Category: Archive – 2011

The European Commission has confirmed that the free trade agreement with India will not be implemented before spring 2013; (contrary to some newspaper articles) there will therefore not be any reduction in tariffs concerning textiles before that date. Even once the FTA enters into force it is very unlikely to have an immediate elimination of duties on textiles.

The Eurovignette directive will allow member states to impose new tolls on trucks to meet the costs of air pollution and noise. National governments may also design infrastructure charges which encourage carriers to choose alternative routes or discontinue driving during rush hours. Member states must transpose the directive within two years.

New anti-dumping questionnaires, to be used from this autumn, will considerably ease procedures for companies in trade defense proceedings. The result of continued dialogue with the European Commission's DG Trade, the revised questionnaires will deliver a number of major improvements such as the possibility to provide information in the form of samples.

Croatia's accession treaty is expected to be signed this December; it then has to be ratified by all 27 member states. Croatia's arrival as the 28th EU member state will expand the single market by 4.5 million consumers. Retailers and wholesalers should enjoy improved legal certainty and new business opportunities.

Oral arguments in the appeal MasterCard v Commission came before the European Court of Justice this July. At stake is the multilateral interchange fee (MIF), which costs European retailers an estimated €12 billion a year. MasterCard's main claim was that following its flotation on the stock market in 2006, it ceased to be ‘an association of undertakings' and so, its decision on MIF levels should not be subject to cartel law. EuroCommerce spoke in support of the European Commission, insisting on the huge and unjustified costs borne by merchants and their customers. A final decision is not expected before 2012.

As part of its Internationalisation Calendar for 2012, Malta Enterprise is inviting interested parties to register their interest to participate in the SIAL Food Fair 2012.

The Event

In SIAL 2010, around 140,000 professional visitors from the food industry visited the SIAL Food Fair to meet 5,838 French and international exhibitors. 

Exhibiting in SIAL 2012, will:

• STRENGTHEN and DEVELOP your image and brand awareness with an exceptional number of highly-qualified visitors
• RETAIN your existing clients and RECRUIT new ones
• DEVELOP your turnover
• BOOST your exports
• MEET potential business partners (distributors, agents)
• DISCOVER the trends in your sector
• BENEFIT from exceptional media coverage

Should you exhibit, your company may be eligible for financial support from Malta Enterprise (after the event) of the eligible costs incurred for:

• Rental of exhibition space / stand
• Stand construction services,
• Freight expenses incurred for shipping materials / exhibits required to setup and run the stand.
• Travel and a €147 daily for the number of days of the event for one representative per company

Should you wish to book individually please contact the organisers directly on .  Further details on space costs and the different product halls can be obtained from the fair's website www.sialparis.com.

If you wish to be located on the Malta Pavilion, kindly contact the Internationalisation Unit on Tel: 25423294 or by email : by not later than Friday 28^th October 2011.

Additional information can be obtained on Tel: 25423294 or by email:

A modular and comprehensive training programme on export management principles for the exporting industry.

For further information on this course please visit: http://www.maltaenterprise.com/capacity_building.aspx

Application form may be obtained by calling 25420000/25423430

or by email:

Brussels, 14 September 2011 – The SME Envoys meet in Brussels to shape a strategy aimed at freeing the growth potential and competitiveness of SMEs. Key elements agreed are: making it possible to start a company in 3 days for less than €100, increasing access to finance and public procurement and reducing bureaucracy, including by introducing an SME-friendly test for all new legislation at EU and Member State level. For this purpose, the European Commission and all Member States should introduce a specific SME test before any legislation is adopted. The test should ensure that no new obstacles arise that could hamper the smooth running of Europe's 25 million small businesses.

Twelve countries have already made the SME test a reality, and several more are in the process of introducing it. The SME Envoys agreed to implement the above measures in all Member States by September 2012. With these measures Europe is actively strengthening the position of SMEs, which are widely viewed as critical to restoring economic growth.

Background
The national SME Envoys presented the progress in the national implementation of the Small Business Act for Europe and agreed an ambitious action plan at their first meeting in Brussels with Daniel Calleja, the EU SME Envoy. Earlier this year, each EU country appointed an SME Envoy to promote for the interests of small business and ensure that SME interests are not neglected. There was consensus among SME Envoys and the representatives of the small business community that action over the next 12 months needs to focus on three concrete areas:

Simplifying the business environment and encouraging people to take up the challenge of becoming an entrepreneur. The SME Envoys signed up to the target of making it possible in all Member States to start a business in 3 days at a cost of no more than €100.

Improving SMEs access to finance through measures to increase the availability and use of bank loan guarantees for SMEs, together with micro-credit for start-ups and micro companies in particular. In the current situation, access to finance is the most pressing problem for SMEs. Furthermore, it is necessary to increase SMEs participation in public procurement contracts. The latest research shows that SMEs secure only 34% of public procurement advertised EU-wide despite their share to the wider economy being 52%.

Ensuring systematically that new legislation will duly take into account the potential implications for SMEs by means of an SME Test, at both European and national level.  Alongside the SME Envoys, the SME Test is the second building block of the European Commission's new governance plan for SMEs.

The SME Test already a reality in almost half of the EU
The SME Test, which is a vital component of the 'Think Small First' principle, was first laid down in the Small Business Act (SBA) for Europe adopted in 2008. In 2011, with the publication of the SBA Review, the role of the SME Test was further strengthened.

Slightly less than half of all EU Member States report that they already apply the SME Test. Malta, Slovenia and the Slovak Republic are in the process of introducing it. Four other Member States – Greece, Belgium, Cyprus and Bulgaria – are currently discussing its introduction, while other countries most often take into account the interests of SMEs in regulatory impact assessments despite not having introduced a formal SME test.

For instance, Austria has developed a special methodology, including a specific internet tool, which will become obligatory as from 2013. In the Slovak Republic, the SME test is part of all new legislation, and Malta recently drafted a law requiring all proposed legislation to undergo an SME test (as from early 2012) if it is established that the proposal has a potential impact on micro and small businesses. Finally, Finland is examining different ways of evaluating the impact of regulation on small businesses in order to put in place an improved SME test.

Most Member States find that the SME Test introduced in 2008 has real added value for SMEs in their countries, according to a recent survey conducted by the European Commission. In particular, Member States stress that the SME Test gives small enterprises time to adapt their businesses to new legislation, thus saving money. In addition, the SME Test contributes to avoiding legislation which could lead to a disproportionate burden on enterprises. It also renders the potential impacts of new proposals on SMEs clearer and mitigating measures easier to identify.

For more information on the SME Test, see MEMO/11/601
See also: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/small-business-act/sme-test/index_en.htm

A Samsung Electronics survey among office adult   employees found that:

• Shouting down the telephone
• Never offering to make tea or coffee
• Bringing smelly food into the office for lunch

are among colleagues' most irritating habits