The network of SME envoys was set up in 2011 as part of the review of the small business act. Each EU country has nominated a national SME envoy to complement the role of the EU SME envoy who chairs the network. The group of SME envoys makes up an SME policy advisory group that promotes SME friendly regulation and policymaking in all EU countries.
Even though EU countries can do a lot to improve the regulatory and policy environment for SMEs, it is often hard for small businesses to voice their opinion and reach policymakers. The network of SME envoys improves the consultation process with national SMEs and cooperation between EU countries.
The role involves
SME envoys in EU countries are appointed by the national government. Their role is to
More information on the role of SME envoys in EU countries (13 kB).
See the most recent SME performance review. Click on the flags for the national factsheets.
| Country | Name | Institution, telephone | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Austria | Mr Florian Frauscher, Director-General |
Federal Ministry of Digital and Economic Affairs +43 (0)1 71100 - 803522 website |
florian.frauscher@oesterreich.gv.at |
/growth/file/belgium50png_enbelgium_50.png |
Belgium | Mr Didier Kinet, Director-General |
Federal Public Service Economy, SMEs, Self-employed and Energy +32 (0)2 277 51 11 website |
grow-sme-envoy@ec.europa.eu |
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Bulgaria | Mr Lachezar Borisov, Deputy Minister |
Ministry for Economy website |
secminister@mi.government.bg |
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Croatia | Mr Zvonimir Novak, State Secretary |
Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development + 385 1 610 61 11 website |
grow-sme-envoy@ec.europa.eu |
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Cyprus | Mr Constantinos Karageorgis, Counsellor |
Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism +357 2 286 7100 website |
grow-sme-envoy@ec.europa.eu |
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Czech Republic | Mr Marian Piecha, Deputy Minister |
Ministry of Industry and Trade +420 224 851 111 website |
posta@mpo.cz |
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Denmark | Mr Torsten Andersen, Deputy Director-General |
Danish Business Authority website |
erst@erst.dk |
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Estonia | Ms Sille Kraam, Deputy Secretary General |
Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communication +372 625 6342 website |
info@mkm.ee |
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Finland | Mr Petri Peltonen, Director-General |
Ministry of Employment and the Economy +358 29 516001 website |
grow-sme-envoy@ec.europa.eu |
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France |
Ms Caroline Mischler,
Director |
Ministère de l’economie et des finances +33 1 40 04 04 04 website |
grow-sme-envoy@ec.europa.eu |
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Germany | Ms Sabine Hepperle, Director-General |
Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy +49 (0) 3018 6159 website |
kmu-botschafter@bmwi.bund.de |
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Greece | Ms Panagoula Pasxali, Director-General |
Ministry of Development and Competitiveness +30 210 3332000 website |
info@ggb.gr |
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Hungary | Mr Robert Aradi-Beöthy, Head of Department |
Ministry for National Economy +36 1 795 1400 website |
ugyfelszolgalat@ngm.gov.hu |
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Ireland | Mr Conor Verdon, SME Envoy |
Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation +353 59 917 8990 website |
info@djei.ie |
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Italy | Ms Benedetta Francesconi, Director-General |
Ministero dello sviluppo economico +39 0647051 website |
dipartimento.impresa@sviluppoeconomico.gov.it |
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Latvia | Ms Ilze Lore, Director |
Ministry of Economy +371 67013100 website |
grow-sme-envoy@ec.europa.eu |
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Lithuania | Mr Tomas Urban, Director |
Ministry of Economy +37070664617 website |
grow-sme-envoy@ec.europa.eu |
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Luxembourg | Mr Gilles Scholtus | Ministère de l'Economie +352 2478 2478 website |
info@eco.public.lu |
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Malta | Ms Nancy Caruana, Permanent Secretary |
Ministry of the Economy, Investment and Small Business +356 2220 9500 website |
grow-sme-envoy@ec.europa.eu |
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The Netherlands | Mr Pieter Waasdorp, Director |
Ministry of Economic Affairs website |
grow-sme-envoy@ec.europa.eu |
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Poland |
Mr Wojciech Paluch,
Undersecretary of State |
Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Innovation +48 22 693 5000 website |
grow-sme-envoy@ec.europa.eu |
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Portugal | Mr Franciso Sa, Chairman |
IAPMEI (Ministry of Economy) +351 213 245 400 website |
grow-sme-envoy@ec.europa.eu |
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Romania | Mr Darius Vodă, Deputy Director |
Ministry for Business Environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship website |
office@investromania.gov.ro |
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Slovakia | Mr Jan Oravec, State Secretary |
Ministry of Economy +421-2-4854 7204 website |
grow-sme-envoy@ec.europa.eu |
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Slovenia | Mr Jernej Salecl, Director-General |
Ministry of Economic Development and Technology +386 1 400 33 11 website |
grow-sme-envoy@ec.europa.eu |
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Spain | Ms Maria Muñoz Martinez, Director | Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism +34 913 49 23 45 website |
grow-sme-envoy@ec.europa.eu |
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Sweden | Ms Gunila Nordlöf, Director-General Deputy: Ms Jeanette Edblad, Director |
The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth +46 8 681 91 00 website |
grow-sme-envoy@ec.europa.eu |
| Area | Envoy(s) |
|---|---|
| Business value and continuity | Maria Benedetta Francesconi, Italy |
| Access to finance | Pieter Waasdorp, The Netherlands |
| Training and skills | Sabine Hepperle, Germany |
| Green economy | To be reattributed |
| Internationalisation/access to markets | Conor Verdon, Ireland |
| Key-enabling technologies and clusters | To be reattributed |
| 2nd chance | To be reattributed |
| Entrepreneurship, including entrepreneurship education | Croatia |
| Family business-related issues and transfer of businesses | Nancy Caruana, Malta |
| Better regulation and reduction of administration burden | Wojciech Paluch, Poland |
| SME test | Didier Kinet, Belgium |
| Public procurement | Didier Kinet, Belgium |
| Digitalisation | Gunilla Nordlöf, Sweden |
| Start-ups and scaling up | To be reattributed |
| Business innovation and related IPR aspects | To be reattributed |
| SMEs in the defence sector | Croatia |
| SMEs in the satellite business and related sectors | To be attributed |
| Single market issues specific to start and scale-ups as well as 'traditional' SMEs | Torsten A. Andersen, Denmark |
| Cooperation of ecosystems on the sub-national level | To be decided |
The network meets 4 times a year with observers from European business organisations.