(update 15 March 2018)
- Public consultation in the Review of the SME definition
- Consultation deadline: 6 May 2018
The SME definition as provided in Recommendation 2003/361/EC is the structural tool to identify enterprises that are confronted with market failures and particular challenges due to their size, and therefore are allowed to receive preferential treatment in public support.
It is a widely used tool in EU policies such as competition (state aid), structural funds, research and innovation (Horizon 2020). Moreover, the SME definition is relevant for some European administrative exemptions and reduced fees, such as for Regulation on registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH).
The Commission is currently preparing for an evaluation and possible revision of some aspects of the SME definition. This public consultation is part of this process and will allow any interested actor to provide feedback on the evaluation and impact assessment of the SME definition.
The Commission will summarise the replies after the end of the consultation period. The results will be taken into account when preparing the evaluation report.
Find out more about the public consultation and respond to the questionnaire on the SME definition
- Public consultation in the EU funds in the area of Cohesion / Values and Mobility / Investment, SMEs and single Market
- Consultation deadline: 8 March 2018
The European Commission has recently launched a series of public consultations for preparing the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
The consultations cover the entire spectrum of EU future funding to collect the views of all interested parties on how to make the most of every euro of the EU budget. The consultation clusters reflect the current structure of the MFF but they do not prejudge the structure of the future MFF. The specific consultations on "Cohesion", "Values and Mobility" and "Investment, SMEs and single market" may be most relevant to the microfinance sector including questions related to the future of programmes currently run by DG Employment.
The consultations include questions on current performance and future challenges of our programmes. They will help us to gather your relevant feedback on what has worked well in the past and what could be improved in the future.
The results of the consultations will be used in 2018 by the Commission to make proposals for the next generation of financial programmes.
The questionnaires are accessible in 23 languages. Consult further information and details on these consultations