Size isn’t everything, but it certainly matters. Small and medium-sized enterprises, which account for 99% of Europe’s businesses, feel the burden of EU bureaucracy far more than their bigger counterparts. MEPs want to lighten their load with a measure th

Cutting red tape for SMEs

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/15966660/N001-100331-002-EN1.srt

Chocolate and spices are daily pleasures  for Jean-François Decarpentrie,

founder of Zaäbar,  a chocolate and spice shop.

His company exports to  France and Germany.

The single market should facilitate this,  but often it's just the opposite.

This businessman's criticism of  the EU is simple.

We shouldn't have to suffer  because of EU red tape.

Dealing with EU paperwork takes up one  working day per month for our company.

So how can the EU lighten  the paper trail for its 23 million SMEs?

In 2008, the Small Business Act  for Europe acknowledged

the essential role of SMEs  which make up 99% of EU businesses.

In 2010 the Parliament  wants to target micro-entities,

A micro-entity is a small enterprise  that has ten or fewer employees,

an annual turnover that  doesn't exceed one million euros

and/or an annual balance sheet  that doesn't exceed

MEPs will let Member States  choose whether

micro-entities should publish  their annual statements or not.

In Germany they do,  but in Belgium they don't.

Approximately 5 million enterprises  can benefit from these new rules.

SMEs in Europe think  this new measure is pointless.

They still need to submit  their annual accounts

not only to the banks, but also to  leasing companies, clients and providers.

For Zaäbar's boss, all SMEs  should publish their statements.

Harmonisation is better for business.  But while some countries oppose this

MEPs' proposal will remain in  cold storage and paper work will pile up.