European regulation should support small businesses, not hinder them. On June 23, SMEConnect organised a working lunch at the European Parliament’s Zweig Building in Brussels to tackle this exact issue. President Nelu Neacsu and Board Member Louis Delcart participated in the event, which focused on “Making cross-border e-commerce work for SMEs: the 28th regime and the future of SME growth in Europe.”
Co-Hosted by MEP Lukas Mandl and MEP Vladimir Prebilič, the event also featured SMEConnect President and EESC Member Paul Rübig.
In his opening address, MEP Prebilič highlighted the crucial role of local support for micro and small enterprises, particularly in rural areas, where they drive employment. Thanks to digitalization, these companies can scale and enter new markets from anywhere. Yet only 14% of European SMEs currently trade across borders. MEP Prebilič also called for better financing options, noting that traditional European savings systems fail to stimulate innovation compared to the US model.
Chair of the Steering Committee, SMEConnect Horst Heitz reminded that SMEs make up 99.8% of European businesses and employ 88 million people. While e-commerce offers an affordable path to international growth, regulatory barriers remain a massive hurdle.
Keynote speakers Vlad-Forin Vita (Ecommerce Europe) and Samantha Wellington (eBay) both warned that excessive regulation from both the EU and individual member states makes it harder for European SMEs to export within Europe than outside of it.
Europe’s traditional banking systems lag behind the US in funding innovation and promising startups.