MEPs Martina Dlabajova and Morten Lokkegaard, the Renew Europe group in the European Parliamant and in the European Committee of the Regions joined forces to offer the Business Days forum, to share concerns, expertise and solutions on what the EU can do better to support SMEs and businesses.
During these Business Days the Renew Europe group in the European Committee of the Regions covered the subnational perspective, showing how cities and regions lead the way in supporting local businesses. Companies in the EU carry many solutions of the challenges we are currently facing, and therefore it is of utmost importance to hear their concerns, expertise and suggestions when it comes to European regulatory framework within which they are operating in order to make European industry more competitive.
All business is local
In the ‘Specialised Masterclass for SMEs’ workshop organized by the Renew Europe Group in the European Committee of the Regions, several case studies were shown from different EU regions that have been successful.
In Dun Laoghaire (Ireland) for instance there is an app for your phone, which provides free financial education to help you run your business. In Oulu, Finland, you can get quick assistance to take your company global, meet the right partners and conduct sales negotiations. Since Mayors know their citizens best, François Decoster from Saint-Omer personally visits every new business to spread the word and attract customers. In Uccle (Belgium), you can always count on your commune to support you with a start-up. All you need to do is apply with a concept and in return you’ll receive an opening bonus just for starting your business.
For this masterclass, our President François Decoster was joined by Sanna Savolainen, senior advisor international affairs for Business Oulu, Finland on “Opening international markets”, Valentine Delwart, Deputy Mayor of Uccle, in charge of Economy & Commerce on “Financial support to occupy empty premises”, Owen Laverty, head of enterprise at Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Ireland, on “Developing a financial skills app”.
The Renew Europe Business Days took place on 7 and 8 June 2023 and saw interventions from, among others, Executive Vice President of the European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton, as well as MEPs Iskra Mihaylova, Catharina Rinzema, Martin Hojsik, Eva-Maria Poptcheva and Abir Al-Sahlani.
