As we emerge from one of the most severe economic crises of the last century, its effects continue to be profoundly felt within society. It is clear that the balance of the economy must change. New companies - especially SMEs - represent the most important source of new jobs, creating 4.1 million new jobs every year in Europe, and have a key role to play in driving economic growth. Because of this, Europe needs more entrepreneurs and must build a new economy that seeks entrepreneurial solutions to our major challenges. However, the EU lags behind its competitors in entrepreneurial attitudes. Yet whilst only 11% of European citizens are entrepreneurs, 45% aspire to be their own boss. To unlock this enormous potential for jobs and growth, the European Commission has unveiled in January 2103 its European Entrepreneurship Action Plan to boost entrepreneurship at all levels.

In this context, UEAPME and ACCA organised in Brussels a  roundtable chaired by Malcolm Harbour, MEP on 22 January 2013 called “Unleashing entrepreneurial potential in Europe”. The panel of distinguished  experts - including Massimo Baldinato, Member of the Cabinet of Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the European Commission, responsible for Industry and Entrepreneurship ; Nele Muys, Counsellor on Education and Training at Unizo ; Rosana Mirkovic, Head of SME policy at ACCA ; Mark Lange, Senior Policy Counsel at Microsoft and  Luc Hendrickx, Director Enterprise Policy and External Relations at UEAPME  - discussed with an informed audience how to identify and remove key obstacles to entrepreneurial activities, support entrepreneurs in crucial phases of the business lifecycle and help them to face challenges.

The chairman of the event, Malcolm Harbour, MEP, said “It is crucial to assess where the entrepreneurial potential can be unleashed and to develop the right frameworks to reward innovation. We all need to  work together to keep the momentum going, and I look forward a fruitful collaboration with the Council and the member states to allow the measures entailed in the Action Plan, including the non-legislative ones, to become a reality”.

Massimo Baldinato, member of the Cabinet of EU Commission’s Vice-President Tajani responsible for Industry and Entrepreneurship,  presented the main pillars detailed in the Action Plan: creating a culture for entrepreneurship, namely through including entrepreneurship education and experience in school curricula; improving the framework conditions of entrepreneurship for potential and existing entrepreneurs (access to finance, second chance for entrepreneurs, business transfers, etc); and a special attention dedicated to specific groups such as women entrepreneurs, seniors and migrants. He echoed MEP Harbour’s call for collaboration and to maintain momentum, and informed participants that the various European Commission services concerned and EU governments will coordinate action and start joint work on the proposed actions already in the first half of 2013. He also made it clear that the implementation of the measures by member states will be monitored by the European Commission in the framework of the European Semester and the Annual Growth Survey. This is a crucial point for Commissioner Tajani, who is strongly committed to actions and results, not empty words.

The main conclusions of the panel debate indicated that an urgent shift in entrepreneurial culture and attitude in Europe is needed. All participants agreed that the Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan is timely and entails many constructive proposals, namely  in terms of entrepreneurship education and training, access to finance, second chances for honest bankrupt entrepreneurs and easier transfer of business, as well as fostering the better uptake of digital technologies and help connecting SMEs to the digital world.

However, they highlighted that the challenges will lie in their implementation and the resources allocated by member states, as well as a mobilisation of all stakeholders, including SMEs advisers, intermediaries, professional organisations and accountants, to win the bet of cultural change.

Rosana Mirkovic, head of SME policy at ACCA, said: “Despite reinstating many existing ambitions and initiatives, the Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan is still a very important document. It outlines one of the most critical success factors for Europe’s future competitiveness and it sets out clear objectives and timelines for developing a more entrepreneurial culture in Europe. Acting on this commitment and bringing Member States on board will require coordinated and persistent efforts, and the current economic woes mean that we have no time to waste. It was especially pleasing to see such wide support for Commission’s efforts which marks a very positive start for the Action Plan”.

Luc Hendrickx, Director Enterprise Policy and External Relations at UEAPME concluded: “Now more than ever, it is time to engage society as a whole in order to change in the general negative public perception of entrepreneurs through practical and positive communication. SMEs’ advisers and intermediaries are already playing an important role in supporting and mentoring small businesses, and are looking forward to further raising awareness on and help promoting the added value of entrepreneurs. The success of the Entrepreneurship 2020 action plan will largely depend on their full involvement. It is also important to recall that numerous studies, including the ACCA study on growth entrepreneurs presented today, show that  the primary motivation for becoming an entrepreneur is realising a dream!”

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For ACCA

For more information, please contact:

Cecile.bonino@accaglobal.com

+32 (0) 2 286 11 37

1.    The ACCA study on  High-growth SMEs: understanding the leaders of the recovery is available here http://www.accaglobal.com/content/dam/acca/global/PDF-technical/small-business/pol-tp-hgs.pdf

2.    ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the global body for professional accountants. We aim to offer business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management.

3.    We support our 154,000 members and 432,000 students in 170 countries, helping them to develop successful careers in accounting and business, with the skills required by employers. We work through a network of over 80 offices and centres and more than 8,400 Approved Employers worldwide, who provide high standards of employee learning and development. Through our public interest remit, we promote appropriate regulation of accounting and conduct relevant research to ensure accountancy continues to grow in reputation and influence.

4.    Founded in 1904, ACCA has consistently held unique core values: opportunity, diversity, innovation, integrity and accountability. We believe that accountants bring value to economies in all stages of development and seek to develop capacity in the profession and encourage the adoption of global standards. Our values are aligned to the needs of employers in all sectors and we ensure that through our qualifications, we prepare accountants for business. We seek to open up the profession to people of all backgrounds and remove artificial barriers, innovating our qualifications and delivery to meet the diverse needs of trainee professionals and their employers.

For UEAPME

For further information please contact:

·        Luc Hendrickx, Director for Enterprise Policy and External Relations, Tel. +32 (0)2 230 7599, Email: l.hendrickx@ueapme.com

·        Francesco Longu, Press and Communications Officer, Tel. +32 (0)496 520 329, Email: pressoffice@ueapme.com

UEAPME is the employers’ organisation representing exclusively crafts, trades and SMEs from the EU and accession countries at European level. UEAPME has 80 member organisations covering over 12 million enterprises with 55 million employees. UEAPME is a European Social Partner. Our website: http://www.ueapme.com/

Cecile Bonino
Public Affairs and Media Relations Manager-EU
CBI business house
14 rue de la Science
BE-1040 Brussels
Tel:+32 (0) 2 286 11 37
Mob: +44 (0) 7809595008
http://www.accaglobal.com

Addressing the challenges of the global economy - learn more at www.accaglobal.com/economy