economy by creating innovation themselves, fostering innovation in other companies, engaging in international supply chains and creating sustainable and good quality jobs. Stresses however, that these companies are confronted with considerable challenges in the start-up phase which has to be realised quickly as well as with low levels of capital, so that low-cost, simple and quick start-up procedures would be beneficial for them;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Considers that SMEs growth is linked to entrepreneurship, including social entrepreneurship; stresses that start-ups and self-employment create employment opportunities, help build strong industrial and services sectors in the long run and reduce social exclusion; calls therefore on Member States to promote entrepreneurial mindsets and skills at different education levels, coaching for entrepreneurs and adequate skill development for SMEs staff; (This amendment should appear before the original paragraph 7 within the Enterpreneurship section)
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Is worried that the financial crisis and subsequent recession has hard hit many European SMEs where a significant volume have ended in liquidation, rather than with the company getting a fresh start. Highlights the importance of creating favourable legal, regulatory and accounting rules to favour healthy restructurings and bankruptcy protection to provide sound companies with the opportunity to have a second chance to grow and avoid job losses. Welcomes the Commission’s Entrepreneurship Action Plan supporting Member States’ efforts to make it easier for sound businesses to survive and for honest entrepreneurs to get a second chance;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. BNotes the importance of the establishment and support of ‘comprehensive’ business incubators providing young entrepreneurs with the opportunity to test their ideas, familiarise them with the business frameworks and help them to contact potential partners, clients and investors. Emphasises that mentoring is not only needed at start-up, but also continuously throughout the critical years following the start-up phase; believes that university programmes such as the Birmingham Skills for Enterprise and Employability Network (BSEEN) in the UK, financed by the ERDF, which nurture enterprise and entrepreneurial skills by providing mentoring, intensive start-up support and incubator space for new ventures, are key to future job creation;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Welcomes the growth in recent years of the social economy as a new form of entrepreneurship in the European Union; calls on the Member States to deepen regulations and programmes promoting its creation and development;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10. Draws attention to the fact that, faced with the threat of closure, workers in many European companies can take over ownership of these companies through cooperative societies; calls for consideration to be given to possible new lines of support through the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund and the European Investment Bank for companies involved in key sectors under the Europe 2020 strategy;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Paragraph 10 c (new)
10c. Is concerned about the growing phenomenon of bogus self-employment in the European Union (people who want to work as employees but, in the absence of jobs, end up becoming self-employed, or employees forced by their companies to become economically dependent self- employed workers in order to save on social costs); calls on the Member States to adopt specific policies to avoid this such as, for the former, sufficient employment opportunities or, for the latter, better labour inspections;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Believes Member States should be encouraged to promote the retention of older workers on the labour market by encouraging, in line with the textension of working lives, developing flexible labour markets and valuing experience approved by the European Parliament in its recommendations for active ageing in the European Union;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Stresses that for SMEs, size does matter. Larger scale allows SMEs to more easily withstand economic cycles, build deeper expertise, find new customers and markets, link into global supply chains, and obtain easier access to bank financing and broaden funding sources and thus create more jobs. Believes that the Commission and the Member States should encourage the provision of education in management and business strategy for SME owners looking to expand their businesses. Highlights the importance of aid to SMEs to develop connections to untapped foreign markets by redirecting existing public agencies to work with banks and SMEs’ associations towards that end;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Notes that Support for SMEs looking to internationalize through medium- and long-term loans or equity investments and educate SMEs in how to access trade financing is crucial;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Believes that SMEs in Europe are too reliant on bank funding and that this increases their vulnerability. Notes that there are real benefits in new forms of financing through innovative schemes and non-bank routes, such as peer-to-peer lending, micro-lending and other tools, which can provide vital investment for start-ups to grow and create jobsSME´s to create jobs. New forms of financing would be beneficial for young, dynamic businesses which have difficulties in accessing more traditional sources of finance due to their ‘newness’. Important activities would be the creation of awareness and the provision of information about such non-traditional financing options and the provision of incentives for investors. Highlights that such new forms of finance should not be limited to start-up and growth phases. Fostering alternative capital markets would also be beneficial for realising positive outcomes for both, the company and its employees, in case of restructuring;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Believes that information about SME creditworthiness is too costly and difficult to obtain The lack of such information substantially raises the costs of assessing SMEs, making it impractical for banks to serve some segments and raising barriers for new sources of funding to be developed. Highlights the importance of, further reducing information costs and increasing transparency. Developing common minimum quality standards on external evaluation of mid-caps and SMEs could further facilitate their access to finance, including across borders, and deepen market integration; (This amendment should appear before paragraph 13 inside the Finance section)
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Stresses the importance of further developing a deep venture capital sector, dedicated markets and networks for SMEs, new well regulated securitisation instruments for SMEs in addition to COSME programme, as well as other ‘non-traditional’ sources of finance. Notes that in view of the wide differences between industrial sectors and between investment cycles, these instruments should be differentiated. Highlights the importance of ensuring that these markets grow on a sustainable basis and are properly regulated;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Calls for implementation of the Youth Guarantee cash collateral for youth entrepreneurship loans through the EIB;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Welcomes the simplification of reimbursement methods as part of the Commission’s proposal for a Common Provisions Regulation on Structural Funds, given the important role that these instruments play in many regions in the promotion of entrepreneurship and skills; asks the Commission to monitor and report to Parliament about the access of SMEs to Community funding;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Strongly believes that businesses can only create jobs if the right conditions exist, including access to a qualified workforce, availability of flexible contractual arrangements, and keeping administrative burdens to a minimum;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Believes SMEs are among the most innovative businesses in the EU,Considers that SMEs have great innovative potential within the European economy and playing a crucial role in providing pathways into work; regrets that in many Member States they are excluded from public research, innovation and development policy, and thus calls for a radical reversal of that trend;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes that the main barriers facing start-ups and affecting the development of high-growth SMEs are access to and cost of finance, burdensome regulation, indirect labour costscurrent expenditure, access to export markets, average payment times and skills shortages;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes the introduction of the ‘SME test’; b however regrets that only few Member States have integrated it in their national decision making process. Believes that mitigating measures must be introduced, e.g. longer implementation time, fewer inspections or lighter paperwork, but without creating a two-tier labour market;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes the introduction of the ‘SME test’; believes that mitigating measures must be introduced, e.g. longer implementation time, fewer inspections or lighter paperwork, but without creating a two-tier labour market;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Believes that the debate on corporate social responsibility is a major differentiating factor of the European business model, which puts it at the forefront of social rights; calls for further progress on this concept and for its development to take account of the diversity, size and extent of SMEs;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22b. Regrets that the labour reforms taking place in various Member States are resulting in many workers no longer being protected by collective agreements, especially in SMEs; considers that any improvements in labour flexibility should be accompanied by adequate labour protection which can only be guaranteed by collective bargaining;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Stresses the need for efficient regulation that can be implemented in a simple manner and can help entrepreneurs operate within the rule of law and that entrepreneurs and workers should benefit from the opportunities and protection afforded by employment and health and safety legislation;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Stresses that health and safety at work and workers’ protection cannot be considered burdensome regulations; calls on the Commission to simplify excessive administrative burdens while always ensuring health and safety at work and guaranteeing that SMEs provide adequate knowledge and resources to manage employees working environment properly;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Welcomes the new health and safety strategy; hopes it will focus on simplification, prevention and better implementation of existing legislation instead of additional regulation;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Notes that one response to the top ten consultation conclusion is that the Working Time Directive is complex and inflexible and in many cases requires SMEs to obtain costly specialised legal assistance; calls on the Commission to produce its detailed impact assessment as a matter of urgency, with this assessment not only taking into consideration the simplification of administrative tasks, but also health and safety at work and the balance between work and family life, as requested by Parliament in its resolution of 15 May 2012 on employment aspects of minimising regulatory burden for SMEs and adapting EU regulation to the needs of microenterprises; stresses that this simplification should not be counter to ILO standards or its Decent Work Agenda, and also reminds the Commission that the review of the reference period for weekly working time and opting out, as foreseen by Directives 93/104/EC and 2003/88/EC on the organisation of working time, has been pending since 23 November 2003;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Notes that one response to the top ten consultation conclusion is that the Working Time Directive is complex and inflexible and in many cases requires SMEs to obtain costly specialised legal assistance; calls on the Commission to produce its detailed impact assessment as a matter of urgency and to propose measures that simplify administrative tasks without involving any loss of rights or social protection;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Notes that the Temporary Agency Workers Directive has also been identified as hampering businesses’ ability to work across borders by creating administrative burdens and disproportionate requirements; calls on the Commission to produce a detailed impact assessment and to propose measures that simplify administrative tasks without involving any loss of rights or social protection;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to act with speed and ambition to reduce the regulatory burden on SMEs, while ensuring that any proposed solutions are evidence- based. Points out, however, that the reduction of administrative burden for these firms must not undermine effective implementation of the ILO’s standards and its Decent Work Agenda;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Considers that the Commission’s proposal that micro-entities should be excluded from the scope of future proposed legislation unless there is a need for them to be covered, could be an appropriate approach; calls however for a saving clause of current social legislation built to protect workers;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 b (new)
Paragraph 28 b (new)
28b. Calls on the Commission to ensure that national SME organizations, are part of the newly established network of SME Envoys and the SME Assembly, must be properly informed of EU initiatives and policy proposals, stresses in this context the equally important role of the European Information Centres (EICs), which have so far not managed to provide a service that lives up to the expectations and needs of European businesses;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 c (new)
Paragraph 28 c (new)
28c. Calls on Member States to promote language learning through life-long learning (vocational training), for employees of SMEs and micro-entities, as a means of reinforcing the access and participation of these firms in the Single Market;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 d (new)
Paragraph 28 d (new)
28d. Calls on Member States to foster the provision of education in management and business strategy for SME owners looking to expand their business. Calls on Member States to foster the culture of internationalisation through information, presentation of good practice and the provision of a platform of exchange; to foster a ‘national branding’ so that young exporters can benefit from already established good reputation of national companies; to provide skill development in the field of entrepreneurship, also with focus of international business activities; to create transparency among available start-up and growth support instruments and review eligibility criteria and administrative burden involved; to support networking and peer exchange, as well as liaising the young entrepreneurs with potential investors and business partners; to provide operational advice and support also after the start-up phase, to assist survival of the first critical years and to provide employment incentives;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 e (new)
Paragraph 28 e (new)
28e. Calls on the Commission to create more favourable legal, regulatory, accounting and tax rules to: allow winners in challenged sectors to restructure and consolidate; help viable SMEs to restructure unsustainable debt and adequately recapitalize and provide help to owners and lenders to wind down nonviable SMEs, so capital and other resources can be redeployed to more promising activities;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 f (new)
Paragraph 28 f (new)
28f. Calls on the Commission to work on developing alternative sources of financing for SMEs besides bank loans throughout their lifecycle. Stresses the importance of -Developing venture capital. Funds-of- funds could be efficient instruments to increase the volume of venture capital. A fund of guarantees for institutional investors could further reduce the constraints in this market; -Developing dedicated markets and networks for SMEs. Venture capital funds are also dependant on well-performing SME-oriented stock exchanges to turn their investments into initial public offerings. Measures could include creating a distinct approach for SMEs, beyond existing ones, and include the development of specific accounting rules for listed SMEs and new trading platforms. Developing frameworks for business networks could favour SME pooling, risk sharing, mutualisation and diversification and thus improve their access to finance; - Developing new well regulated securitisation instruments for SMEs. The Commission already has a SME securitisation instrument in place and has proposed to continue offering support for securitisation through the COSME programme. In addition, under EU criteria for SMEs’ industrial investments of European interest, vehicles for structured credits could receive European labels.; and -Developing or promoting other ‘non- traditional’ sources of finance, such as leasing; supply chain finance; internet- based sources of funding like crowd- funding, etc. Further reflection is needed about how to ensure these markets grow on a sustainable basis and are properly supported within a regulatory framework;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 g (new)
Paragraph 28 g (new)
28g. Calls on Member States to ensure the collection of relevant financial and non- financial data of SMEs and microenterprises. Encourages the standardisation of information on SMEs and the establishment of rigorous, comprehensive central credit registries of this information. Recommends the consolidation of national central credit registry data with that collected by the European Data¬Warehouse, toward the eventual establishment of a European central credit registry;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 h (new)
Paragraph 28 h (new)
28h. Asks the Commission to ensure easier access for SMEs to structural funds, notably by relaxing the requirements for pre financed projects, reducing the requirements for co- financing, better targeting different types of SMES, closing the financing gap between call cycles and supporting capacity building for SME funding;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 i (new)
Paragraph 28 i (new)
28i. Maintains that all the measures in support of SMEs should be applicable to the self-employed, especially as regards to the different forms of social security systems, the benefits provided under them and the prevention of occupational hazards;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Calls on the Commission to address the negative effects that the accumulation of legislation has on businesses, particularly with regard to the aspects of lack of knowledge and overall perception of EU legislation, especially in the area of employment and health and safety legislation;
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Calls on the Commission, in the context of the REFIT programme, to ensure that all legislation is doing what it was intended to do and to identify areas where there are excessive burdens, inconsistencies or ineffective measures, particularly in the area of employment and social affairs;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Calls on the Member States to support self-employment, especially among young people, by creating an environment that will encourage entrepreneurs to grow and create new jobs; calls inter alia for improved social protection programmes to tackle unemployment and the cessation of activity or access to pensions for self- employed workers as one of the main tools to promote self-employment;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36a. Calls on the Commission to explore the creation of a European Visa for entrepreneurs that can help attract talent and entrepreneurial expertise from outside the EU;