Activities of Hermann WINKLER related to 2012/2042(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs): competitiveness and business opportunities
Amendments (8)
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Underlines that the Structural Funds, and in particular the ERDF, are an important instrument in supporting innovative SMEs in terms of their competitiveness and especially their internationalisation and stresses that eligibility should therefore be interpreted here as broadly as possible; calls on the regions to make use of the opportunities which the regulations will afford them in their operational programmes;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Calls on the Commission essentially to refrain from amending the definition of SME, apart from necessary adjustments for inflation and other variable economic factors and transitional measures to eliminate potential obstacles to growth;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6 b. Underlines the proven importance of offering advice to SMEs in order properly to exploit their potential and capacity for innovation, not least in terms of access to the internal and third-country markets, and supports the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN);
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6 c. Considers, however, that greater effort should be made to inform SMEs of the existence of this advisory service; believes that the proposed budget for promoting SMEs is not sufficient, in view of the high expectations of the network held by the Commission;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6 d. Considers that the services of the Enterprise Europe Network should focus on the actual requirements of SMEs and therefore believes that SME associations should be more closely involved in the management of the network;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 e (new)
Paragraph 6 e (new)
6 e. Calls on the Commission to create new structures only after conducting a review of funding and an inventory of available advisory services in the Member States and a proper analysis of their effectiveness, as well as any proven need for creating new structures, in order to avoid duplication;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 f (new)
Paragraph 6 f (new)
6 f. Points out that new EU activity such as this must have proven added value over existing instruments; believes that such added value can be found where there is geographic or substantive market failure (‘blank spots’) or where representation of the EU’s trade policy interests or collecting information for a market access database is concerned;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 g (new)
Paragraph 6 g (new)
6 g. Considers that local business connections should always be safeguarded when offering advice to SMEs and that the service should be provided directly to enterprises in familiar regional surroundings, particularly when market access in third countries is concerned; believes that the EEN should look for competent partners in third countries which fit into the network and will be able to benefit from information held in an EU market access database.