SMEunited

The Platform on Sustainable Finance, an advisory body to the European Commission, has published its report on streamlining sustainable finance for SMEs. The report proposes a "SME Sustainable Finance Standard" to help #SMEs and their lenders or financiers voluntarily demonstrate SMEs’ environmental #sustainability performance. ➡️ Read more: https://lnkd.in/eqsree-Q Gerhard Huemer Sophie Asselot Ulla Hudina Jan Greitens Merilin Hörats-Beasley

The Spring 2025 edition of the SMEunited #SME Business Climate Index and EU Craft and #SMEBarometer reports a stagnation for the business activity of #SMEs across the EU. The Business Climate Index decreased by 2.1 points to 70.6, remaining just above the 70-point baseline. ➡️ Read more: https://lnkd.in/edc453w5

📢 Share this opportunity with SME advisers, business mentors, or innovation consultants in your network. ➡️ More information and registration: https://lnkd.in/gYJcp5D6 📅 Taking place on April 8th, this online workshop will provide practical insights, tools, and best practices to help advisers guide SMEs in leveraging intellectual property (IP) for business growth. This training is organised by EUIPO - European Union Intellectual Property Office and Ideas Powered for Business.

“SMEs agree that a society needs rules to function. However, at a certain point, rules, administrative and reporting requirements suffocate small companies that try to play by the rules.” - Veronique Willems, Secretary General of SMEunited. At the recent Financial Times panel, Véronique Willems highlighted the challenges Europe's SMEs face due to excessive red tape. She stressed that while regulations are essential, the current burden on small businesses is overwhelming and discourages entrepreneurship. Véronique called for the EU's #ThinkSmallFirst principle to be fully applied and for the endorsement of the voluntary SME standard #VSME to streamline reporting and ensure market acceptance. 👉 Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/ezbeDCKe

📣 Check out our weekly #SME recap: ✅ SMEunited Board discusses impact on SME from geopolitical tensions and #tariffs ✅ SMEunited calls for stronger integration of SMEs in EU's #Preparedness Strategy ✅ Unlocking growth: Strategic Dialogue on SMEs in the #chemicals industry ✅ Driving effective #DueDiligence: #Omnibus unpacked ✅ Shaping the future of SMEs in Western Balkans and Türkiye ✅ Streamlining sustainable finance for SMEs ✅ 28th regime aims to tackle the right problems ✅ What does it take to prevent barriers in the #SingleMarket? ➡️ Enjoy the read: https://lnkd.in/eXnHHr8v European Commission European Parliament Stéphane Séjourné Jessika Roswall Roxana Minzatu Hadja Lahbib Henna Virkkunen OECD - OCDE EU Platform on Sustainable Finance #SustainableFinance #REACH

"SMEs are key to Europe’s strategic resilience. #Tariffs and geopolitical instability must not hinder their ability to grow and innovate. We have to safeguard European unity in responding to divisive actions", stressed President Petri Salminen during the Board of Directors meeting. ➡️ Read more: https://lnkd.in/e-dvM2pg The European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats Suomen Yrittäjät ry #Preparedness #Security #HybridThreats

For SMEunited, the key objective was to advocate for concrete measures that apply the #ThinkSmallFirst principle to chemicals legislation, ensuring that it is more accessible and beneficial to #SMEs. Our key messages underlined the urgent need to simplify #legislation, recognise the vital role of SMEs in vocational training and administrative processes under REACH", stated SMEunited Secretary General Veronique Willems at the Strategic Dialogue on the Chemical Industry Package. ➡️ Read more: https://lnkd.in/eX9gumpJ Stéphane Séjourné Jessika Roswall

“Make sure legislation is feasible and implementable for #SMEs”, stressed Secretary General Veronique Willems at the OECD 'SME Policy Index 2026: Western Balkans and Türkiye' kick-off event. Instead of expecting small businesses to immediately reach high compliance thresholds, policy-makers should build a growth path. “It means ensuring best practices are shared, funding is accessible, and information is neutral and not solely dependent on commercial players”. ➡️ Read more: https://lnkd.in/ehKC-HNB Andreas Schaal Tatjana Shterjova Dushkovska OECD - OCDE Jovana Pavlovic Djukic

Last hours to register for the EU Platform on Sustainable Finance webinar on the latest report: "Streamlining sustainable finance for SMEs". Thursday 27 March 16:00 - 17:00 CET Link to register: https://lnkd.in/euKv8rzz During this webinar, you will hear from: 📍 Chair of the Platform, Helena Viñes Fiestas 📍 Gerhard Huemer from SMEunited 📍 Merilin Hörats-Beasley and Lievijne Neuteboom from European Investment Fund (EIF) 📍 Sophie Asselot from Groupe BPCE 📍 Ulla Hudina from DG GROW at European Commission 📍 Jan Greitens Join an exciting and timely discussion about how to ensure that European SMEs benefit from the EU sustainable finance framework, build resilience, while avoiding excessive burdens! #sustainability #sustainablefinance #finance #SMEs #smes #eutaxonomy #taxonomy #csrd #omnibus

“For #preparedness to be truly effective, #SMEs must be fully engaged. Europe’s #security and crisis response depends on strong, resilient businesses”, stressed President Petri Salminen in his initial reaction to the launch of the Preparedness Union Strategy. SMEunited stresses in a first reaction to the EU #PreparednessUnion Strategy, which aims to enhance Europe's readiness against various crises, including natural disasters, cyberattacks, and geopolitical tensions, that SMEs must be fully integrated into the EU’s crisis response framework. As key economic actors, SMEs are essential for ensuring supply chain resilience, maintaining critical services and supporting local communities in times of crisis. ➡️ Read more: https://lnkd.in/eFRPiu-V European Commission Roxana Minzatu Hadja Lahbib Henna Virkkunen