92000E2014

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2014/00

by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(21 June 2000)

Subject: Tourism and European small businesses charter

The European Council meeting in Lisbon called on the Council of Ministers and the Commission to draw up a European small businesses charter and ensure that their needs are met, recognising that their contribution, in terms of job creation, is the most important.

Will the Commission take account of the specific situation with regard to tour companies, given the seasonal nature of their work and their particular importance in stimulating employment and the development of less-favoured areas of Europe?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(20 July 2000)

At the Feira European Council on 19 and 20 June 2000 heads of state and government welcomed the European charter for small enterprises. This highlights the commitment at the highest level to the specific needs of small enterprises as the backbone of the European economy. Europe looks to small enterprises, including tour companies, as an engine of growth and a source of employment in all sectors. The charter points to conditions favourable for their development and growth, including in less-favoured areas of Europe. The charter covers therefore all SMEs, in all sectors, in all regions, and this includes certainly the tourism sector as a whole as well.