European Commission policy and
instruments for SME internationalisation
Luis CUERVO SPOTTORNO
DG enterprise and Industry
"Access to Markets" unit
UNIDO, Vienna - 6 May 2014
Why are SMEs important?
0.2
Number of
Enterprises (%)
Value Added at
Factor Costs (%)
42.4
99.8
SMEs
SMEs
Large
Large
57.6
Employment (%)
Net new jobs 200215 2010 (%)
33.5
SMEs
SMEs
Large
Large
66.5
85
SBA principles and priority areas
Access to
markets
(intra-EU and
extra-EU)
Entrepreneurship
10. Internationalisation
9. Environment
8. Skills and innovation
7. Single market
6. Access to finance
Access to finance
1. Entrepreneurship
2. Second chance
3. Think Small First
4. Responsive administration
5. State aid and publ. proc.
Reduction of
administrative
burden
Internationalisation beyond the single market
Of all EU
internationally
active SMEs
just half
operate outside
the single
market
Import
14%
86%
Export
13%
87%
Subcontracting
2%
0%
98%
20%
40%
60%
Active beyond single market
80%
100%
Not active
SME internationalisation policy in the EU
• Principles:
- Hold regulatory dialogues with third countries to ease conditions for
doing business (SME dialogues)
- Earmark opportunities for European SMEs in third countries (Missions
for Growth)
- SMEs to profit from opportunities from SME Letters of Intent and EU
Free Trade Agreements
- SMEs to use EU support networks, instruments and finance
• Instruments: Enterprise Europe Network - EU Business Centres - IPR
Helpdesks – cluster internationalisation – mapping exercises - SME
international business portal - Market Access Database
• EU financing: COSME / Horizon 2020 / "SME Instrument"
DG ENTR / UNIDO SME Policy dialogue
Way forward
Objective:
Foster SME internationalisation / cooperation
(EU and developing countries)
3 pillars for cooperation
- Promote
entrepreneurial
education & training
- Upgrade business
environment
-Target markets &
sectors
- Encourage use of
EU instruments
(e.g. EEN,clusters)
Efficient use of EU
financial assistance
(e.g. COSME,
Horizon 2020) +
EIB funding
Thank you for your attention!
Contact:
Luis.cuervo-spottorno@ec.europa.eu
More information:
http://een.ec.europa.eu/
https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/smeip/