European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME

⭐ Real Economy Working Groups Kick-off! Last week, we completed the launch of the Real Economy Working Groups, with the kick-off of the two Working Groups SECURE, focused on the Defence and Security Sector, and WORK, focused on labour shortages—key sectors for the future of Europe. 📍 Leading the discussion of the working group SECURE - challenges, barriers, needs, and opportunities facing the EU defence industry. Among the many points raised during the discussion, the group emphasized the importance of making this strategic sector SME-friendly, enabling the backbone of the European economy to fully contribute to and benefit from this vital industry. By addressing these issues and setting clear priorities, the SECURE working group is paving the way for SMEs to become active participants in shaping a more resilient and secure Europe. 📍 The working group WORK, coordinated by our member European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB), focused its discussion on labour and skills shortage needs and opportunities of small businesses in the current fast-changing times. During the opening remarks, Mr. Theodor Grassos underlined that 33% of SMEs in Europe face a skills shortage, and many of them do not find competent workers, especially concerning digital skills. There is a fundamental need for SMEs to embrace innovation, which should become an integral part of the company’s culture to create inclusive workspaces and enhance productivity and excellence. Our member ADEGI - Asociación de Empresas de Gipuzkoa, gave our participants an overview of the essential principles for enhancing SMEs' performance and effectiveness through a winning company culture. 💡 Stay tuned to learn how the group will chart the way forward! If you are a member of our members and want to join our Working Groups, visit our dedicated web page: https://lnkd.in/eizT58iy Confapi BVMW - Bundesverband mittelständische Wirtschaft e.V. Österreichischer Gewerbeverein ÖGV Regionalna Izba Gospodarcza w Katowicach COTEC Portugal AFDEE Ondernemers voor Ondernemers vzw Sunrise Tech Park SBC - Slovenian Business Club MÜSİAD ESBA - European Small Business Alliance Eurojuris International Danish Export Association Asociace malých a středních podniků a živnostníků ČR European Business Association METI - Mouvement des Entreprises de Taille Intermédiaire SMB Norge Airborne Wind Europe PÁTOSZ Accountancy Europe #SMEs #WORK #Entrepreneurship #SECURE #EconomicGrowth #Innovation #Collaboration

NEW EUROPEAN COMMISSION: What do European companies expect?🤔 BVMW - Bundesverband mittelständische Wirtschaft e.V. and European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME recently conducted a survey asking companies what their expectations are for the new European Commission, and the answers are quite striking: 📌 88% of companies either expect additional major or minor burdens or expect any change from the new Commission for the upcoming 5 years. 📌 85% wish that the New EU Commission withdraws already adopted laws that impose disproportionate reporting obligations or make access to funding more difficult. 📌 58% expect more initiatives for a common European Defence, 49% hope for more International #Trade Agreements and 46% ask for initiatives to reduce labour and skills shortages. 📌 Only 23% wish for the completion of the #EUGreenDeal and 32% for the completion of the #DigitalSingleMarket. 📌 In light of the current economic situation, only 36% of the answering companies have decided to invest more to improve and remain competitive. In comparison, 27% will continue as they have been doing, and a striking 37% think that they will either shut down their business, go abroad, or stop production and do only trade. These are thought-provoking figures and the point from which we will start to formulate our proposals in order to raise the number of #SMEs and #MidCaps who want to invest and stay in Europe. Jorge Portugal Alexandre MONTAY CRISTIAN CAMISA Maurizio Casasco Eva Svobodová Sylvie Bernard-Grandjean Theodor Grassos Dr. Hans-Jürgen Völz Stephan Blahut Confapi BVMW - Bundesverband mittelständische Wirtschaft e.V. Österreichischer Gewerbeverein ÖGV European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB) Regionalna Izba Gospodarcza w Katowicach COTEC Portugal AFDEE Ondernemers voor Ondernemers vzw Sunrise Tech Park SBC - Slovenian Business Club ADEGI - Asociación de Empresas de Gipuzkoa MÜSİAD ESBA - European Small Business Alliance Eurojuris International Danish Export Association Asociace malých a středních podniků a živnostníků ČR European Business Association METI - Mouvement des Entreprises de Taille Intermédiaire SMB Norge Airborne Wind Europe PÁTOSZ European Business Association Georgia Accountancy Europe

⭐ Real Economy Working Groups Kick-off! Many were the entrepreneurs participating in the kick-off of our first two Working Groups GROW and TRADE, which together will unleash the potential of small and medium-sized enterprises to drive economic growth and bolster competitiveness. 📍Leading the discussion of the working group GROW - and underlining the necessity of tackling critical challenges that hinder SME #growth, like bureaucratic burden and advocating for SME-friendly policies - Mr. Artur Romanek and Ms. Lucyna Kaminska from the European Commission intervened by presenting what DG GROW has done until now in terms of reduction of reporting obligations and bureaucratic burden for SMEs and what’s on the EU agenda at the current stage. 📍Equally vibrant was the debate in the Working Group TRADE, where the priorities are - enabling better access for SMEs to EU internal and international #trade, more support for internationalization and access to markets for SMEs, and strengthening cooperation with like-minded neighboring countries. We had the pleasure of having the intervention from Ms. Geraldine Emberger, Advisor for Implementation of EU Trade Agreements at DG TRADE, who provided a detailed and comprehensive explanation of the functioning of the EU Trade Policy and the existing tools available to SMEs to improve their market access. 💡 If you want to join our Working Groups, contact us at info@cea-pme.com! #SMEs #Entrepreneurship #EconomicGrowth #Innovation #Collaboration Confapi BVMW - Bundesverband mittelständische Wirtschaft e.V. Österreichischer Gewerbeverein ÖGV European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB) Regionalna Izba Gospodarcza w Katowicach COTEC Portugal AFDEE Ondernemers voor Ondernemers vzw Sunrise Tech Park SBC - Slovenian Business Club ADEGI - Asociación de Empresas de Gipuzkoa MÜSİAD ESBA - European Small Business Alliance Eurojuris International Danish Export Association Asociace malých a středních podniků a živnostníků ČR European Business Association METI - Mouvement des Entreprises de Taille Intermédiaire SMB Norge Airborne Wind Europe PÁTOSZ European Business Association Georgia Accountancy Europe

🛡️ A new report from European Parliamentary Research Service investigates the potential gains from deeper European cooperation on #defence spending that leverages the continent's economies of scale. EU action to boost the efficiency and quality of European defence spending would create jobs, improve the certainty of the business environment and boost the #RuleOfLaw. Check the report at the link below: https://lnkd.in/d8R_CsgY Confapi BVMW - Bundesverband mittelständische Wirtschaft e.V. Österreichischer Gewerbeverein ÖGV European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB) Regionalna Izba Gospodarcza w Katowicach COTEC Portugal AFDEE Ondernemers voor Ondernemers vzw Sunrise Tech Park SBC - Slovenian Business Club ADEGI - Asociación de Empresas de Gipuzkoa MÜSİAD ESBA - European Small Business Alliance Eurojuris International Danish Export Association Asociace malých a středních podniků a živnostníků ČR European Business Association METI - Mouvement des Entreprises de Taille Intermédiaire SMB Norge Airborne Wind Europe PÁTOSZ European Business Association Georgia Accountancy Europe

Boost our #SingleMarket: Once Only and deeper integration of services sector! Between 53 and 59% of costs, and between 44 and 53% of time when trying to expand abroad in Europe - that's how much the European Union can save to #SMEs and Self-Employed by using the new “Once Only Technical System”. And if we focus on the service sector, removing 25% of non-tariff barriers can produce an average of 2.3% of economic growth or 77 billion added value for at least each of the next 5 years. Have a look at the studies by DG GROW & EconPol Europe below: https://lnkd.in/ddJRHu-r Confapi BVMW - Bundesverband mittelständische Wirtschaft e.V. Österreichischer Gewerbeverein ÖGV European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB) Regionalna Izba Gospodarcza w Katowicach COTEC Portugal AFDEE Ondernemers voor Ondernemers vzw Sunrise Tech Park SBC - Slovenian Business Club ADEGI - Asociación de Empresas de Gipuzkoa MÜSİAD ESBA - European Small Business Alliance Eurojuris International Danish Export Association Asociace malých a středních podniků a živnostníků ČR European Business Association METI - Mouvement des Entreprises de Taille Intermédiaire SMB Norge Airborne Wind Europe PÁTOSZ European Business Association Georgia Accountancy Europe

♦️ The US has voted, we must play our best trumps now! If the European Union does not now find a strong common voice and majority understanding on where to go - for its #SMEs & #MidCaps, the future of Europe’s nations will be that of becoming vassals of either Russia, China or the US itself. But we still have our winning cards that we can AND SHOULD play now: 1. We have the European Mittelstand: the most creative, performing, resilient, innovative, and strong economic fabric a world region can have. If we seriously remove the bureaucratic burden and promote innovation made by and for SMEs and Mid-Caps, we will unleash hidden energies. 2. This European Mittelstand made of SMEs and Mid-Caps produces 40% of our wealth through international trade and exports. The whole world buys from us, and this should grow not shrink. If we avoid tariff wars and import limitations, we will have huge benefits in growth and political weight, too. 3. We have the European Single Market, that - if we reduce non-tariff barriers and boost the internal economic exchanges by 25% – can alone produce an additional 2.3% of growth per year. Playing these trumps is more than just an option or a good chance. It is a strong need - and one that requires serious changes to our European economic and environmental policies. https://lnkd.in/dEvvNQvc Confapi BVMW - Bundesverband mittelständische Wirtschaft e.V. Österreichischer Gewerbeverein ÖGV European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB) Regionalna Izba Gospodarcza w Katowicach COTEC Portugal AFDEE Ondernemers voor Ondernemers vzw Sunrise Tech Park SBC - Slovenian Business Club ADEGI - Asociación de Empresas de Gipuzkoa MÜSİAD ESBA - European Small Business Alliance Eurojuris International Danish Export Association Asociace malých a středních podniků a živnostníků ČR European Business Association METI - Mouvement des Entreprises de Taille Intermédiaire SMB Norge Airborne Wind Europe PÁTOSZ European Business Association Georgia Accountancy Europe

📅 28 Nov, next Thursday ☘️ - Save energy and make your business more efficient at the AI For My Company: Digital Solutions for #EnergyEfficiency & #EnergySaving. This B2B Matchmaking Event will connect digital solution providers with #SMEs looking to optimise their energy usage across various industries. Learn how you can take advantage of: 🔋 Energy monitoring -> Reduce energy costs 💡 Predictive maintenance with #IoT -> Prevent equipment failures 🤖 AI-driven energy optimisations -> Use energy based on demand Additionally, flexible energy pricing models, such as the Danish solution, will be presented to show how SMEs can select when to purchase energy based on external factors like wind intensity, unlocking potential savings and operational flexibility. 👇👇 Register now to learn from success stories and start implementing intelligent energy solutions: https://lnkd.in/dT7PciGH European DIGITAL SME Alliance Confapi BVMW - Bundesverband mittelständische Wirtschaft e.V. Österreichischer Gewerbeverein ÖGV European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB) Regionalna Izba Gospodarcza w Katowicach COTEC Portugal AFDEE Ondernemers voor Ondernemers vzw Sunrise Tech Park SBC - Slovenian Business Club ADEGI - Asociación de Empresas de Gipuzkoa MÜSİAD ESBA - European Small Business Alliance Eurojuris International Danish Export Association Asociace malých a středních podniků a živnostníků ČR European Business Association METI - Mouvement des Entreprises de Taille Intermédiaire SMB Norge Airborne Wind Europe PÁTOSZ European Business Association Georgia Accountancy Europe

European SMEs and Mid-Caps stand for #Ukraine also today on this sad 1,000th day of Russia’s invasion. Greetings from the SME Assembly 2024 in Budapest from European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME with Eesti Väike- ja Keskmiste Ettevõtjate Assotsiatsioon EVEA I Estonian Association of SME´s and SMB Norge, ESBA - European Small Business Alliance with GZS Podjetniško trgovska zbornica Chamber of Small Business and Trade, as well as Vesselin Halachev of UNITED BUSINESS CLUBS Association (BG). #ForAsLongAsItTakes #EuropeanParliament #SMEAssembly2024 European Parliament VIDA KOŽAR

Today, we proudly celebrate the incredible achievements of women entrepreneurs across Europe and beyond. They are leaders, innovators, and changemakers, driving sustainable growth, creating jobs, and shaping a more inclusive economy. At European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME, we strongly support women-led businesses by advocating for policies that foster equality, empowering access to finance, and building networks that amplify their success stories through our internal and external activities. Together, we can create a future where gender is no barrier to innovation or opportunity. #WomensEntrepreneurshipDay #WomenInBusiness #EuropeanEntrepreneurs #GenderEquality Confapi BVMW - Bundesverband mittelständische Wirtschaft e.V. Österreichischer Gewerbeverein ÖGV European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB) Regionalna Izba Gospodarcza w Katowicach COTEC Portugal AFDEE Ondernemers voor Ondernemers vzw Sunrise Tech Park SBC - Slovenian Business Club ADEGI - Asociación de Empresas de Gipuzkoa MÜSİAD ESBA - European Small Business Alliance Eurojuris International Danish Export Association Asociace malých a středních podniků a živnostníků ČR European Business Association METI - Mouvement des Entreprises de Taille Intermédiaire SMB Norge Airborne Wind Europe PÁTOSZ European Business Association Georgia Accountancy Europe

🚀 Calling All #SMEs! Don’t miss this unique opportunity to power up your #EnergyEfficiency and reduce costs with the latest digital solutions! 🌍💡 Join our event, co-organised by European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME & European DIGITAL SME Alliance, where you’ll connect with digital solution providers ready to help you optimise energy use and boost sustainability. 🔹 Learn from success stories 🔹 Discover energy monitoring, IoT predictive maintenance & AI optimisation 🔹 Explore flexible pricing options like Denmark’s wind-powered model 💼 1-2-1 matchmaking sessions tailored to SME energy needs. Register now to unlock savings and sustainability! 👇👇 Link to register: https://lnkd.in/dT7PciGH Confapi BVMW - Bundesverband mittelständische Wirtschaft e.V. Österreichischer Gewerbeverein ÖGV European Association of Institutes for Vocational Training (EVBB) Regionalna Izba Gospodarcza w Katowicach COTEC Portugal AFDEE Ondernemers voor Ondernemers vzw Sunrise Tech Park SBC - Slovenian Business Club ADEGI - Asociación de Empresas de Gipuzkoa MÜSİAD ESBA - European Small Business Alliance Eurojuris International Danish Export Association Asociace malých a středních podniků a živnostníků ČR European Business Association METI - Mouvement des Entreprises de Taille Intermédiaire SMB Norge Airborne Wind Europe PÁTOSZ European Business Association Georgia Accountancy Europe