—

having regard to Article 3(3) of the Treaty on European Union,

—

having regard to the Commission communication of 10 March 2020 entitled ‘A New Industrial Strategy for Europe’ (COM(2020)0102),

—

having regard to the Commission communication of 10 March 2020 entitled ‘An SME Strategy for a sustainable and digital Europe’ (COM(2020)0103),

—

having regard to the Commission communication of 5 May 2021 entitled ‘Updating the 2020 New Industrial Strategy: Building a stronger Single Market for Europe’s recovery’ (COM(2021)0350),

—

having regard to Directive 2011/7/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 on combating late payment in commercial transactions (1) (Late Payment Directive),

—

having regard to its resolution of 16 December 2020 on a new strategy for European SMEs (2),

—

having regard to the Commission report of 27 June 2023 entitled ‘Annual Report on European SMEs 2022/2023 – SME Performance Review 2022/2023’,

—

having regard to the 2022 State of the Union address by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the European Parliament plenary of 14 September 2022,

—

having regard to Rule 132(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.

whereas European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have faced significant challenges and hardships because of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, both of which have led to disruptions of global value chains and persistent inflation;

B.

whereas Article 3(3) of the Treaty on European Union refers to the single market, sustainable development and the social market economy;

C.

whereas SMEs are the backbone of our economy, as they make up 99 % of all businesses in the EU, employ around 100 million people and account for more than half of Europe’s gross domestic product;

D.

whereas micro-enterprises represent an appreciable share of European SMEs and very often have difficulties in accessing finance and in gaining a complete knowledge of available opportunities at European and at national level; whereas this category of enterprises was also hit very hard by the COVID-19 crisis and, without prejudice to the current definition of SME, it deserves to receive more assistance and be better promoted;

E.

whereas in the October 2022 joint survey by the European Central Bank and the Commission, SMEs were the most pessimistic about the overall economic outlook ever recorded; whereas as regards the access to finance of enterprises, SMEs also highlighted banks’ decreasing willingness to lend and the shrinking availability of credit lines;

F.

whereas the 2022/2023 annual report on European SMEs highlighted the fact that inflation rates have caused interest rates to rise, which in turn have reduced access to public and private finance; whereas the same report recommended that measures aimed at mitigating the negative impacts of inflation should focus on enhanced access to finance for SMEs; whereas the report underlined the lack of skilled workers as an obstacle for SMEs across the EU;

G.

whereas industrial operational expenditure in Europe is high compared to global competitors; whereas this expenditure is largely driven by high-energy prices, as well as a high regulatory burden;

H.

whereas European competitiveness is lagging behind other developed economies, threatening Europe’s potential to generate wealth and prosperity; whereas EU legislation must be properly balanced between fostering growth, entrepreneurship, climate adaptation and business productivity;

I.

whereas regulatory burdens should be markedly reduced, including the costs of compliance created by over-regulation and overly complex administrative procedures and reporting obligations;

J.

whereas only 17 % of SMEs have successfully integrated digital technology into their businesses; whereas digitalisation is crucial for strong economic growth and job creation in the single market;

K.

whereas the Commission’s use of the innovation principle when preparing new legislative proposals would significantly improve the market conditions for innovative SMEs in Europe, as it would foster healthy competition in the single market and speed up Europe’s twin transitions;

L.

whereas during her 2022 State of the Union address, the Commission President announced that the Commission would propose an SME relief package; whereas she also announced that the Late Payment Directive would be revised because it was not fair that one in four bankruptcies in the EU were due to invoices not being paid on time;

M.

whereas the European Parliament, representing the interests of EU citizens, acknowledges the crucial role of SMEs in fostering economic growth, job creation and social cohesion;