The voice of SMEs in Europe

• European Commission’s DG Enterprise workshop tackles existing obstacles • Volume of contracts, access to information, qualification criteria main difficulties Brussels, 22 February 2007. Better access to public procurement for small businesses can spark innovation and contribute to economic stability, according to UEAPME, the European Craft and SME employers’ organisation. Speaking at a workshop organised today by the European Commission’s DG Enterprise and Industry, UEAPME Director for Economic and Fiscal Policy Gerhard Huemer highlighted the key SME concerns and problems on public procurement procedures, and suggested a number of actions to improve SMEs’ presence in tenders (1).