Author: SME Chamber

The plans for the post-2013 EU budget unveiled by the European Commission tick the right boxes in terms of spending priorities, although their benefits for small companies will largely depend on the final budget available and on the concrete implementation of the various headers and programmes.

GRTU was particularly pleased by the Commission's proposal to increase the amounts allocated to research and innovation, education and SME development, as well as by the "Connecting Europe" facility to finance investments in infrastructure. It also welcomed the aims to direct the use of structural funds in the framework of cohesion policy to a limited number of priorities, including SMEs' competitiveness and innovation. Moreover, GRTU welcomed the general approach of the new "Horizon 2020" framework on R&D&I, but reserved its judgment on the funding aspects until the division of resources among its "pillars" and the specific volumes for SME support will be made public.

 The European Commission must be praised for presenting a balanced and realistic budget proposal, which manages to secure resources for many fundamental headers while keeping the overall spending footprint under control. The plans unveiled yesterday have the potential of really boosting crafts and SMEs` activities, at least on paper. Of course, much will then depend on how the various programmes are put into practice, but the closest and most important hurdle at the moment is that the budget is approved without changes and cuts.

We are particularly pleased with the Commission's plans to promote the competitiveness of SMEs. Calls to simplify rules, reduce participation costs and accelerate award procedures were clearly taken on board, and the creation of a dedicated programme with an increased budget envelope is a clear reason to rejoice. SMEs' competitiveness and innovation also feature prominently among the priorities for cohesion policy and structural funds.

The EU has on the 20^th of July launched its biggest ever funding package under FP7 through the publication of new FP7 calls for proposals. With about € 7 billion available for the 2012 calls, the EU forecasts that around 174 000 jobs will be created in the short-term and nearly 450 000 jobs and nearly €80 billion in GDP growth over the next 15 years.

EU funding for research is at the top of the political agenda and has now been placed at the centre of a coherent innovation strategy, the Innovation Union which Europe needs if it is to compete with large, dynamic countries like US and China.

Grants will promote research to tackle the biggest societal challenges facing Europe and the world, and create sustainable jobs and growth by giving Europe a lead in the key technology markers of the future. Universities, research organisations and industry will be the main funding recipients. Special attention will be given to SMEs, including a package close to €1 billion. There will also be a new EU Prize for Women Innovators whose work has been funded by FP7 or earlier programmes.

More support is also foreseen for activities that help bridge the gap between research and the market by demonstrating that new technologies have commercial potential.

The Malta Council for Science and Technology is the official National Contact Point (NCP) Organisation in Malta which provides information and assistance on FP7. "The Council has in the past year increased its capacity of National Contact Points, to better help local entities and individual researchers participating in these calls. NCPs offer individual support and assistance to local entities at all stages of the proposal life-cycle." said Council Chairman Hon Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, "Maltese entities have received over €9 million in funding from previous FP7 calls."  

The Participant Portal (http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal) has become the European Commission's single authoritative website for the publication of FP7 calls.

As part of its FP7 promotional activities, the Malta Council for Science and Technology will also be organising a number of information sessions in the coming days. For more information and assistance kindly contact the FP7 Unit within the Malta Council for Science and Technology at: or on 2360 2141 or visit the website http://www.mcst.gov.mt/events.aspx

GRTU was left overall satisfied by the proposal for a directive on energy efficiency unveiled by the European Commission. GRTU particularly appreciated the Commission's call on Member States to establish a favourable framework for technical assistance and targeted information on energy efficiency for SMEs, although this request should have been inserted in the legally binding part of the text rather than in the introductory remarks.

GRTU also welcomed the wording on energy audits for SMEs, which steers clear of imposing compulsory requirements while at the same time promoting awareness raising activities on possible energy savings. Moreover, the association praises the Commission's aims to facilitate SMEs access to the energy services market, to promote the use of small co-generation units and to foster the activities of small energy distributors and small retail energy sales companies. On the negative side, the text does not foresee the involvement of intermediary business organisations in the set up of SME-oriented measures at national level. Moreover, the impact assessment ac-companying the proposal lacks a dedicated ‘SME test', which should have been performed before proposing such an ambitious set of measures.

The target of 20 % primary energy savings by 2020 will not be met if the enormous potential of SMEs in this field remains untapped. Thankfully, the Commission seems to have realised this. Today's proposal could bring Europe very close to its energy efficiency aims if Member States follow suit on its recommendations. In particular, governments should ensure that a favourable framework is established to provide SMEs with technical assistance and targeted information on energy savings. However, this request should be moved from the introduction to the legal provisions of the directive. This would send a stronger political message to Member States and guarantee a concrete follow-up.

The text shows attention to the reality of SMEs also on other aspects. For instance, energy audits will not be compulsory for small and medium-sized companies, but Member States are invited to develop programmes to increase their up-take in SMEs by focusing on concrete examples of how energy management systems could help their business. This is the right approach. Moreover, the Commission plans to facilitate SMEs access to the energy services market and some-how makes the effort to promote some specific categories of SMEs, such as those managing small co-generation units and distributing or selling energy, to help them stay on the market and increase competition in these oligopolistic sectors.

The drawbacks of the proposal lie first of all in the text itself, which does not mention the important role of national SME organisations in working with Member States to set up the favourable framework for SMEs and the specific SME-friendly measures mentioned in the directive. Secondly, and even more importantly, it is quite surprising that the accompanying impact assessment shows that such an ambitious set of measures can be published without a specific ‘SME Test', seeing the impact that the directive will have on small producers, sellers and final users involved in energy efficiency.

At the MFCC Open Air Grounds, Ta` Qali

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The Platinum VIP tickets include free parking, a DVD, a CD, an autographed photo, and, above all, a meet and greet with Zucchero before the concert with a Martini welcome drink and an After Party VIP Treat

TICKET HOTLINE – 7927 4747

Euro-area citizens and residents have selected the winning design of a new euro coin that will be issued next January to commemorate 10 years of euro banknotes and coins. Close to 35 000 people voted in an online competition from a choice of five designs that had been pre-selected by a professional jury following a design competition among citizens from the whole euro area. The new commemorative 2-euro coin will be issued by all euro-area Member States. It is estimated that some 90 million of these coins will be put into circulation.

The winning design symbolises the way in which the euro has become a true global player in the last ten years and its importance in ordinary people's lives (represented by the people in the design), trade (the ship), industry (the factory) and energy (wind power stations).

The selection of the coin design

Citizens of all countries of the euro-area were invited to submit designs via a dedicated website during a three-week period in May. A professional jury selected five from among the more than 800 designs submitted.

These five were put to a public web vote among citizens and residents of the euro area between 6 and 24 June. Close to 35 000 participated in the vote. The winning design received 34 % of the votes.

The winning design was created by Mr Helmut Andexlinger who is a professional designer at the Austrian Mint.

Commemorative euro circulation coins

This is the third time that all euro-area countries will issue a euro coin with a common design on the national side. The first was the commemorative 2-euro coin issued to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome in 2007 and the second commemorated 10 years of Economic and Monetary union and the creation of the euro as book money, in 2009.

Commemorative coins always have a value of 2 euro and are put into circulation in the whole euro area, and they are often the subject of keen interest from coin collectors.

For more information on euro coins and the euro go to:

http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/euro/index_en.htm

The EU Competent Authorities for the Directives on medical devices have reached an agreement on a harmonized approach in the interpretation of the following legal provision: "The label must bear the following particulars: the name or trade name and address of the manufacturer. For devices imported into the Community, the label, or the outer packaging, or instructions for use, shall contain in addition the name and address of the authorised representative where the manufacturer does not have a registered place of business in the Community."

Harmonization, particularly the achievement of a coherent interpretation of legal rules and the scope of those requirements, is an important part of the market surveillance system.

In September 2010 the Competent Authorities in the medical devices sector established the Central Management Committee (CMC) to support and improve a harmonised implementation of the regulatory system. On June 7, 2011 CMC issued a decision to provide market surveillance authorities with a harmonised interpretation of what address a manufacturer (and when relevant an authorised representative) of medical devices shall put on the label and instructions for use.

The address shall be the address of the registered place of business of the legally responsible manufacturer and shall include the following details:

• street/road,
• number/house/floor,
• postal code
• city
• state/region and country

The same details shall be provided for the address of the authorised representative.

The Compliance and Enforcement Group (COEN), was asked to appropriately enforce the implementation of this decision. 

Through this letter, agreed by COEN, the Competent Authorities within the medical devices sector are informing manufacturers, Authorised Representatives and national and European branch organisations of this decision. Competent Authorities within the medical device sector request that manufacturers implement the decision by September 2012. 

The decision will be applied by the market surveillance authorities as from 1^st September 2012 giving industry a transfer period of one year.

The decision and more information of the CMC are available on the following Websites: http://www.cmc-md.eu/; www.cmc-md.eu/decisions.html

Should you require any clarifications please do not hesitate to contact Mr David Pulis at the MCCAA on or 2395 2000.

GRTU President Paul Abela and  Karmenu Zammit representative of the hauliers section has this week conducted a site visit at VGT Deep Water Key. During the visit a container and trailer vessel was effecting unloading and the usual operation. This was carried out as a familiarization exercise and it was agreed that such visits will continue on the future to improve cooperation.

This online consultation provides a large range of international stakeholders with the opportunity to present their views and contribute to set the agenda for next years European Trade and Development actions.

The accompanying issue paper contains useful background information, current issues and the objectives and invites contributions from stakeholders. It also contains a specific privacy policy statement in relation to the personal data protection of participants in the consultation.

http://trade.ec.europa.eu/consultations/?consul_id=156

The Commission is inviting contributions from the stakeholders. The EPD would appreciate if you could circulate the link to the members of your organizations.

Closing Date: 21/08/2011

After decades in which they were somewhat sidelined, Europe's small and medium-sized enterprises have now taken centre stage in the EU policymaking process. Already in 2000, with the adoption of the European Charter for Small Enterprises, EU Member States committed themselves to improve the business environment for smaller businesses:

• take care of the peculiarities of small enterprises in the elaboration of policies, measures and programmes;
• stimulate and promote entrepreneurship;
• improve SMEs' access to finance;
• create an administrative, fiscal, social and economic environment favourable to smaller enterprises;
• promote SMEs' access to the results of R&D and technology; value their innovation potential;
• promote the broadest possible access to new information and communication technologies.

In the Charter, Member States also committed themselves to report every year on the progress made. In 2006, the reporting commitment was integrated in the annual reports foreseen by the Lisbon agenda. 2007 brought a significant step forward as the European Commission announced its intentions to adopt a "Small Business Act for Europe", which was published in June 2008 and adopted by Heads of State and Government in December the same year. When the Small Business Act was published the Commission was moving from a logic that sees SMEs as exception to a stronger, more solid theoretical approach that would quickly bear fruit if fully endorsed, also at Member State level. More than two years after the adoption of the SBA, however, progress has been quite patchy both on the principles and on the concrete actions linked to the text, which remains a non-binding communication.

Despite its shortcomings in form and in practice, the Small Business Act has had the merit of putting SME policy at the forefront of the debate and increasing its level. Some months ago, the European Commission has published a review of the Small Business Act, which stressed the importance of improving the governance of the SBA process.

The GRTU has last week met Jason Azzaopardi where the Small Business Act for Malta was discussed. Government has in this case taken up GRTU's suggestion to entrench the rights enacted by the Small Business Act into law, this following strong criticism that Government has to do something tangible and not limit itself to simple nice rhetoric.   

The Small Business Act for Malta is a very important step and seems to be one that is being regarded as a best practice by the European Commission and is attracting much interest amongst other Member States. GRTU now looks forward to see the it practiced in real terms.