International affairs

Public consultation: Small Business, Big World - A new partnership to help SMEs seize global opportunities

On this page:

Policy fields
Target groups
Period of consultation
Objective of the consultation
Consultation documents
Reference documents
Contact details
Responses received to this consultation
Results of the consultation and next steps
Personal data and privacy statement

Policy fields

Enterprise, trade, external relations, development

Target groups

Public authorities, business support organisations including business associations, Chambers of Commerce, Trade Promotion Organisations and other public and private agencies, consultancies, small businesses (SMEs), trade unions, NGOs, workers’ and employers’ federations and all other relevant stakeholders

Period of consultation

From 16.05.2011 to 12.07.2011 (the consultation is closed)

Objective of the consultation

We seek comments on a more integrated and coherent approach to public support for EU enterprises aiming to do business outside the EU.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need assistance when taking first steps to internationalise their business. While significant public resources are already devoted to SME support and a number of organisations and programmes exist at various levels, their impact can be increased by greater visibility and more effective cooperation. We propose a mapping of existing services and certain principles and priorities to guide future actions.

The text in consultation does not prejudge the contents of the final Commission proposal.

The consultation process started at the end of 2009 with an Issue Paper, also published on the Commission website, which was discussed with stakeholders on various occasions, including the Enterprise Policy Groups in May 2010.